Empowerment vs Idolization
I had a particularly refreshing conversation last week amidst the various projects (i’ll update you on all the action at the end of the post) which brought up a conversation I’ve had in different capacities for many years. I should explain that it is not a new conversation for me, but it is rare in the sense that not a lot of people (seemingly) think about the effect of their actions and (when given the opportunity) their position of leadership.
I spent a lot of time in my youth doing service-oriented work for communities and society at large as part of my essential belief in service to humanity. As a youth there was much to learn about building capacity in others through service. The relevance of that experience was how I thought deeply and learned about the seemingly dichotomous reward function of selfless service. Essentially, there is a “thinking trap” or cognitive distortion that goes like this:
How can I selflessly serve others if I know the ultimate reward is to my own well-being/karma?
(A great concept to consider and wrestle with - one I would encourage you to contemplate and explore yourself and with your children, particularly through service 🤓)
I found my way through this and doing so provides the background to the concept I wanted to share this week…
Empowerment vs Idolization.
It’s a strange thing to be in a position where you want to build capacity and raise people out of a slumber (whether in thought or action), only to have them respond and reciprocate and in doing so end up idolizing you. The purpose and the effect are at odds with each other: you want to raise people up and in the process they feel/display a type of reverence, respect or admiration for you. It’s not all negative, the responsibility ultimately falls on the dynamics of both parties. I wanted to briefly explore the dynamic of both sides (as the “leader” and “receiver of leadership”) for this powerful synergy to take effect and for true empowerment (rather than idolization) take place.
The Leader
It is a privilege and burden; It weighs heavy in its responsibility and uplifts you sky-high in reward. It places you at the far end of the scale: joy at one end and sorrow at the other. It is one of the great call to arms for humans, the great responsibility and bounty for those endowed with wisdom and understanding. It is not a formula applied, rather a spirit embodied.
The person who has the privilege of a leadership position (whether in thought or action) bears a great responsibility. Their duty is two-fold:
To be the tip of the spear, leading the charge especially when navigating the novel or difficult.
To help advance within their ranks, community, tribe or movement, each individual on their continuum of learning from their current point to a greater one.
Said another way: a leader is one who is first to kill and the last to eat.
The delicate balance that a leader must keep is being able in one step to show by example the courage needed to face a new reality, and in the other allow their constituents to believe they can face it in the same way too. The wise leader extends the latter and will walk with their constituents at every step, slowly removing their input till the individual knows they can do it themselves (like learning to ride a bike!)
The Receiver of Leadership
The search for a light in darkness can continue abound,
At one point seen on the horizon, one walks miles to attain,
Along the way more light is found, the choice to pursue one makes you refrain,
Ponder the source aloud till at last the silence reveals, the light within is eternal flame.
Those in a position to be led by another have the challenge to maintain their integrity, self-discipline and inherent nobility. To know that ultimately it is their own efforts that lead them to listen, learn and eventually carve a path for themselves.
On this path, there are certainly those who’ve been along it before, or are further ahead - but to focus on these points breeds passivity.
The responsibility then is to understand that admiration does not admit inferiority. As a consumer of a leaders message, one can easily be swept by the drama, the posture, the magnanimity of a leader - to the point where they fool themselves by trying to match a shadow that is not cast by them. Certainly this debilitating behaviour is encouraged in subtle ways (and not so subtle ways) in our culture, but ultimately is a result of laxity in self-awareness and reinforces our own perceptions about our shortcomings.
The Delicate Balance
This is what frustrates me at times, because it is not only the leader who must be vigilant, but the receiver of that leadership. The great equalizer is our inherent diversity and nobility. We are all created with something to contribute and we must remember not to spend too much time, effort, words and attention on something or someone to the point of idolization. To idolize is to dis-empower both you, the people around you and the wise leader.
The wise leader must in turn spend as much time conscious of this “thought trap” and seek to correct in words and deeds the perceived balance of power as much as it is possible. To the trained eye, it is clear when one is blatantly “phoning it in” whilst in that privileged position. But to others less aware, it only reinforces a behaviour of idolization, encouraging the dis-empowering thoughts and attitudes that come with it.
Empowerment
Empowerment on the other hand, has a purity to it. It runs a longer track - ever seeking to build and grow everything it touches step by step. I believe empowerment only truly happens when you can see an individual flourish - and do so in the knowledge that they can inherently continue of their own accord. What’s needed for that to happen is a long discussion, perhaps for another time, but the child who is learning to ride a bike is a great example. When they know and can demonstrate riding without their parents (or training wheels) by their side, they have become empowered.
Final Words
It is important to resist the inertia of systemic and cultural patterns when pushing novel and forward-thinking ideas. There is a fallacy to idolization and its effects are ultimately dis-empowering for many. Whatever the role you may play in a changing environment, find alignment between the message that you wish to carry and how you are perceived. If you are privileged to be in a position of leadership, be vigilant lest your words and deeds dull the minds of those you wish to sharpen.
Updates on Last week
This week I had the pleasure of catching up with Abhijat Saraswat who runs the Fringe Legal podcast and the upcoming Legal Virtual Summit. Check out those links and join if you’re interested. Thank you mate for your public encouragement of the Lab - means a lot!
Also, our GCPR efforts have been captured in the Financial Times 🔥 - I’m very proud of the team that is supporting this effort and love being part of the project. Margaret, Anja and I hit the ground running over a year ago and it’s been a fantastic ride working with them at the Future Law Institute.
I was privileged also to set off their FLIx COVID19 Conversations 🔥 If you’re interested in watching us converse long format (with a little guest appearance if you stay till the end 😊) then click the link!
Andrea Foot and I have created a weekly “Law Firm Futures” session for leaders who want to bring live questions and walk away with possible solutions about what to do next. The first one is on Monday 4th @ 12pm AEST. Send me an email, or connect/message me on LinkedIn if you’d like an invite.
Finally, please share the Lab if you find it valuable. It’s had great growth since its start and there are some heavy hitters (read: I respect and admire their contribution to the Law) in the subscriber list! Use the #futureoflaw in your post and let’s share the goodness around!
The future of law is in our hands 🔥
Q.
Photo by Steve Barker on Unsplash