Am I Leader?

The trouble with this question is doubt. You never doubt whether you’re starting your car or if you’re applying the brake to stop at a red light. You never think about it, you just do it.

You also have your anti-leaders. You know, people that challenge leaders, because their favorite past-time is finding mistakes in others. Anti-leaders never lead, and they shy away from honest sincere art. Anti-leaders steal emotional labor or prevent it from taking place.  They undermine, cause conflict, breed contempt, and use information as a tool of destruction, not human connection.

The challenge for the artist is leading and meeting anti-leaders head-on. Dealing with the greedy, the contemptible, and the cut-throats that so many of us work with when we should work against them.

Leaders and artists should develop an infrastructure that protects their mission, furthers their focus, and accomplishes their goals. The anti-leader will be the first to challenge this notion and not offer any advice about fixing the problem they’ve created with your goals.

For all the leaders, artists, activists… I think the better question is. Am I afraid to challenge, outwit, and take-on bullies with art?