Hudson Valley Astrologer

Good leaders follow! Leadership is not necessarily about pioneering, or cutting a path through a virgin forest. Leaders do not need to always be first, or in charge.

Leading from behind for example follows traditions that are steeped in military strategy. Any troop or platoon on a mission has a point person but there is also the all important flank, or sweeper. The rear guard as it were lends support and guidance for the whole group because responsibility in group dynamics is distributed. The significance of the sweeper position is about maintaining the integrity and safety of everyone involved, to keep the mission itself intact, without fanfare. Protecting the way forward means no one gets lost or left behind!

Nelson Mandela tapped into this ancient wisdom, intuitively available in the minds of people, using a metaphor about a Shepard. The quote above appeared in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.

This metaphor might not play as well in a polarized politic aimed at dominance, where “sheeple” is a divisive trope to describe the collective as mindless and irrational. But group dynamics require trust, cooperation, and shared decision making to function well. Consensus can arrive at opinions based on evidence and shared governance, which can be more empowering to the individuals members of any collective. Individuals thus empowered, learn from one another and tend to NOT follow one another blindly, but support and encourage each other. Trust builds and the larger community becomes enabled to better respond to challenges — public health, public safety, or broader participation in sharing civic responsibilities.

The irony in using the trope deriding someone as a sheep, is that this dismissive hides an anxiety for following others, avoiding cooperation, and mischaracterizing strong leadership as authoritarian, as tyrannical.

There is power in humility. Mandela’s perspective embodies this potential as both a demonstration of strength and fortitude. My leadership style, or what I aspire to, would follow Nelson Mandela’s example more than say Donald Trump’s mob boss approach.

HVA

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