"When you think of a leader, you might picture a political figure like Donald Trump or a spiritual one like Pope Francis. In Morocco, I think of King Mohammed VI, who embodies both. Or perhaps innovators like Steve Jobs, thinkers like Jane Goodall, or activists like Malala Yousafzai. Even a boss or parent may come to mind, because at its core, leadership is disproportionate influence over group goals and outcomes."
"In Homer's Iliad, Agamemnon rules through arrogance and force, while Odysseus relies on cunning and persuasion. In War and Peace, Tolstoy opposes Napoleon's ego-driven domination to Kutuzov's patient, collective authority. Tolkien reworks the theme in fantasy, with Sauron and Saruman ruling by fear, and Aragorn and Gandalf by wisdom and respect. Across centuries, our stories have reinforced the tendency to view leadership as a contest between dominance and prestige, force and persuasion, good and evil."
Leadership is disproportionate influence over group goals and outcomes. Cultural traditions and stories frequently present leadership as a binary between dominance and prestige, force and persuasion, or ego-driven rule and patient authority. Ethnographic evidence and leadership science show leaders draw on varied portfolios of resources, including social, intellectual, material, and physical capital. Leaders combine different forms of influence depending on context, ranging from coercion and authority to persuasion, expertise, and reputation. Simplifying leadership into opposites overlooks this complexity and limits understanding of how influence is produced, maintained, and exercised across societies and situations.
Read at Psychology Today
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