[nabs-l] Individualism and Following a Leader

Sun Jun 22 20:41:45 UTC 2014

Hi all,

I generally agree with the statements made so far. Obviously people
join organizations because there are clear benefits both for the
individuals in the group and the group itself. When one becomes a
member of an organization, that organization becomes another identity
the person has. Ideally the new identity shouldn't conflict with one's
other identities.
I do have some comments that are more about leadership vs.
follower-ship, if we want to call it that. Based on my experiences
with NABS leadership, my philosophy is I think a little different than
what's typically discussed in the NFB. I don't think an organization
should "follow" its leader, at least not blindly follow or blindly
trust. Instead, I think a leader is a person who has chosen to serve
the organization and carry out the organization's wishes. In this
role, the organization chooses its leader and then tells the leader
what should be done. In that way, a leader is "following" the
organization in that he or she endeavors to carry out the activities
that the organization identifies as important. Of course, leaders
should have special experience and skills that make them ideally
suited to carry out the organization's vision. And leaders should have
ideas and visions of their own for the organization. But the
organization's members have the power to accept or reject the leader's
new ideas.
So in the case of NABS or an NFB affiliate (or NFB national), I think
the president's primary responsibility is to carry out the
organization's wishes. Doing so requires active engagement with the
membership and the humility to accept opinions with which the
president might disagree. The board members serve as elected
representatives of the membership who tell the president what to do
when the entire membership is not able to meet (i.e. between
conventions). When I was NABS president, I had ideas about how things
should be done. Some were good ideas and others were flawed. The most
growth and change occurred when board members pointed out flaws in my
ideas and especially when they came up with better ones. I think it
benefits an organization tremendously when members, or board members,
question and challenge the president and build on the president's
work. I don't think NABS would have gone very far during my term if my
board had blindly trusted me without questioning things I proposed or
contributing their own proposals. Perhaps this is the academic in me,
but I would suggest that if you are on any kind of board or committee,
listen to what the chairperson says and try to think of problems with
their ideas or ways to make the good ideas even better. There is a way
to do this that still comes out of respect and loyalty to the
president and support for the organization as a whole. I cannot and
should not take much credit for the growth NABS saw when I was
president. The only thing I can take credit for is that I tried to
create a board culture where all opinions and disagreements were
appreciated. From my perspective, there was a nice bonus to that,
which was that board members felt empowered and respected so they were
willing to really work hard and follow through. A micromanaging
president risks alienating the board and, thus, getting stuck with all
the work.

Arielle

On 6/22/14, Kirt via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Sophie,
> Yes I agree with a lot of what you're saying. However joining any specific
> organization with a. Detailed political platform, behavioral norms and the
> like is, in my view, sacrificing a part of a person's individual identity
> for a greater good. If I disagree with the official stance of the Federation
> on a few important issues iamb, as per the NFB pledge, obligated to present
> a united front with the rest of the organization in public. I've made that
> bargain and, at least for now, I'm alright with it because I do support the
> vast majority of the Federation's policies, programs and philosophy, but it
> is nevertheless a willing sacrifice of a small part of my individual
> identity.
> Best,
> Kirt
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Jun 22, 2014, at 11:25 AM, Sophie Trist via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I don't believe that following a leader in an organization infringes on
>> individualism. In fact, I believe that in some cases, joining
>> organizations can actually promote individualism because it allows people
>> to meet others who have the same interests and goals as they do, and a
>> group can do more than one person alone. The organization is made stronger
>> because it receives input from lots of different people, and it must
>> accept that those people won't always agree. An organization that promotes
>> individualism is one that accepts disagreement and takes all ideas into
>> account. If an organization refuses to accknowledge any view but its own,
>> it's stifling individualism. I've only been a member of the NFB for a few
>> years, but it's changed me, made me a better, stronger person. I've
>> realized a lot about my abilities and responsibilities as a blind person.
>> So I believe that joining an organization can and does change an
>> individual's identity. The task of the individual is to assess that change
>> with the synicism that Justin talked about. We should examine ourselves to
>> see how our affiliations with others have changed us. And if we like what
>> we see, great! If we don't like how an organization has changed us, we
>> should take a look at why we're following that leader and see if it's
>> really worth it.
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Zachary N. Griego-Dreicer via nabs-l" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> To: Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>,National Association of
>> Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 00:53:08 -0600
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Individualism and Following a Leader
>>
>> It's a great morning! I'm in Complete agreement with you. Choosing to be a
>> part of an organization only makes the organization stronger. I do not
>> believe it would make an individual weaker
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone 5S Using VoiceOver
>>
>> On Jun 22, 2014, at 0:31, Justin Salisbury via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Fellow Federationists:
>>
>> Let us have a discussion thread about the relationship between
>> individualism and following a leader. It appears to me that our generation
>> has been taught to focus heavily on individualism, especially in
>> questioning the ideas presented to us by leaders and establishments. I
>> appreciate this part of my upbringing, but sometimes I wonder if this
>> modern way of thinking can lead us to maintain our distance from an outfit
>> in which we might have otherwise more actively embraced.
>>
>> I have analyzed organizations for years as an outsider and, sometimes, as
>> a member. For me, two primary organizations stand out as ones where I have
>> come to trust the intentions of the leadership: Epsilon Chi Nu Fraternity
>> (the first Native American fraternity) and the National Federation of the
>> Blind. Epsilon Chi Nu was founded to help Native American men graduate
>> from college, and it has added a general purpose of helping native men be
>> the best we can be. We are based in love and trust, and we understand that
>> we are stronger together than individually, especially as we try to create
>> a more positive image of native men than the stereotypes perpetuate. I
>> don't have to tell you what we do in the National Federation of the Blind,
>> so I would now like to pose some questions:
>>
>> Does following a leader or identifying with an establishment/organization
>> infringe upon one's ability to be an individual?
>>
>> Are we relinquishing any of our own identity if we identify with an
>> organization?
>>
>> Is an organization a collection of individuals, and do they have
>> individual voices?
>>
>> Is it an individual decision to follow a leader or identify with an
>> organization?
>>
>> I look forward to reading all provided opinions.
>>
>> Yours,
>>
>> Justin Salisbury
>> Board Member
>> National Association of Blind Students
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/zdreicer%40gm
>> ail.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
>> r%40gmail.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kirt.crazydude%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>