Leadership Dilemma: Denial, Much More than a River in Egypt
The events in Egypt are stunning as we witness the powerful force of an unorganized movement gaining momentum and finding a way to self-organize using modern technology.
What the governing heads in Egypt are ignoring is that as the sense of self-empowerment and inner strength spreads the meaning of leadership changes. Individuals will no longer tolerate being treated like small children.
Listening to President Mubarak say that he would not step down until elections in September, which are light years away from the turmoil and chaos of today, he spoke to “his people” as sons and daughters, and to the few as brothers.
However, that level of patriarchal leadership will no longer work in a world that is growing rapidly through new technology and connectedness. What we need now is management that encourages others to develop and leadership capable of bringing forth the guiding vision of the entire country.
Patriarchal leaders paint themselves as the bulwark of stability, claiming that without having them in charge, there will be chaos. When there is a burst of growth and demand for change, the patriarch pulls in, blaming “outsiders” for causing unrest. The denial of what is really happening most often creates radicalization. Frustration finally spills over into some form of acting out. The need to release the tension of the lies and “playing pretend” often erupts into violence. In Egypt we are watching with bated breath to see how this drama unfolds.
Every system that is locked down with tight parameters eventually causes a sense of rage for freedom from the constraints and the need to push back. Think about the plight of so many adolescents who rail against the overly firm dictates of parents who say “my way or the hi-way”.
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