Frank T. Williams
1/10/05
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In theory there are three different styles of leaders:
autocratic leadership—a ruler with absolute authority or a bossy person;
democratic leadership—characterized by free and equal representation of
people; and the delegative leadership—one given power or authority by
higher authority. Yet, the leaders of today are finding more mainstream
ways of intermixing ideas, policies, concepts, and they are redefining
titles such as democrats, republicans.
Historians write about the effects of power. Power
has often been mishandled by leaders, and mismanagement causes circumstances
and situations which lead to psychological behaviors, different opinions
and views, oppositions and, in some cases, it creates different types
of leaders, such as the Trait Theory Leadership, the Great Event Theory,
the Transformative leaders and the Transactional leaders.
Robert Louis Stevenson became recognized as a literature
writer after composing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1885, which is
about an intellectual horror story; yet it reveals much about the nature
of man and how he relates to the rules and authority. Because of the era,
duality was the focus, the study of good and evil, for example. The book
focused on the thinking and rule of the 19th Century, the immoral
behaviors of man, and cruelty toward children was also focused on.
Dr. Jekyll’s house is mentioned in duality, the streets
are described in duality; symbolism is encompassed within the names of
the characters Jekyll (respectable)
and Hyde (bleak). Written during the time Queen Victoria of England was
in power. She was the longest
reigning queen; the Victorian House and rules were created from that era.
Emotions were hidden and creativity was forbidden, except by her leadership.
Childhood games were created in duality, whereas the games would define
leaders and followers, successors and dropouts, etc. Robert Louis Stevenson
captured the forbidden, the overtly seen but never seemingly talked about,
good versus evil, although he cleverly did so in fiction.
Leadership dictates actions and reactions. Leadership sets the tones for what is to follow and what is to come. Leadership affects the way of life, culture, the people, what they think, do, talk about, eat, etc. Leadership plays a major part in people's lives as its power trickles down from the bourgeoisie to the have-nots. That leads to, “You are free not to think as I do…but from this day you area a stranger among us. You will remain among men, but you will lose your rights to count as one.” (Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America.)
Leadership is more than just qualities, styles and
characteristics. Leadership causes events to happen. Leadership causes
others to congratulate, advocate, dissimulate, immulate, appreciate, violate,
segregate, articulate, and differentiate. Leadership causes emotions to
rise, lower or just be mellow. Leadership will cause an individual, a
sector, a group, to feel as though they are among men, yet a stranger
and losing one’s right to be counted as a man. It happens all the time
in this day and age, as it did in years before.
Jack Kerovac was an artist and recognized as a leader from 1922 to 1969. He came from the Post World War II era, from despair when duality would cross you up from the mixed messages sent from leadership. Communism was high and creativity was up against the establishment for speaking up and out, while straight and narrow status quo was the rigid way of living as patriots were nurturing individualism.
Jack Kerovac transformation caused him to go within
the streets and talk with people during the B-generation. The B-generation
said let's write, sit around and network. Kerovac looked deep within himself
and studied Buddhism for consciousness because he rejected the political
role of leadership. He wasn’t into advocacy, picket, standup, he protected
that form of leadership. He believed that once you found yourself, you
were on your own.
Kerovac believed that the different causes used for the gathering oppositions were phony ideas used to get people to march in a certain direction. His vision was to give the people that concept through his writings, “believing that the way to open one’s awareness disregarding standing out in the forefront to demonstrate/campaign/march for any specific causes,” says Gerald Nicosia.
Kerovac felt that the land that he lived in wasn’t supposed to reject, categorize and associate him and other writers by subjecting them to prejudices, racism and discrimination.
Leadership causes one to look inside of self, find self, and create your own vision. It is said that three recognized leaders never wrote anything but were written about, Socrates, Buda and Jesus, but I am quite sure there are more than we will ever know.
