Leaders *must* create reality distortion fields to lead effectively. A good RDF is a minimum-viable noble lie.
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This is why I'm interested in fully decentralized leaderless orgs and mechanisms for creating them... leadership forces you to be at least a little bit Straussian, and that's not good for anybody
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This describes the worst type of leadership. This just reminds me again that there are brilliant people all over who have never been exposed to good leadership. A good leader is ethical. Dishonesty, or “reality distortion,” is inherently unethical. Our definitions vary widely.
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Likewise, I now have an accurate read on the leadership model you have in mind, and I agree, it’s different from mine in ways that make debate futile.
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Yes—leadership narratives, like personal ones, have to be compact enough to be powerful, which means they can’t be fully “true” (if such a thing is even possible). But that doesn’t mean they’re unethical—they can still be valuable as a heuristic for coordinated, positive action
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An alternative of the minimum viable lie is honesty on the part of leaders - present the truth, the assumptions, and the uncertainties as it is, and present your decision-making framework and passion - your people have already bet on you for this, why lie?
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