Leadership as defined by the Business Dictionary
- The individuals who are leaders in an organization, regarded collectively.
- The activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do this.
Leadership involves:
- Establishing a clear vision.
- Sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly.
- Providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision.
- Coordinating and balancing the conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders.
A leader steps up in times of crisis and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations.
I found the above definition of leadership on the internet and although there is obviously a ”more detail” link to be pressed this rather sums up the essence of what is required to lead any group, formal or informal. This advice is as pertinent to parents with children unruly or otherwise as it is to leaders in business, with politicians being no exception. The raison d’être differs considerably as do the preconditions set for each leading individual and although the definition of well-being may vary from organization to organization it serves well as a common denominator be it for a family, a club, a business, a hospital or even a country. Ignoring the basics of leadership puts this well-being at risk.
With Britain in its present state there are certainly a good many people asking themselves how are we going to get out of this mess. Unfortunately for the country the people who led the UK into this are the very same people now trying to unravel it. Having bungled the first point on the above list, ignored points 2, 3 and 4 they are now at the crisis bit, bickering amongst themselves and incapable of facing the issues on hand. ”The will of the people” a mantra nowadays being muttered with much the same reverence as the Lord´s Prayer is the vision that according to them must under all circumstances be adhered to. Even if I find that argument a little weak as the referendum was advisory the ”will of the people” ought to have been seen as a precondition for establishing a vision being open ended enough for some sensible solutions. The stage was set for a leader to step up and take control; a Brexit sound bite Prime Minister Theresa May has not and is not living up to. She took the easy way out. She let the ”will of the people” become the vision, full well knowing it to be incomplete as such. At this moment she usurped the leave vote and slammed the door shut on her chance of ever becoming anything other than a political parenthesis.
Theresa May´s nonsensical ”Brexit means Brexit” and invoking of article 50 was a slap in the face of her country and her party. Instead of some careful reflection on what people were expecting by voting leave and research on how that compared to the attainable options and then carefully moving on to point 2 she shoved ”strong and stable” and ”Brexit means Brexit” down everybody´s throat resulting in the absolute opposite to gathering willing followers. This was underlined by her foolishly calling and then losing an election. Now that ”strong and stable” had become ”weak and wobbly” and the country´s less than willing followers into the Brexit unknown were voicing concern as to the negative effects of leaving the EU, point 3 on the list was definitely not on. By rapidly invoking article 50 she exposed her weakness as a leader with little regard and or ability for point 4.
Together with many other people who feel the Uk´s future lies with the EU I was of course disappointed with the result but in all seriousness it is the people who voted leave that should also be up in arms. People who voted remain realize that their lives will change. They lost. People who voted leave were lied to on a number of issues concerning the benefits of Brexit and bearing in mind the great number of options still open have not yet won anything other than an unachievable slogan the ”will of the people. ” Remain may have lost the referendum but leave have lost their Brexit due to political incompetence and arrogance. When Brexit is finally negotiated only a fraction of these leave voters will have received what they voted for. The question therefore is and should be can the rest of us go along with the happy few? The question has to be put.
A final say is the only decent and democratic thing to do.