Instructing, Commanding, Leading

Quite often I think about the nature of leading. People tend to form groups and trust certain individuals to make decisions on behalf of the entire group. This construct certainly raises many questions (what are the pros and cons of doing this; what motivates people to conform to this construct; how to become the trusted one; what makes these types of organizations work/fail), which I hope to address in these pieces.

I'm interested in the way the trusted people make others do as they wish. There is no inherent need for anyone to do as someone else says. Any request is fulfilled for a certain reason. Here is how I perceive the reasons.

 First, positive and negative reinforcement. I do something because I get something out of it, I don't do something because I lose something because of it. This "trade" is very simple and is truly the basis of everything, although sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Law is a great example - I obey the law because there are repercussions if I don't. But this "punishment only" method isn't enough. In order to garner excellence, we need positive feedback too. The reason law doesn't tend to include positive feedback is that it isn't it's responsibility. But in an organization that wishes to succeed in competition, to excel, one needs to be motivated to excel. The voluntary trade must include returns for extra effort, not just for passing. A mediocre commander in the army might only have his instructions carried out because of the possible repercussions. A smarter one will add positive feedback. An even better one would create a reason above the simple material voluntary trade - he would create respect.

Respect is quite different from our common voluntary trade, our reasoning and decision making on whether to follow orders or not. Respect creates an environment in which the subordinate believes the orders have good reason and is willing to sacrifice something with no visible returns, because there is a certain degree of trust between the parties. No matter the reason for the formation of trust and respect, and no matter if it may fade or not - once it exists, an individual may abandon the conventional trade, willing to commit for the trusted individual.

Finally, there is true leadership. A mix between the interpersonal connection, the trust and respect, and the voluntary trade. In order to lead, one must convince others to put their trust in him, set voluntary trade opportunities that allow for appropriate feedback, and create an environment where people truly believe that the directions are in their best interest.