Sun is a nice star! It keeps the earth warm and habitable for us humans. Sun is the leader around which the planets rovolve.
Similar are the charismatic leaders. But, being the Sun is no joke. It constantly burns itself (fusing hydrogen and helium) to produce energy. Only then it lightens the planets and shows them the path.
These are cited as the traits of a charismatic leader. They are like centres of gravity. Everything revolves around them. People gets attached to them like a magnet. They readily get inspired and drawn to the vision set by the charismatic leader.
But we also see the misuse of this gravity power. Past and present of humanity is filled with leaders who were charismatic but who took the humanity backward. Who used the energy of their followers to further their selfish ends.
As we see today also, there are specialist terrorist organisations. So many organised crime groups practicing violence, communalism and racism. Some modern capitalist organisations also have the leaders who like a magnet attracts the critical talent but wittingly misuse their energies to steal the wealth of the humanity to enlarge their own pockets.
So, what would we say? Should we call such leaders as charismatic leaders? After all, they attract people towards their vision and act like the centre of the gravity. They inspire and move the spirits of the people.
Well! Not really! Terming such anti-humanity leaders as charismatic would glorify them and further their narrow interests. They are in reality, the ‘Black Hole Leaders’.
What are the Black Holes? They are the massive objects in the universe having a very strong pull of gravity. They attracts everything that passes nearby. The pull of gravity is so strong that nothing can escape from it, not even the light.
It is also important to note as to how Black Holes are formed. They are nice stars in the beginning. Stars constantly burn their fuel as we know. Initially they burn hydrogen and helium and a lot of energy is released in the fusion process. Gravity is very high but is counterbalanced by strong outward radiation. The star goes on…
But, when it runs out of this fuel, it starts burning other elements; the last being the iron. Now, the gravity force overcomes the outward radiation and the star collapses under the pull of its own gravity. Then it becomes the black hole. Now, its gravity is so high that everything that comes nearby would be swallowed by this black hole.
Thus, we should also be careful as to when the charismatic leaders (the nice stars) are turning into the black holes.
Organisations, nations and the humanity need to be careful from the black hole leaders. We are all witness to the innumerable scandals committed by such leaders in the corporate world. Similar trends might be emerging today in the monopolistic tech world. Decaying democracies are suffering the leadership of black hole leaders. Radicalisation and terrorism and ethnic strife is also led by the black hole leaders.
But how to skip and escape the black hole leadership is a really big question. Black holes are not visible with ordinary eyes as not even the light can escape them. So, how one would differentiate between the ‘Charismatic leaders’ and the ‘Black Hole leaders’?
There can be some possible solutions. We need to find them together. Give it a thought and if you can, please drop an e-mail about this at tarun@tarungoyal.org or write in the comments.
We will talk about this in second part of the ‘Black Hole Leadership’.
In the meantime, stay away from the black hole leaders and understand them from a distance.
Be the Sun, not the Black Hole!
TARUN GOYAL
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