Coercion
"You are with me or against me."
"Being against me is the same as being against us."
"If I determine that you are against us, you deserve all the problems that you brought on yourself by your actions. Don't make me hurt you again."
We are fortunate to live in a civil society that is governed by ideas, ideals and laws. Lincoln correctly warned us about the mob and the bullying leader who eggs them on.
Coercion can make change happen (in the short run). Coercion can look like leadership. But it doesn't scale and it doesn't last, because ultimately, it burns down the very institution it sought to change by mob force.
We can encounter bullies at work, coaching teams and even working in law enforcement. Wherever people organize, they show up.
Coercion gets its start because well-meaning people believe that the short-run cost of the mob mentality is worth it. It almost never is. Coercion uses force and blames the victim. And coercion is impossible to live with.
Real change happens because of enrollment, because it invites people in, it doesn't use fear. Real leadership patiently changes the culture, engaging people in shared effort. It's more difficult, but it's change we can live with.
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