Dominance and Leadership

There are those whose hold that leadership should dominate and control the agenda and meeting. One stream of thought is that a leader speaks frequently making his or her views known in a clear forceful manner. Another stream is a good leader should give others a few minutes to express their thoughts and then speak, jumping off expressed views with which the leader is already in concurrence. In both cases the leader addresses and controls most points.

I have never felt comfortable this viewpoint. Some good leaders are of the above mold but many more do not dominate meetings or others. These leaders listen, consider the views of others and they do not have to speak to everything. They are focused upon the major/critical matters or ideas rather than side skirmishes and the minor details. I have been reading sections from Thomas Jefferson’s autobiography. Following is a quote that touches upon the temperament and nature of two men who were clearly national leaders in different spheres.

"I served with General Washington in the legislature of Virginia before the revolution, and, during it, with Dr. Franklin in Congress. I never heard either of them speak ten minutes at a time, nor to any but the main point which was to decide the question. They laid their shoulders to the great points, knowing that the little ones would follow of themselves."