Manpower

by Lincoln C. Andrews

Among these instincts, those of the greatest interest to the leader are naturally the instincts of leadership—the instinct to lead others and the instinct to follow others when we think they know the answer better than we. The manifestations of both these instincts are very common in our daily life, which shows their availability and value to the leader as agents for controlling men. He should therefore understand why they exist and how to appeal to them. Why is it that mankind is always wanting to proselyte, and preach, and teach, and step to the front with suggestions? And why is it that one so readily follows another who presents any proposition which seems reasonable? These instincts were implanted in man to make him play his part in the world's progress. The whole scheme of the universe, physical and spiritual, is one of development and progress—of making everything engage in a constant effort to rise to a higher plane. Man was intended to be the foremost instrument of this purpose to advance civilization. His instincts were given him to ensure progress, to help the race win along, to lead others where he felt he knew best what was to be done, to follow where he felt that another knew better than he. To want to lead is therefore a natural instinct and a good one; and any man may take honest pride in striving to qualify as a good leader.

It is an important point that the instinct to follow is likewise an instinct for progress, and therefore that the would-be leader must make his men feel that he best knows the way, that his leadership will bring the best results. This is a fundamental thought in an understanding of leadership; and it explains why knowledge of his job is essential to a leader, and why bluster and arrogance seem so ridiculous. It is clear then that a man is appointed leader because it is believed that he can get the best results; and his men will measure his ability as such by the good work accomplished under his guidance. Inefficiency, lost time and energy, indecision and stupidity, undermine his hold on the men; while the opposites inspire them to enthusiastic following.

Another thought of importance in this connection is the significance of the word "leader." It means that this man is the foremost of the group, of his companions. A leader is not a lord or dictator; he is one with his men—the leading one—knowing their pulse and their passions, leading because of superior preparation, experience and ability, not driving through brute force. He should keep his kinship with these fellows whom he leads, not allow himself to feel that he has become a human being of a different class to lord it over them. Great leaders like Lincoln are careful to retain, and to appear to retain, the simpler attributes of their fellows, to continue the close touch and sympathy that spell an understanding of human nature.

Nothing so surely ruins the success of the newly appointed leader as a suggestion of pomp and vainglory in his demeanor. A case of swollen ego has wrecked many careers. It is quickly noted by the men as an evidence of smallness of soul and limited experience. Modesty, quiet dignity, even humility, are characteristics of greatness of character and broad experience. It is dangerous for the leader to admit his self-importance even to himself. Magnifying his own importance is likely to make him take credit to himself that should have gone to his men, make him consider his own welfare when he should consider theirs, and end by betraying him as unfit for the leadership.

The last of these fundamental considerations of man, and by far the most important to the personal success of any leader, is an appreciation of what his own personality means for success or failure in the effect it has upon his fellows. In some way it should be possible to make each man realize the truth of this, and thus give it due consideration. The leader responds to the fact that he must learn how to use his human-being tools, yet often ignores the equally important fact that he has to use these tools through the instrumentality of his own personality. His ability and success will largely depend on how this personality of his impresses others, on how it affects these sentient tools. His purpose and character, his personal bearing and manner, the tones of his voice, his habits and way of looking at things—all the manifestations of his personality are more or less important influences in determining his ability to handle others. Yet the average of leaders not only accepts himself complacently as he is, but actually ignores the advantages of even finding out what he is, let alone trying to improve himself.

The progress of the race depends upon the development of the individual—albeit in co-operation with his fellows. In consideration of this fact nature apparently designed man to accept complacently his own personality and thus be content to use and develop it without being discouraged because he was not as some other man. It is certainly true that we rarely find a man who would exchange his personality for that of another. But nature never intended this complacency to go to the point of ignoring all possibility of improvement, and even of failing to use understandingly the personality one does have. The great trouble with mankind is that they generally see themselves only as they are reflected in the near-by mirror. They rarely get the perspective of themselves as they really exist in the life around them; and so they miss the benefit of measuring their egos by comparison with the realities of life. It would help us all "to see ourselves as others see us." We could then learn each how to use his personality advantageously from seeing how it affected others, and we would then lose some of our arrogance from seeing what unimportant individuals we really are after all. It is good for the soul of any man to visit some height like the tower of the Woolworth building and thence view humanity on the earth below him, hurrying to and fro on its self-important business. These humans then appear of about the size and importance of ants, and the spectator is lead to realize the unimportance of any one individual man in comparison with the world about him, and to wonder just how big he himself really appears to the distant Eye of Omnipotence. He may thus develop a wholesome humility which may lead him to fit himself to play his part more reasonably.

Giving thought to oneself and to the meanings of those things that affect the relations and control of men is essential to acquiring leadership. It is what we ourselves believe and feel and live—what comes out of our own inner consciousness—that will make it possible for us to appear before others as their leader. Even the inspired Leader withdrew into the wilderness for long inner communion before He essayed the responsibilities of leadership. We should hardly expect to lead even in our small way without some preparation. And this preparation will not be in learning rules to guide us, but in attaining such an understanding of the principles and realities as will make us do the right thing naturally. For above all a leader must be genuine,—his own true self, not an imitation of some other, be that other ever so successful.

There remains for consideration the special case of handling men in those industrial situations where labor unions exist. Though it be true that an application of the principles of leadership will give better results even in the presence of "labor troubles," how infinitely better the results if there exist mutual understanding, confidence and co-operation. There is, however, no thought here of telling any management how to run its business. It is recognized that each business concern has its own problem to solve in accordance with its own peculiar conditions. The questions of welfare, labor turnover, supervision of personnel, self-expression, sharing of profits or savings, etc., have been analyzed and discussed in fullest detail. It is beyond our scope to add anything in these fields. But even where management has adopted the broadest policy looking to the loyal co-operation of its employees, its successful operation will still depend on how the men are handled by those directly in contact with them. We are concerned with that one phase; and for its better understanding in those special cases where labor unions are involved, let us briefly consider the origin and purposes of these unions. When fundamental motives are clear, it becomes possible to understand their manifestations and guide them for the greater good of all concerned. An understanding of the psychology of labor unions is therefore vastly important to employer, to subordinate bosses, and to labor leaders themselves. We may not attempt to cover this subject, but only to suggest certain fundamental thoughts which should be helpful.

In the evolution of the race, the processes of time ultimately taught primeval man to leave the isolation of his cave and form a community with his fellows for better protection against the beasts that threatened his existence and for mutual assistance in carrying on the slow developments of civilization. Thus the interdependence of man and the advantages of co-operation were first demonstrated, and organization had its beginnings.