Dark Leadership
There are many indicators, signs, causes and effects that depict true leadership. In that list the most effective and visible indicator is the ability to appreciate and take appreciation. This always is mistaken as a sign of good leadership, even though its nothing but a malignant cell of cancer eating up the very core, this culture of appreciation and ovation is probably the biggest deception we make in the name of leadership development. In reality it’s nothing but a machine to suck the spirit out of the core of leadership and fills it with nothing but vanity.
Hence these awesome looking, great speaking, charismatic, breathtaking, flamboyant, ‘born to lead’, natural talents, and highly skilled and oh yeah very MODEST leaders succumb to the malnutrition of praise and acclamation fed to them over many years, and not so many followers who achieve perfection in ways of appreciating every single thing their leaders do. Even big names and famous leaders under any ordinary microscope turn out to have high traces of this virus. And due to the potency of this virus, their leadership core had died long before they became what they did.
We have become so used to appreciation that we even dare to judge a man’s leadership potential through his ability to appreciate and applause, and even have the guts to call it a motivation technique. Not knowing that the first thing it does is to lower the scales of achievement and the last thing it does is to get people addicted to vanity, makes them selfish, harbors jealousy and sets them straight and fast on the path of true arrogance. Theories and theories of scholars are piling up just to perfect this technique of how to clap your hands to motivate people. EVENTHOUGH this was the first sign of a disease ridden leadership. Overtime people have gone so hungry for it that the only reason they are doing anything good for a company or a group is to get an applause.
Even 60 year old veterans have become nothing more than dopamine addicts for praise and commendation. And it doesn’t stop here, naturally it becomes the fist rule for every green horn to follow and set the paradigm stronger still.
Therapy!
Start training on people to get oblivious to praise and appreciation. First tame yourself, then bring it about in the culture. I urge you to start now before its too late to save the children.
If we can get this base level instinct to be tamed, the wonders that people will do is beyond your mind can capture. Beware though since you would have to undermine the prevalent psychological impulse that drives you to think that it will lower the will of people and might kill their sense of achievement. Make sure you know that It won’t. In fact it will only heighten this sense.
People will move towards actual achievement and real success rather than chase petty applause and hollow words of appreciation.
Imagine a company where no one praises you for giving a bright idea. Sounds awful and dry doesn’t it? But instead of stopping here, keep going, imagine what people would do in order to set new standards of appreciation and acknowledgement. Soon it will light up the brightest lights of genuine smiles of amazement upon real achievements
That’s our only exit out of this paradigm where leadership these days is hungry for a room full of applause rather than the minds full of awe.
Its very tough! I know and I also know i am challenging the status quo right at its face. But its making me sick to look at how shallow we all have become and at the same time how deep we are into this crime!
This is a powerful and thought provoking reflection on the illusion of leadership built on admiration rather than authenticity. It’s true that constant praise can create an echo chamber where growth stops and ego thrives. Real leadership, as you’ve rightly implied, is sustained not by applause but by accountability, humility, and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. As Iqbal says..
نگاہ بلند سخن دل نواز جاں پرسوز
یہی ہے رخت سفر میر کارواں کے لیے
Yep it’s very tough. But we actually need the leadership like the Umar_the third caliph. Mostly people couldn’t enhance their role as a leader, in the current scenario of governance..
JazakAllah o khair
Yes, We understood that point Sir. But If take myself( a compare and teacher) as an example/ case study . There are two major questions arises.
Number 1: We are used to these kind of applauses and we are suffering from this disease what are the steps to get out of it.
Number 2: As a teacher, how can I build my students’ courage and make them work more efficiently if I do not applaud and praise them?
As you have given the example, If I do not praise their great idea/thought then what is process to make him feel that he has produced a great idea and how can I be able to enhance his progress without praising?
Hope I can get a answer to these confusions. Because as a teacher I suffer from these things.
Jazak al Alllah u Khairan Khatheera!
Bhai Koi bataya Gaa Ya IMS may KARNA KIYA HAY ???
I completely agree. The moment we begin chasing applause and praise instead of focusing on our mission, our priorities shift. We start trying to satisfy people’s expectations rather than pursuing what is right. A leader’s responsibility is to speak the truth and work toward the goal—not merely tell people what they want to hear.