First and foremost I’ve had a bit of a long week.
It’s been a little rough with the return of university syncing up with some personal issues but hey, what canya do?
What has been on my mind recently in light of this is the nature of relationships, specifically how they can help one deal with stress and to grow but also how they can sour so quickly. Recently for me those two separate aspects of interpersonal connections have been magnified by the presence of an authority figure who demands a level of social bond and trust.
This demand for trust is something I can understand even despite my misgivings, some tasks require it to move forward effectively, especially in the academic setting within which I have experience. Though this trust is required, things start to fall apart when it is demanded. I feel that to have the kind of positive relationship that results in faith and openness there must be some semblance of equality involved. This equality does not correspond to levels of management, that is a power disparity that must be accepted. The type of equality to which I refer is all about respect.
In examples of genuine leadership there is a level of respect between the leader and their followers. The followers respect the authority of the leader but both parties respect the validity of each-others’ opinions, at least considering them even if there is a disparity in how educated one party is in the subject a hand. Leadership is about guidance and cooperation, when communication no longer results in an exchange of information but instead a situations where only one side’s opinions are treated as valid, it becomes solely an authoritative relationship. All trust is lost when those who follow no longer feel that that trust is reciprocated.
Alienation from authority is an all too common occurrence that leads into the breakdown of respect as resentment builds within those who operate and learn under this authority. It further compounds as resentful individuals share their feelings with other resentful followers and from that consolidation acts as justification that reinforces the anti-authoritarian ill will.
In my personal experiences with this my bitterness towards this authority in currently being exacerbated by the hypocritical insistence that the authority figure is leading and that they are teaching me the principles of leadership. It is true that I have less credibility on the topic than they do but surely its a red flag when dogmatism is the method through which criticism is dealt with?
This has all been about my experiences and feelings surrounding this topic and it would be very hypocritical if I didn’t now state that I am open to correction and criticism. On that note I’d love to hear what you think, what are your experiences with leadership devolving into authority?
The Nuclear Alternative 