It is very customary to refer to Leaders and Leadership as being Individuals and their ‘solo’ “influences.” I would like to mention a little bit here about how an actual Organization can be considered as having a “Leadership” Culture and displaying those characteristics normally associated with a “Leader.”
Of course many Organizations like businesses, teams, schools, hospitals, etc. were started by ONE person. Why, however, do some organizations continue to Lead AFTER that person has gone while so many others ‘die out’ with its “Founder?” This is especially fascinating to me when we look into an Organization that is a Nation.
In reviewing those accepted qualities of Leaders, we can attribute such personal qualities as: being “visionary;” doing the “right” things; having strong character, moral principles, ethical behavior and good integrity; having a legion of “followers;” displaying courage; exhibiting trustworthiness; and maintaining a “truth” which can stand the ‘test’ of time.
It is easy to associate the Cultural legacy of many civilizations throughout history. We often cite the Greek and Roman empires as being very influential regarding Western countries. I know other parts of the world reference The Egyptian, Ottoman and Persian Empires as having incredible impact upon the Muslim and Arab nation Cultures. It would also be impossible to deny the Chinese dynasties as having major Leadership properties for all of its Asian “Followers.”
Since I am an American living in the 21st century, I guess I am most interested in/concerned about the Leadership position of the Unites States and its obligations and responsibilities to the world since its “founding.” I am certain that Egypt, Greece, Italy, Türkiye, Iran and China have their own historians who know all about the important individual Leaders and their contributions to the various successes of their respective longevities. We are just more familiar with America’s “Founding Fathers” since it is the most recent of the aforementioned Leadership Cultures and the one that is nearest/dearest to our collective “hearts, minds, bodies and souls.”
At the risk of a description much too cursory and the certainty of leaving many countries out, we can know many Leadership qualities/properties of Cultures without necessarily ascribing them to any particular individual. Being of Italian ancestral heritage, I can mention the Leadership in Opera, Cuisine, Classical Art, Fashion and Car Design as being those things having a common theme of emotional/artistic creativity and expression. Italy is not the ONLY place for these things, but it is more among the Leaders (with some other nation cultures) rather than the “Following” nation cultures irrespective; of any specific individuals.
So, what Leadership contributions have the US of A made to solidify its position in the history of our World’s Civilizations? It certainly does not seem to be in the areas of those creative, artistic expressions of the Roman legacy. Since our Founders and early Leaders were primarily of White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant-Christian and Male dominance, it may have more in common with those intellectual and ‘scientific’ orientations of the ‘written’ understanding and explaining (not the “feeling” ‘stuff’ but the I.Q.-measured stuff) of some of the Ancient Greek values. Although, some “governing” lessons were definitely taken from Rome, the ideas of conquering and subjugating definitely seems more recently derived from our Anglican roots. Not take anything away from the conquests of Spain or Portugal but it seems to me that our Culture was arrogantly convinced that WE, and WE ALONE, just know BEST about mostly everything. Examples of this are: our desire to “control” the Panama Canal; our unequivocal ‘support’ of Israel in the Middle East: and our policy positions in the Pacific Rim. In general, the philosophical disposition and questionable use of USAID.
Out of our ‘cerebral’ discussions, debates and disagreements came the “Shining Light on the Hill” supposed to be the best example of the ultimate “respect” for every individual…Life, Liberty (freedom) and the (independent) Pursuit of Happiness. If, in fact, this is our “destiny” either from God or from Extraterrestrials then, we must have been ‘off course’ for a while now (since the Greatest Generation?) as no one has been all that enthused about dimly following a “burnt-out light in the valley.”
We most definitely do not have the longevity of many of the world’s civilizations. As a matter of length of existence, we are very much in the “adolescent” stage of our ‘development.’ I think therein lies our place in the pantheon of the Earth’s Leadership. The American experiment/dream is analogous to all of the idealism, energy, invincibility, optimism, inexperience, rapid recovery, wastefulness, disorganization, excitement, naivete, boldness and brashness of the teenager living in an ‘established’ world. Our ‘immaturity’ is both our strength and our weakness but even more significantly, it defines our Cultural Leadership impact, import and ‘style.’
Just as an adolescent attitude, outlook and behavior is not always restricted to the modus operandi of people 15-25 years old, our American Culture may not be destined to age like a “fine wine” but to remain in the adolescent “frame-of-mind” (at least for the foreseeable future). We all know “older” people who refuse to think, act, look or dress their actual “age.” We may ridicule the 50-year-old rock & roll musician; the 60-year-old student; the 70-year-old shopping at the Apple Store; the 80-year-old tennis player or even the 90-year-old painting ‘landscapes’ in the park. That is only because we are insecure about our own ‘choices’ and may be ‘threatened’ by their unusual motivations accompanied by the “beat of a different drummer.”
America may just be that kind of a Leadership Country Organization? Not everyone’s “cup-o’-tea” for sure but still fulfilling a unique position of its own. Since the “Business of America is Business,” we are an easy ‘mark’ for criticism. In the almighty pursuit of the ‘dollar,’ we can easily be seen (and classified) by other cultures as crass, shallow, materialistic, wasteful, narrow, of lower human quality, belligerent, blah-blah-blah, etc. (Except that, many of world’s people are trying to come here).
Reality is a little more complicated than that though. Money is the ‘vehicle’ for our (burgeoned) Middle Class’s freedom and independence, which seem to be the main goals for most of humanity’s existence. When all of the wealth is ONLY concentrated among a few elites, no one else is genuinely happy or healthy. That is NOT called Capitalistic Democracy but things like Monarchy, Oligopoly, Socialism or Communism.
As the saying goes, “money talks and bullshit walks.” So are we Utopian? Nope! We are just waiting for something ‘better’ to come along, IF ever? Thus far, however, this American “experiment’ was formed as “A More Perfect Union” not THE perfect union. So yes, just as adolescents have a lot more to learn, so do we. The benefit we have is that OUR Constitution has given us an major advantage over Anything that came Before (or Since). AND we are constructed to do just that, I.E., continually improve. The last four years have taught us just how far we can go astray from our basic ideals and how much further we need to “go back to the future.” We are a land of Opportunity for the “tired, poor and huddled masses” of LEGAL immigrants who only want a chance, ANY chance to work their asses off for better lives which pay off ‘downstream’ of their generational legacies. It remains to be seen whether or not the recent MAGA ‘movement’ within the U. S. Government will impart any new “wisdom” into the American Leadership ‘equation?’
As Springsteen sings in “Badlands”
“Poor man wanna be Rich,
Rich man wanna be King.
And the King ain’t satisfied,
‘til He Rules Everything.”
As I write in “Goodlands”
“World man wanna be American,
American wanna be Free.
Hard work, Patriotic spirit needed,
But still no Guarantee.”
So there you have it! America’s Leadership role on the Planet; a vital one but not the only one of many available. It’s kind of ironic that, after years of “swindling” by the ‘mature’ bureaucrats, Elon Musk is using a lot a “adolescent” ‘geniuses’ to find and ‘correct’ governmental waste/efficiency, isn’t it? Like the vows of Marriage, the commitment for “Unted States’ Citizenship” needs to require a consequential oath taken during “good times and bad; for better or worse; for richer or poorer and in sickness and in health.”