Crises expose dishonest politicians. Their inability to offer or adopt effective solutions to problems and challenges often betray them.
Last update: Augusts 23, 2021
Who are the false leaders? They are people who are at the top of an organism for reasons other than their ability or competence to lead or achieve the common goals of a group. Crises are an excellent opportunity to reveal what the people at the top of the system are made of.
Emergency situations are times when complexities and unresolved uncertainties are created. In situations like these, someone who is directed or led by someone else expects that person to take over the situation and pave the way for a good solution.
It is precisely then that the false leaders are exposed, the same ones who not only do they fail to take the helm, they can even make the situation worse.
In today's world, however, many false leaders compensate for their incompetence with a relatively effective weapon: political marketing. One of the traits of these figures consists in dedicating more energy to silence their failures than to solve problems.
"" To lead the others, walk behind them. "
-Lao Tzu-
False leaders and honesty
If we talk about false leaders, it is clear that their strength is not honesty. They have come to leadership positions with shortcuts.
They are the children of the owner of the company, they cheated the voters, they paid to be where they are, etc. They didn't get to where they are due to merit.
Likewise, and derived from the above, they are false leaders mainly because put their personal interests first. A true leader represents the interests of many and seeks a collective welfare or solution, not a particular one.
When a crisis situation arises, it is the latter that emerges first. A false leader will first of all try to protect himself and his interests in the face of threats, rather than offering a solution that benefits many, even against its own best interests.
Unpopular or shocking decisions
Crises, especially the most serious ones, they often require decisions that are unpopular or unwelcome to some sector or group.
If, for example, there is an economic crisis and it turns out that the best way out is to lower the salaries of top managers, it is clear that they will not be happy with this solution at all.
Likewise, if there is a health crisis, it may be necessary to limit some activities, as happened in 2020 and 2021. Many people oppose these limits for a variety of reasons. However, from the point of view of safeguarding the whole, it is in the interest of the majority.
Only a true leader is capable of making these kinds of decisions. He is not so interested in maintaining his level of acceptance or popularitybut to solve the underlying problem.
What drives its criteria is the well-being of the majority and it considers misunderstanding or rejection as a secondary issue. False leaders, on the other hand, often make decisions whose sole purpose is to gain general acceptance.
Personal interest and marketing
Many leaders, especially politicians, make intensive use of marketing in times of crisis. Their goal is to make decisions that favor them, but at the same time promote the idea that these are positive decisions for the majority.
They try to maintain a good image, given that many times crises do not present immediate ways out and wear down the public image of those in charge.
The false leader acts according to the criterion "each for himself" and, of course, first of all saves himself. However, he knows that this could endanger his future interests and that is why it hides its actions under a propaganda cloak. Actions such as the following are common:
- Promote a false optimism. They try to reduce the critical attitude towards management.
- Disinformation. They present data that may be true, but only partially. So, instead of saying that 20.000 people died, we are talking about the 20.000 who were saved or recovered.
- Inefficient but shocking solutions. Rather than seeking real solutions, they are oriented towards actions that cause a great emotional effect. In the end, there is more spectacle than concrete progress.
- Blame something or someone else. Since these false leaders don't really solve anything, there comes a point where this becomes evident. It is the time when they blame an external factor for their inefficiency.
False leaders do a lot of damage because they hold power, but they only use it to their advantage. It doesn't matter what position a person holds or how well the press or everyone talks about it.
Leaders are known for their actions, for their actual results, and not for the pomp and circumstances that may surround their actions.
