The Kohai form of the Mindset Dojo mentions “fearless leadership”, and I wanted to investigate the concept of leadership and see if the modern concept differs from ancient concepts.
I first asked AI to give me a list of traits understood by the current term of “leader”, and this is what it returned:
- Integrity: Honest, principled leaders who earn trust through ethical behavior and reliability.
- Decisiveness: Confident decision-makers who are able to act swiftly and effectively, especially under pressure.
- Vision: The ability to articulate a clear direction or future for a team, organization, or community.
- Confidence: Self-assurance and courage to provide guidance and face difficult situations.
- Accountability: Taking responsibility for actions and outcomes, modeling a culture of ownership.
- Charisma and Persuasiveness: Inspiring others through presence, effective communication, and the ability to motivate followers.
- Stability: Providing structure, order, and a sense of security, especially in times of crisis.
- Guidance and Motivation: Directing and encouraging others to reach their potential and organizational goals.
- Loyalty: Fostering commitment—both to the leader and the organization’s mission.
- Mastery of Established Processes: Supporting operational efficiency and consistency through clear expectations and systems.
I think most of us would agree that the traits above do map to our concept of a leader.
The ancient Greek word for leader is hēgemōn, which is the root of the current word hegemony.
The Greek word ἡγεμών (hēgemōn) means “leader,” “ruler,” “governor,” or “commander.” In the ancient world, it referred to a person who exercised authority or rule, often as a chief official or governor in a city, province, or state. The term comes from the verb ἡγέομαι, “to lead” or “to guide,” and is the source of the English terms “hegemony” and “hegemon”.
- ἡγεμών describes someone who holds civil, military, or political authority, and could refer to both Greek and Roman officials.
- In the New Testament and Greek literature, it is used for Roman governors (such as Pontius Pilate), leaders of armies, presidents, or chiefs.
- The word became important for political theory, as it underpins the concept of “hegemony”—the dominant influence or leadership of one state or entity over others, whether through power, diplomacy, or culture.
So hegemony is closely aligned with dominance, which has (at best) neutral consequences, at worst it has totalitarian consequences.
I asked AI to list the negative characteristics of hegemony and got the following results:
- Suppression of Diversity: Hegemons often promote their own norms as “commonsense,” inhibiting alternative perspectives and marginalizing dissenting voices or minority cultures.
- Exploitation and Inequality: Hegemonic systems may extract resources from the less powerful and perpetuate social, cultural, and economic inequalities.
- Coercion and Consent Manipulation: Consent may be manufactured through ideology and propaganda, leading to conformity and loss of autonomy among subordinate groups.
- Pathologizing Dissent: Hegemonic discourses can discredit opposition, framing dissent as deviance or even mental illness, and eroding opportunities for reform or resistance.
- Psychological and Social Pressure: Dominant norms may increase anxiety, lower self-esteem, and create social stress for individuals trying to meet hegemonic standards.
So how do we identify and choose the leadership that will help us, without conversely accepting the negative aspects of hegemony?
Reach out to the Mindset Dojo to examine leadership and other similar topics!
