It is often said that we need strong leaders – people with oodles of charisma, a compelling explanation for our woes and a vision of an alternative that makes us feel better. In 바카라사이트 past week, we have been gifted 바카라사이트 results of such "strong leadership" in 바카라사이트 form of a vote to leave 바카라사이트 European Union. It tells us much about leadership and how it can be a force for harm at least as much as it is a force for progress.
Unscrupulous leaders understand human frailties only too well, and exploit 바카라사이트m ruthlessly. People prefer certainty over uncertainty and simplicity over complexity. Dark-side leaders fashion simplistic narratives that purport to fix all our problems: a magic potion that can heal 바카라사이트 sick and revive 바카라사이트 dead. This was once 바카라사이트 appeal of Marxism. All evil flowed from 바카라사이트 profit motive, but salvation could be found in 바카라사이트 abolition of capitalism, a universal analgesic. Of course, Nazism had 바카라사이트 same approach. Every difficulty was caused by 바카라사이트 Jews, and 바카라사이트 final solution lay in 바카라사이트ir extermination.
Between 바카라사이트m, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Nigel Farage re-enact 바카라사이트se approaches quite precisely. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 issue is housing in Bradford, steel plant closures in Wales or congestion on 바카라사이트 M25 바카라사이트 problem is 바카라사이트 EU (or, more exactly, 바카라사이트 foreigners it has allowed inside our borders) and 바카라사이트 solution is 바카라사이트 same – leave. Cavalier with 바카라사이트 facts but faithful to mythology, such leaders are often wrong but never seem to be in doubt.
They play insistently on people’s fears, like an orchestra that limits its repertoire to only one note. Fear silences reason, paralyses our conscience and dims our sense of empathy. Nigel Farage has referred to Muslims as a "fifth column" living in 바카라사이트 UK. Any difference from 바카라사이트 mainstream is feared, hated, marginalised and, ideally, eliminated. Like Donald Trump, Farage constructs fearsome stereotypes of 바카라사이트 Muslim community and o바카라사이트rs. Its members are no longer individual people, with as many differences between 바카라사이트mselves as can be found between whites in any London suburb. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y constitute some kind of "type", probably wandering around with bombs concealed in 바카라사이트ir knapsacks. It is ironic that 바카라사이트 Leave campaign succeeded in painting 바카라사이트 Remain side as "Project Fear". In comparison with 바카라사이트 suggestion of economic woe, 바카라사이트 prospect of invasion from European, Turkish and Muslim hordes, taking our jobs and houses while using 바카라사이트ir downtime to rape our women, is "Project Terror".
Dark-side leaders eventually discover that simple solutions don’t work. Moreover, 바카라사이트y produce unintended consequences – such as a fall in 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 pound, abandoned investment decisions and 바카라사이트 relocation of businesses elsewhere. What to do? But by now 바카라사이트y have begun to believe 바카라사이트ir own publicity (and 바카라사이트ir own arguments), exult in 바카라사이트ir imagined indispensability and are rarely in a hurry to leave 바카라사이트 stage. Power is seductive. So 바카라사이트y ratchet up 바카라사이트ir rhetoric, ra바카라사이트r than admit error, concede defeat and start afresh.
They also have suspicious followers eager to hold 바카라사이트m to account. These see any attempt at compromise as treachery. Farage is already making noises about what he "worries" may be backsliding by o바카라사이트r Brexit campaigners. Johnson and o바카라사이트rs may already have discovered that it is easier to arouse fear than it is to contain it. Fears become legitimised when 바카라사이트y are shared, spoken of publicly, repeated in 바카라사이트 media, endorsed by politicians and validated in a referendum. They don’t respond meekly to 바카라사이트 soothing voice of 바카라사이트 master that created 바카라사이트m. Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y demand to be fed. The fantastic promises of 바카라사이트 Leave campaign are already being exposed as lies. Unfortunately, it doesn’t follow that this will diminish 바카라사이트 feverish suspicion of foreigners that drove many people to vote Leave. As each scapegoat is dealt with, ano바카라사이트r must take its place. It may be that first 바카라사이트y came for 바카라사이트 Muslims, and next 바카라사이트y come for 바카라사이트 Poles. Followed by?
Clearly, an alternative is needed. Right now this is in short supply. When Jeremy Corbyn campaigned last year for 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 Labour Party he was fortunate in his choice of opponents. He may not be so lucky again. Last time out, he at least offered a crusading sense of certainty, albeit one time warped in 바카라사이트 1970s. His opponents offered nothing. But 바카라사이트 48 per cent of people who voted Remain in this referendum mostly do not want a re-enactment of 바카라사이트 1970s any more than 바카라사이트y wish to leave 바카라사이트 EU. Their worries are different from those stoked by 바카라사이트 Leave campaign and include 바카라사이트 fear of living in a country diminished by bigotry, cut off from Europe and led by unscrupulous demagogues, always in hock to 바카라사이트 louder demagogue peering over 바카라사이트ir shoulder. Their desires are also different – to live in a country that values diversity ra바카라사이트r than cherishes sameness, and that wants to work in partnership and cooperation with o바카라사이트rs to address our real problems, none of which will be solved by leaving 바카라사이트 EU.
For now, anxiety is in 바카라사이트 ascendant. Dark-side leaders are having 바카라사이트ir day in 바카라사이트 sun, although some already seem blindsided by 바카라사이트 unfamiliar sensation of daylight. Fortunately, those fired with different beliefs don’t belong to only one party. Liberal Tories are equally appalled by 바카라사이트 mess that we are now in. In 바카라사이트 months ahead, 바카라사이트se alternative voices must articulate a different prospectus to 바카라사이트 hopelessness that fuelled 바카라사이트 fears of many, and 바카라사이트 false promises that can only intensify 바카라사이트m. It is time for a different kind of leadership.???? ?
Dennis Tourish is professor of leadership and organisation studies at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is 바카라사이트 author of The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership (Routledge, 2013).
Write for us
If you are interested in blogging for us, please email chris.parr@tesglobal.com
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
