Blog about Leadership

In 1689, John Locke, the social contract theorist, wrote Two Treatises of Government. His most famous quote from this book is “Wherever law ends, Tyranny begins.” However interesting this quote is and however fascinating a discussion on this would be, I am not writing about government and law, but rather leadership. So I want to mention a leadership quote from John Locke.

Quote about being fit to lead from John Locke:
“He that goes farthest out of the way, is thought fittest to lead, and is sure of most followers.”

I am not an expert on history or linguistics, so to understand what John Lock meant I cannot merely piece the pie together by the context in which it was written. Here is the entire paragraph:

John Locke, First Treatise of Government: “The imagination is always restless and suggests a variety of thoughts, and the will, reason being laid aside, is ready for every extravagant project; and in this State, he that goes farthest out of the way, is thought fittest to lead, and is sure of most followers: And when Fashion hath once Established, what Folly or craft began, Custom makes it Sacred, and ’twill be thought impudence or madness, to contradict or question it. He that will impartially survey the Nations of the World, will find so much of the Governments, Religion, and Manners brought in and continued amongst them by these means, that they will have but little Reverence for the Practices which are in use and credit amongst Men.”

If I were to sum up what John Locke meant as being fit to lead, I would say: The person who is most accomplished is thought to be most fit to lead.

Accomplishment is often a barometer for leaders. In order to attain certain positions of leadership, you often have to accomplish certain qualifiers – education, experience, proficiency and competence, etc. I take the position that most facets of leadership are independent of position and merely one facet is dependent on position - organizational authority. Accomplishment is a prerequisite for the authority to lead.

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