In the Tao Te Ching a manual on the art of living by Loa-
tzu, he describes leaders and leadership by classifying them into four
categories.
The best one he says is one who is indistinguishable from
the will of those who select him. The
next best is one who enjoys the praise and love of his people. The poor one
uses force and coercion and the worst one is a tyrant.
While the last two are least favored, Loa-tzu says in the
second category there is relative harmony between the leader and the people. In
the best one though he claims that things happen so naturally that no one
presumes to take credit.
To deserve the best form of leadership we first need to know
our collective will. When the collective will is unapparent or conflicted we
can expect to start settling in for the baser categories of leadership.
I found myself embroiled in an argument over politics with
this woman. The argument was unnecessary and wasteful. We both had our
references, our talking points and our concerns. Neither one of us was willing
to concede or take the other’s point of view into serious consideration.
After a while I pulled away angry and discontented, I was
frustrated at myself for having taken the time to convince a fool.
Except that we were both fools and our collective foolishness
made us each poorer.
I must say that it is difficult – extremely difficult - to
be unable to see the world in a vision that is not my own. But visions are a dime a dozen and the world
belongs to all.
It is hardly simple! In fact it is perhaps the most complex
of things imaginable – a collective will. The first and ideal style of leadership is
like enlightenment hard to achieve and even harder to hold onto.
So I guess that if we are lucky, very lucky indeed, we can
anticipate a life of relative harmony with a leader whom we shall inspire with
our praises. In the other two base categories we have little choice but to
fight it out.
As long as the fight is at a party and I have a glass of
wine in my hands – I’m willing.
