Dr. Maccoby participates in a Weekly Forum on Washington Post.com called "On Leadership". I am compiling all of his responses to the weekly questions here.
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DATE: December 31, 2009 The secret of spontaneous leadership? Once again this past weekend, a terrorist attack on an airplane was foiled by a quick- thinking passenger. What qualities distinguish those "ordinary" people who, in a crisis, take such a leadership role? Can that instinct be taught or is it simply part of a person's makeup? |
Waking up to Lead
Jasper Schuringa, the passenger on Northwest Flight 253 who subdued Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab before he could blow up the plane, demonstrated bravery, responsibility and the ability to respond to a challenge. These are the qualities of natural leaders, the people we go to when we want something done. Unlike so many who go through life half asleep, these people are wide awake. They see a threat and act. Schuringa quickly grasped the danger to himself and others on that flight and responded.
Some people are naturally responsible. But others can be encouraged to wake up. Years ago, I worked with teen-aged boys in a Mexican village, trying to teach them to work together on an agricultural project. At the start, they were passive, fatalistic, brought up to follow commands from parents and authorities. Once they became aware that they were passively sleepwalking through life, some of them woke up, were able to respond to threats and opportunities, and became leaders.
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