[nabs-l] Individualism and Following a Leader

[Justin Salisbury]

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