Opinion

Leading from behind

By Tony Laszlo

My heart goes out to leaders. They've been saddled with a bad job title. Successful leading — at least in a democratic sense — is actually all about guiding people from behind. Over the course of human history, some leaders have demonstrated an understanding of this notion. A case in point is the 19th century French politician Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin. He is reported to have said, "Ah well! I am their leader, I really ought to follow them," words echoed almost exactly by his contemporary in Britain, Benjamin Disraeli.

A "leader who follows" may sound like a contradiction in terms, but this is not necessarily so. Once the people who are to undertake a given task understand what it is that must be done and are provided with the appropriate means, it is they who must move forward toward the goal. In most cases, the leader can and should follow behind, making fine adjustments when needed, and only then.

The result of such leadership is, of course, that credit for the achievement goes to the group rather than to the leader. The leader's "leading" is largely invisible. To the untrained eye, he didn't do anything. As Laotzu puts it , "When the effective leader is finished with his work, the people say it happened naturally."

I witnessed a clear example of leading from behind during my recent stint on the theatrical stage. If one can liken a production to a ship sailing toward opening night, the director of the play was, without question, the captain of that ship. However, he managed things with an impressively light hand, waiting and watching while all the people involved did their respective jobs. He administered guidance only when people asked for it or otherwise absolutely required it. And even then, he gave it sparingly and with humility.

This type of leadership is, I think, an absolute prerequisite for success in the theater world. In film or television, the director can cut out whole scenes or even recast a particular character in the middle of production. The theater director does not have that luxury. He can neither walk out onto the stage to manipulate an actor's movements, nor even shout out directions from the wings. Rather, he must establish what is to be done and how, pick the best people, make small adjustments during preparations and trust in the team.

Regardless of its virtues, leading from behind does not seem to be the mainstream model for government leaders. However, we can see evidence of it in practice, now and again. For example, lawmakers in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, recently created an ordinance that will allow residents to stipulate how a portion — one percent — of their residents' tax is to be used. To a small degree, the government is letting the people go where they will, and following along behind. Kudos! Ledru-Rollin, Disraeli and Laotzu all would approve, I think.

Shukan ST: May 6, 2005

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