The murky world of shadows that constitutes modern leadership is not a new thing, of course. The TV mini-series “The Tudors” lays out in all its deceit and subterfuge the nest of vipers that was the British Royal Court of the 15th and 16th centuries. Ancient Rome was no picnic either from all accounts. And Chinese warlords scheming to be Taipan operated within complex webs of treachery.
Not much has changed. We’re inverted, so we still practice to deceive and think, in our boundless delusion, that it will all come out ok in the end.
It’s been that way for centuries. So prevalent is it that we could be excused for thinking that political gamesmanship is just human nature – whether it’s office competitors vying for the bosses favor, or contestants on a reality TV show pacting to get another sent home, or unelected bank leaders meeting in secret to decide world monetary policy.
Treachery and cunning, though, in all their proliferation, are far from what it means to be truly human, and this disinverted view deserves more headlines than it’s gotten. Allow us to do that a little today.
Leadership and Spirituality, today on Thinking with Somebody Else’s Head.