Follow to lead

Harry Truman had a definition of leadership: “A leader has two important characteristics. First, he is going somewhere. Second, he is able to persuade other people to go with him.” Truman had these traits. He managed the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe in the post-war period, broke the American isolationism of the early 20th century, built NATO, and was the first and only to use atomic bombs as weapons. He seemed able to teach something about vision and persuasion.

According to Harry’s definition, persuasion is arguably the most essential asset of leadership. Meaningful transformation is achieved through the collective efforts of many people working in a common direction. A vision without followers is merely an individual dream.

Communication skills are a key element of a leader’s toolkit. In public relations, timing is highly relevant. Before asking for the collective effort, a leader shall observe and listen. The sheer energy and desire for change must be mobilized by the people to execute it. And this is the moment a leader must follow: listen and prepare the people they are to lead.

Émile Durkheim, a 19th-century French sociologist, referred to collective consciousness as the totality of beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of a society. The collective consciousness is visible and a powerful guide to savvy politicians. They know how interpret reports based on opinion surveys, focus groups, social media text analysis, press coverage, and social behavior. All indicators of context, direction, and reasons for how social mood evolves. Managers in organizations have access to even more precise, qualitative information since they interact with much smaller groups than government officials. It’s time to put this to good use.

Quantum physics taught David Bohm a concept that he believed applicable to social sciences as well: Rather than imposing the direction of movement, guide momentum. In other words, follow to lead.