On Leadership, Philosophy and Responsibility.

On Leadership, Philosophy and Responsibility.

A few weeks ago, a website ask the question about do people believe that political leaders should have education in philosophy?

Now, understand the website focus is on Learning, in particular with the classic writings.

But it really dose bring out a big problem in modern society and education.

To day, too many of the people running the country, running companies, etc. are trained as “Technocrats” and not in a broader since of things, asking what, why and should it be done, is it right.

To be a real leaders, one needs to serve, not simply basque in the glory.

“But you shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that does serve.”-Luke 22:26 – King James Bible 2000

"To Lead, One Must First Serve"...Robert K.Greenleaf, The Servant as Leader.1970

If one looks at the people who often lead volunteer organization, the hardest working people are often the Leaders, they help new members to fit in, they come in early to make sure things are ready, Set up chairs, tables, lights on, etc. They help clean up after. They do a lot of the drudgery work with little or no thanks. Why, because there working for something greater than themselves, they are working on something they believe in.

A Technocrat is like some one who been taught how to Drive, but dose not have an idea of why they are driving or to where they are going.

But if you ad philosophy to that, then the leader not only knows HOW to drive, but has ideas on why, to where, and best ways.

But with out philosophy and history, one dose not know where one been, what worked and what has not. Some might anserw, Yes, but we do not want old ideas,.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -George Santayana, (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952), was a philosopher, essayist, poet

or

“Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” -Edmund Burke, (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish statesman born in Dublin

“Liberty, is not a means to a political end. It is itself the highest political end.” -Lord Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton—First Baron Acton of Aldenham 1834-1902

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority; still more when you superadd the tendency of the certainty of corruption by authority.” -Lord Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton—First Baron Acton of Aldenham 1834-1902

The Power of the collective Brain or the Invisible hand at work.

Adam Smith, (16 June 1723 NS – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher, pioneer of political economy, coined the term, the “Invisible hand” in his Pioneering work "An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations" (1776), also called Laissez-faire economic philosophy. This is based on a miss understanding, it not that the economy is NOT planed, Not controlled, but the Invisible hand is the collective, and often uncouscis working of every participant in the economy, voting with each action or non-action as to the quality, price, acceptability, desirability and utility.

This differs from the obvious planing and control of systems like Mercantilism and Socialism, where a few people, try to predict and understand, plan for the wants and the needs of the many. A much less efficient and much less effective way, but one which can give great power and influence to a few.

Errett Lobban "E. L. " Cord (20 July 1894 – 2 January 1974) Who in 1924, took the old but by then failing Auburn Automobile Company in 1924, and moved it to 13^th. Largest automobile manufacture in the United States by 1928. By 1929, he owned 150 companies, including Auburn, Cord, Dusenburg, Lycomming Engine, Checker Cab, AVCO, Vultee Aircraft, Stinson Aircraft, American Airways, New York Shipbuilding....

E.L. Cord lead his companies by offering a vision, which included Quality, Style, Engineering and Technical excellence.

I remember talking to Alexander Sarantos Tremulis (1914 to 1991), who was a designed for Auburn, Cord and Dusenburg. He had in his long design career worked for General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Tucker. But in talking to him, it was obvious, it was the days working for Cord, and the automobiles of Auburn, Cord and Dusenburg he was most proud of, had the greatest connection too and the fondest memories.

(I Talked to him at the Concours d'Elegance in Santa Barbara in the 1980's, and so many examples of the great cars he been involved with where on display. I remember one year, as I was talking to him, a 1936 CORD model 812 stretched Limousine drove on to the grounds. He walked across the field to it, I walk along, as he talked. There where only 2 of these built, one for the wife of E.L.Cord, the other, this one, (and he knew the name, but I since forgot it) As we got near, he started to describe the changes on the car he had done. He knew the car, like a child, like a very good friend, well remembers, but long not seen.) Over the years, he related other stores of his days at A.C.D. especially the last days of the company. I can say they had fun, they loved what they where doing. At G.M, an Engineer or a designer could spend there whole career designing door handles, accounts, and executives with no since of style may dictate things. But with E.L. Cord, he give a vision, then give you the power to work on it, he listen to your ideas, and the Creativity was encourage. He was the one giving direction, and the one with final say, the output of the company was really the result of harnessing the power, the creativity, the so called “Collective Mind” of the group. Each could think of, and felt that the product was the Fruit of there labor, and they took ownership to see it right, and took pride in them.

Now, I know I have presented a set of seemingly unrelated ideas, but they really are related, it the qualities of Leadership, the dangers to avoid, in one self and in others, and how to get the best out of people. Be it a non profit organization, a company or a nation.

We build up ourselves by building up those around us, by serving them, encouraging them. By this, we build up the organization, allows us to harvest the talents, creativity and skills of each, to create something greater than ourselves.

This, all can take pride in, and benefit from.

Be humble, recognize the contributions of other, the team can be more creative, more knowledgeable than the regular top down administration.

On a project I headed up a few years ago, one that turned out very well, and for which I received many compliments on, and still do form time to time. Yes, it is my name on it, but I recognize that it was with much thank s to the talents of others that it came out so well. My normal reply, and I do mean it is:

“I was but the conductor, blessed with a very talented and creative set of musicians and artist.”

That is, what was created was greater than myself, or my ability. Yes, it was my concept, Yes, I was the one who selected the team, told them of my vision, directed the varius parts and brought it all to gather. But it was in doing it in a way, where each person, bought into the vision of the whole, and added there own creativity, invested themselves into it turning out Great, and not just good, that caused it to work so well.

Each person who work on it, looks at it today as also there creation, takes pride in what they help to create.

This is very rewarding for the people who work on a project, and it results in both happier people and better work. These should not be UNIQUE situations, but we should strive to create such a working environment on every project, be it for a non-profit, for a company or for Government.

On Work as a vocation, a calling.

Many people see only work, such as being a Teacher, a Doctor or Nurse, a Policeman or Fireman, a Farmer producing food for the table or a Priest, Monk or Nun as a calling, serving the public good and will of God.

These things are all important, but many of us will play many rolls in life and serve in many ways.

It is important for one to realize not every one can be one of those recognized positions of calling, but in the world, almost every job is necessary, and it in how one approaches it. In attitude, that makes it but happy for yourself, and a service to God and your fellow man.

If I may, for illustration. A person working as a hamburger flipper at XYZ Hamburgers.

I assume there not looking for this to be there permeant job, that they have higher aspirations, maybe there working here after school in High school, or helping to pay there way thru collage, or while there looking for a “better job”, or to help pay some big bills by working this as a second.

Dose not matter, even if this, by way of ones own abilities is the best they can do, every one should approach it as while I here, I am here to do this the best I can, and to be helpful and cheerful while doing it.

With each person doing well at there work, being helpful and cheerful, it makes the working environment nicer for all the people working there. Also, One is doing a service, feeding busy people on the run, fast, Fridley, hopefully healthy food.

So one, while working even such a job, can see it for the time, as there vocation, there service unto there fellow man and to God.

Every brick is important in the construction of a house, some it more obvious of it being so, such as the corner stone, where others, as filler bricks beneath a windows are less so. But each serves a purpose.

It was with this I approached work, when I was a salesmen in a Camera store and in an Art store.

My service was to try and do my job as best I could, to know my products, and to help my customers.

I was not there to simply to sell, but to provide solutions to people problems. I was, in my own way, educating them.

Be in how to take better family pictures, how to take sport photos of there kids, or how to mix colors to get a certain look on a painting or what type of brush one needs for water color, I try and help. And I could recommend products, the Right products, not just any, but I could also share tricks, techniques to make the art or the photography better, which some times dod not require buying any thing. But I served the customer, and the customers became loyal clients.

This is still a Work in Progress.

Curtis Neil. Copyright 2015

November 1st. 2015