Of sincerity and leadership
July 26th, 2008 by Ding G. GageloniaSincerity is generally understood to be truth in word and act, of truthfully about one’s feelings, thoughts, desires, intentions. One who means what he says is a sincere person. One who does not mean what he says is not a sincere man, and is perhaps even a hypocrite.
For those who occupy positions of leadership and power, their very manner of speaking can define how their audience will receive, and understand, their message. Indeed sincerity is the virtue of speaking. Sincere expression carries risks to the speaker, since the ordinary screens used in everyday life are opened to the outside world. At the same time, we expect our friends, our lovers, our leaders “to be sincere”.
By ‘sincere’ we understand that the man acts according to his conscience. If he acts according to the dictates of his conscience, we accept his sincerity. In that case, he is sincere to himself. In society this is acceptable as sincerity, but this may be wrong. Suppose an administrator feels that according to his sincere conscience the underling has to be treated as a second-class citizen, he may be sincere but the world outside may not accept it? He may be sincere but his own conscience may be underveloped. It is not enough to act according to the conscience; the conscience must also be cultured and noble.
It is not enough to be sincere, you must also be right. Extending this to the larger national sphere, leaders are rightly expected by the governed to have both conviction and abiding vision to advance the public good instead of being motivated by the need for self preservation and political expediency
History is replete with lessons about leaders whose false view of themselves led to the commission of outrages on the society.
The legacy such leaders harvest is ignominy.
July 27, 2008 at 4:13 am
actors and performers can mimic sincerity. conversely, a nervous speaker, or one with lack of confidence in saying the right thing, may be sincere but could come across as unconvincing. it’s all perception. a demagogue can sway a whole population and follow him to perdition – think hitler.
July 27, 2008 at 5:09 am
I follow you, Bencard. Truly, life is a stage, as the great bard put it succinctly. And yes it’s about perception and to put it more correctly, perception management. For leaders, and governance, it is both perception management and management of the expectations of the government particularly in a democracy that exacts taxes from the people directly and indirectly through every single commodity or service we purchase in the landscape ruled by the law of supply and demand, which you will recall one past and well remembered leader is said to have wanted to abolish. :)
But back on leadership in a democratic setting, methinks some of our leaders at times almost sound and act like we are their ’subjects’. I know the operative principle is for leaders to galvanize the consent of the governed, born of respect earned and credibility nurtured with the leader reciprocating with honest service and accountabiliy.
July 30, 2008 at 5:28 am
In true leadership, sincerity comes from within – it cannot be faked. If so, the faker will know and therefore not be sincere. He may appear sincere, however, if he knows he is not – he is not.