Page 93 - Napoleon Hill Think and Grow Rich Full Book | Success Learned
P. 93
pathy with his followers. Moreover, he must understand them and their prob-
lems.
9. MASTERY OF DETAIL. Successful leadership calls for mastery of details of the
leader's position.
10. WILLINGNESS TO ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY. The successful leader
must be willing to assume responsibility for the mistakes and the shortcomings
of his followers. If he tries to shift this responsibility, he will not remain the lead-
er. If one of his followers makes a mistake, and shows himself incompetent, the
leader must consider that it is he who failed.
94
NAPOLEON HILL THINK AND GROW RICH
11. COOPERATION. The successful leader must understand, and apply the prin-
ciple of cooperative effort and be able to induce his followers to do the same.
Leadership calls for POWER, and power calls for COOPERATION. There are two
forms of Leadership. The first, and by far the most effective, is LEADERSHIP BY
CONSENT of, and with the sympathy of the followers. The second is LEADER-
SHIP BY FORCE, without the consent and sympathy of the followers.
History is filled with evidences that Leadership by Force cannot endure. The
downfall and disappearance of "Dictators" and kings is significant. It means that
people will not follow forced leadership indefinitely.
The world has just entered a new era of relationship between leaders and follow-
ers, which very clearly calls for new leaders, and a new brand of leadership in
business and industry. Those who belong to the old school of leadership-by-force,
must acquire an understanding of the new brand of leadership (cooperation) or
be relegated to the rank and file of the followers. There is no other way out for
them.
The relationship of employer and employee, or of leader and follower, in the fu-
ture, will be one of mutual cooperation, based upon an equitable division of the
profits of business. In the future, the relationship of employer and employee will
be more like a partnership than it has been in the past.
Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, the Czar of Russia, and the King of Spain
were examples of leader ship by force. Their leadership passed. Without much dif-
ficulty, one might point to the prototypes of these ex-leaders, among the business,
financial, and labor leaders of America who have been dethroned or slated to go.
Leadership-by-consent of the followers is the only brand which can endure!
Men may follow the forced leadership temporarily, but they will not do so will-