Leaders and Leadership

Leadership in life as in martial arts is a great responsibility. What is a leader is actually the question and has many answers but in reality it comes down to just a simple thing, i.e. the ability to inspire others to follow you, to do things for you willingly and with vigor, and to follow to the death. What it takes to create that sort of follower without it becoming a religious fanatical rigid belief system is critical. The individual follower must remain true to themselves while willingly following your path, your way and your direction. 

It is not an easy path for either the leader or the follower. It takes a bit of faith in what that leader stands for and what goals they are trying to achieve over the long haul. This is where most try to list things that they feel makes a true leader but in essence it is more simple yet complicated than listing a bunch of virtues. It comes down to a connectivity between two or more persons without losing themselves in the effort. 

I am not talking about command with certain rules or laws that drive the followers as in the military but rather those unwritten rules set by the individual willingly to themselves in the actions and deeds they take and follow. Even in the military one can be commanded and one can be lead. Both will get the job done but one is far superior to the other. 

Similar to the adage of a police person and a partner where life depends on the relationship of both. A leader and a follower still have to rely on such things at various levels as dictated by circumstances in any given moment but it ends up using the same thing across all levels and boundaries.