First, Do No Harm

Consider the points raised in this article from GardenSERF; excerpt:

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The following nonfiction essay originally appeared on the OTM website founded by visionary author Charles Hugh Smith.

This formal essay is on leadership. I’ve added some bold and italics since this was originally published.

First, do no harm (Chris Sullins, September 15, 2008)

I don’t have a simple answer on how to find the strong and humble leaders who will help us fix things. The closest thing I have to a one-liner is the title you see above. After my years of research and direct active participation in government at all levels, the best thing I can do is encourage you to participate as well. It shouldn’t be a surprise to you either, but the way ahead for us will be hard. I can’t guarantee we’ll find success but for any measure of progress toward it, I know without a doubt we must make this difficult journey together.

To help clear the path for good leaders, we must first make ourselves worthy of them. Likewise, the leaders who take the road with us must remain humble over time. Ironically, we expect these humble leaders to be consistently strong and unshakable while making the decisions we are too scared, tired, or distracted to make for ourselves as a group. It is a dance in which both leaders and peoples want to be exalted, yet both need to be reined in at times. This is a shared and circular process.

Only the people can loan proper authority over themselves as a whole and it may only be retained by leaders through their continuous demonstration of appropriate responsibility. Therefore, any system which degenerates into a “kiss the ring” form of generational patronage to either a coalition of families or some other closed subgroup of limited membership is doomed to oppression and ultimately failure. The final crumbling of such systems has been due to internal rot, external erosion, or the combined corrosive effects of both over time. History shows this to be a fact...

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Read the whole thing.

Then ask yourself:

Who are the leaders in my tribe?

Am I one?

If so, what is the central principle of my leadership?

If not a leader, what is my relationship with those who are?

Do I support the leaders?

Do I oppose them?

For either question, why do I do what I do?

Do I need a leader at all?