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Born an enslaved person named Aramintha, Harriet Tubman, became a renowned leader who organized the freeing of slaves—nev- er losing one escapee. Radical, she renamed herself, Harriet, her mother’s name. Radical, she stepped in to stop a co-worker from be- ing beaten, and that resulted in a nearly fatal blow to her skull, concluding in a concussion that positively affected her for the duration of her career freeing slaves. You would think, in such a sensitive but real time (slavery, civ- il rights, etcetera era), her head being blud- geoned, she’d be too traumatized to commit herself to society’s destiny. The visionary blackouts and dreams could today be consis- tent with a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnoses. I believe the traumatic beating was necessary, to awaken her calling to the world. Her plight was to liberate in life or be free in death. She accepted death as she had seen so many deaths early in her life and had a near death experience. Illiterate, she created maps through song and strengthened her memory for her advantage. Her confidence, fearless- ness and compassion, for her people was ad- mirable. Her faith never wavered. Although her speech was broken, she spoke with con- viction and was clever, quoting Bible verses that supported her position for running back to the South. Thinking quickly, she persuad- ed slave hunters and businessmen for years to come.
The antitype, Stephen A. Douglas, was an American political leader and lawyer. He hailed from Illinois, and he was the Demo- cratic Party nominee for president in the 1860 election, but he was defeated by Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, who saw benefit in compromise. Garry Wills, author of Cer- tain Trumpets (1995), informed the reader, “Compromise is the essence of the political
Robyn Easley, MOL – ROBYN the Model
art, and esp cially of American politics” (p.50). His belief system encompassed the abolishment of slav- ery, but as candidate running against Abraham Lin- coln, he rather the people who supported him use their right to vote to come to a resolution. Oddly with his position to let compromise resolve issues, he held his position on “impossible” things of the time, such as his support on the Dred Scott decision. This was conflicting to say the least.
Harriet Tubman embodied servant leadership, as she had a mission to her people. The book illustrat- ed her leadership as problematic. Per Wills (1995), “This is a paradox of the radical leader, that his or her very narrowness becomes a release from the general immobility induced by “balanced” leaders... Common sense resists ‘single issue’ politics” (p. 48). Because she was not necessarily a political leader; in my opinion, the single issue of liberating enslaved people (Harriet’s goal), was achieved with finesse. Stephen A. Douglas, the antitype, also had potential, as he relied on the democratic system to let “the peo- ple” choose their fate to utilize power as a politician. Will’s informed the reader, “Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln’s rival, is an example of a misguided inclu- siveness that, by trying to combine everything (com- promise), makes everything fall apart” (p. 50). This position is problematic, but the democratic style of voting has been proven to work. Wills continued in saying, “The worst nightmare of the congenital com- promiser, who tries to please everyone, is to find that he has, in fact, angered everyone” (p.52). My thought is: who’s to say a leader’s whole belief system has to be disclosed to those whom his or her followership in order to effectively serve?
If you’re interested in this great read, please search for the referenced content, below.
Wills, Garry. (May, 1995). Certain Trumpets: The Na- ture of Leadership. Simon & Schuster.
Comparing Leaders in Time – Radical and the Antitype
Leadership Corner