In the complicated world of being in charge, how leaders and their teams get along is super important. On one hand, when leaders try to control everything and manipulate their teams, they mess up what makes leadership work. Conversely, some teams wrap up their leaders in a bubble of overprotection. This is especially prevalent in politics.
It’s like these leaders are living in a fortress made of compliments and filtered information.
Who builds the fortress? Fingers can be pointed at the subordinates who are supposed to challenge the leaders to keep them grounded. They’re like the knights of old defending the castle, except instead of swords, they wield blind loyalty.
It happens everywhere, from politics to business; leaders are shielded from the raw, unfiltered truth. They’re shielded from dissenting voices — from the inconvenient realities that might tarnish their image.
But why does it happen? What drives these subordinates to become enablers of this protective bubble?
It’s partly about job security. If you’re the one who always makes the leader look good, you’re indispensable.
They become the gatekeepers of information, filtering out anything that could potentially rock the boat.
Other than job security, there’s a psychological aspect to it too. People naturally want to please those in power.
It’s a dance of power dynamics where subordinates constantly curry favour with their leaders.
But what about the harm it causes in the long run? Leaders who are shielded from reality are ill-equipped to make informed decisions. They become disconnected from the people they’re supposed to lead, living in a self-made bubble.
And when things inevitably go wrong, they’re blindsided because they never received the honest feedback they needed.
It’s a vicious cycle. The more overprotective the leader becomes, the more they rely on those enablers to maintain the illusion.
So how do we break the cycle? How do we ensure leaders receive the unvarnished truth to make good decisions?
Well, it starts with fostering a culture of transparency and accountability. Leaders should encourage dissenting opinions and reward those who speak truth to power.
And subordinates must recognise that their loyalty should lie not with the leader’s ego, but with the greater good. It’s about shifting the focus from protecting the leader to serving the organisation and its mission.
This is because ultimately, the true measure of leadership is not in how well they’re protected, but in how well they can navigate the challenges they face.
In the context of elections, the subordinates who hold the true information wield immense power over the candidates. They become the gatekeepers of political success, controlling the flow of information to ensure their candidate’s image remains pristine. And the leaders, in turn, become even more dependent on them.
It’s a symbiotic relationship. The leaders need the advisors to maintain their facade of competence, and the advisors need the leaders to stay in power.
And let’s not forget the money involved. The more overprotective the leader becomes, the more valuable those advisors become. They can demand exorbitant fees for their services, knowing that the leader’s success hinges on their ability to control the narrative.
It’s a lucrative business, to say the least. And the sad part is, it’s the voters who ultimately pay the price as they’re fed a carefully crafted version of reality, designed to appeal to their emotions rather than their intellect.
And the cycle perpetuates itself. The more successful the advisors are in manipulating public opinion, the more entrenched they become in the political landscape.
So how do we break free from this cycle of overprotection and manipulation?
It starts with empowering voters to see through the smoke and mirrors, and to demand transparency and accountability from their leaders. We need to shift the focus from image to substance.
Leaders need to surround themselves with advisors who are willing to speak truth to power, even if it’s because ultimately, the health of a democracy depends on the ability of its leaders to confront reality head-on, rather than hiding behind a facade of overprotection.
Political leaders, therefore, need to watch their subordinates and not let themselves get manipulated by the Little Napoleons and power-crazy gatekeepers who become barriers between the leaders and the voters.
The Little Napoleons are like the guardians of the status quo, determined to maintain their grip on power at any cost. They see themselves as the puppet masters, pulling the strings behind the scenes to ensure their influence remains unchallenged
Political leaders, unfortunately, often fall victim to their machinations. They become ensnared in a web of manipulation and deception, unable to see the truth through the fog of misinformation.
It’s a dangerous game, to say the least. Leaders who allow themselves to be manipulated by these gatekeepers risk losing touch with the very people they’re supposed to serve.
And let’s not forget the damage it does to democracy as a whole. When leaders become beholden to a select few, the voices of the electorate are drowned out by the whispers of the powerful.
So how do we prevent this from happening? How do we ensure that political leaders don’t fall prey to the siren song of manipulation?
It starts with vigilance. Leaders need to be constantly on guard against the influence of these Little Napoleons, questioning their motives and challenging their authority.
And they need to surround themselves with advisors who prioritise the needs of the people over their thirst for power.
Sincere leaders should be creative by creating alternative channels of information from the ground. It costs time and money but it must be done to get the real picture of what’s happening among the common people. The real information then should be compared to the filtered ones from their subordinates.
Creating alternative channels of information sounds like something out of a spy novel, but in politics, it might be necessary.
Sincere leaders understand the importance of getting the unvarnished truth directly from the source. It’s not enough to rely solely on the information provided by their subordinates. They need to go straight to the source — the common people.
And that means investing time, resources, and money into creating the alternative channels of communication.
It’s a small price to pay for the invaluable insights gained. The real picture of what’s happening on the ground can be vastly different from the sanitised version presented by advisors.
To sum up, let’s remember that leadership is not about surrounding oneself with yes-men and gatekeepers. It’s about being willing to confront the hard truths, listen to dissenting voices, and make decisions based on integrity and honesty. By breaking free from the shackles of overprotection and manipulation, leaders can truly serve the people they represent and build a better, more transparent future for all.
Leadership is a privilege, but it’s also a responsibility. Leaders have a duty to the people they serve to seek out the truth, to listen to their concerns, and to act in their best interests. By fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, we can ensure that leaders remain grounded in reality and focused on the needs of the people. It’s time to tear down the barriers between leaders and voters and build a political system that values honesty, integrity, and above all, empathy.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the New Sarawak Tribune.
