The new state : $b Group organization the solution of popular governmentFollett, Mary Parker
Science
The new state : $b Group organization the solution of popular government
Follett, Mary Parker
Democracy; Political participation; Social psychology; State, The
No adequate statement can be made in regard to leadership until it is
studied in relation to group psychology. The leadership of the British
Premier, of President Wilson, will become interesting studies when we
have a better understanding of this subject. Meanwhile let us look
briefly at some of the qualities of leadership.
The leader guides the group and is at the same time himself guided by
the group, is always a part of the group. No one can truly lead except
from within. One danger of conceiving the leader as outside is that then
what ought to be group loyalty will become personal loyalty. When we
have a leader within the group these two loyalties can merge.
The leader must have the instinct to trace every evil to its cause, but,
equally valuable, he must be able to see the relative value of the cause
to each one of his group—in other words, to see the total relativity of
the cause to the group. He must draw out all the varying needs of the
neighborhood as related to the cause and reconcile them in the remedy. A
baby is ill; is the milk perhaps too rich for babies? But probably the
rest of the neighborhood demands rich milk. All the neighborhood needs
in regard to milk must be elicited and reconciled in the remedy for the
sick child. That is, the remedy cannot be thinner milk, but it may be a
demand that the milkman have separate milk for babies.
In other words the leader of our neighborhood group must interpret our
experience to us, must see all the different points of view which
underlie our daily activities and also their connections, must adjust
the varying and often conflicting needs, must lead the group to an
understanding of its needs and to a unification of its purpose. He must
give form to things vague, things latent, to mere tendencies. He must be
able to lead us to wise decisions, not to impose his own wise decisions
upon us. We need leaders, not masters or drivers.
The power of leadership is the power of integrating. This is the power
which creates community. You can see it when two or three strangers or
casual acquaintances are calling upon some one. With some hostesses you
all talk across at one another as entirely separate individuals,
pleasantly and friendlily, to be sure, but still across unbridged
chasms; while other hostesses have the power of making you all feel for
the moment related, as if you were one little community for the time
being. This is a subtle as well as a valuable gift. It is one that
leaders of men must possess. It is thus that the collective will is
evolved from out the chaos of varied personality and complex
circumstance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account