This question stands out vividly in mind when I think about some of the major milestones throughout the life I have experienced so far. I was interviewing to be part of the Navy ROTC program and couldn’t have given a worse response.
“You carry it out,” was my answer, as if to be a leader meant to simply carry out orders. Everyone knows the stereotypical order of command showcased in the movies: A higher ranking officer shouts out orders and recipients have no choice but to follow blindly. However, this could not be further from reality.
The officer in front of me abandoned the formal interview and led me in a seminar-esque discussion on leadership philosophy. We talked about several aspects of leadership for at this point in my life I had very little experience and it was after this day that I began to start really start thinking about what it means to be a leader instead of just following in the footsteps of my father.
The most vital aspect of a strong leader is the courage to stand up to whoever is in control. The true answer to the question above is that one must first evaluate the affects of the order on those one is responsible for before accepting it and carrying it out. A leader must never be afraid to say, “This really isn’t best for my people for reasons x, y, and z.” You would be surprised how much your reasoning can play into effect if delivered calmly and respectfully.
I couldn’t count how many Brothers have spoken to me in private wanting to resign because of problems with their Executive Board, some even from my own Chapter when I was Chapter President, and many of them had perfectly legitimate reasons to do so. Quitting may be the easier and less stressful alternative when faced with an Exec Board full of differing ideology; however, it will never fix anything. You must play an active instead of a passive role, even if a minimal one, if you want to exhibit the kind of strong leadership for which our Fraternity stands.
My message goes out to those Brothers of all kinds and not just to those in leadership roles. Never, ever, accept a leader’s dogma just because it seems that is the way things are. In fact, one of our Fraternity’s greatest principles is that just because a practice is prevalent may be the worst reason to continue it. We are all human and we all make mistakes. In a Fraternity made up of Brothers as great as ours, there is no reason for us to accept the viewpoints of a few just because they are currently in power. Genuine leaders actually yearn for people to be critical of their leadership. Always question. Always analyze. Always evaluate.
