The following video seemed interesting, but I was too impatient to watch it. Instead, I asked Perplexity.AI to let me know what it says about how to prevent incompetent people from being leaders. That reminds me that M. Scott Peck said it’s immature to be a follower and that leaders need to teach everyone how to be leaders. I think that’s what Sociocracy does. I’m toying with calling Sociocracy Coopocracy, because Socio- likely makes conservatives suspect it’s connected with Socialism, which it ain’t.
I’m not showing below what it says about how incompetent people get into power. I’ll say one of the way right here. They act confident. That reminds me. I heard that many women are attracted to men who act confident. Apparently, men like them too. Below I divulge what AI says the video says about how to prevent incompetent leadership. See if it rings true.
Why the Most Foolish People End Up in Power – Machiavelli Knew This
PREVENTING INCOMPETENT LEADERSHIP
Here’s a simple and practical summary on how to prevent incompetent leadership from that video:
How to Prevent Incompetent Leadership — Simple and Practical
1. Don’t Just Follow Confidence
People who seem super sure of themselves aren’t always the best leaders.
Look for leaders who admit what they don’t know and think carefully before acting.
2. Check Their Team
Good leaders pick smart, capable people to work with them.
If a leader only surrounds themselves with yes-people, that’s a warning sign.
3. Ask for Clear Results
Leaders should have clear goals and show real progress.
Avoid leaders who give vague promises or blame others for problems.
4. Be Careful with Simple Answers
If a leader offers easy fixes for complex problems, be skeptical.
Good leaders understand complexity and don’t oversimplify.
5. Make Leaders Accountable
Leaders should face consequences if they do a bad job.
Support systems that check leaders’ power and keep them honest.
6. Think for Yourself
Don’t just believe what you hear—ask questions and check facts.
Be aware of tricks like fear-mongering or blaming others to distract you.
Quick Tips for You:
Look beyond confidence: Trust actions, not just words.
Support transparency: Demand clear goals and honest updates.
Encourage teamwork: Good leaders value smart, honest advice.
Stay curious: Question simple answers and seek the full story.
Hold leaders accountable: Support rules and checks on power.
This way, you can spot and avoid bad leaders, and help good ones succeed!
DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP
{I said leaders don’t need to face consequences for bad leadership if there are no individual leaders. So AI ran with that as follows.}
Shared or Collective Leadership: An Alternative to Individual Leadership
What Is It?
Shared leadership means decision-making power and responsibility are distributed among a group, rather than resting with a single individual.
This can look like councils, boards, committees, or cooperative models where everyone has a say.
Potential Benefits
Reduces risk of abuse: No single person can dominate or act unchecked.
More perspectives: Decisions can be better informed by diverse viewpoints.
Built-in accountability: Group members can check and balance each other.
Resilience: The group can continue functioning even if one member leaves or fails.
Examples in Practice
Juries in courts decide guilt or innocence collectively.
Boards of directors govern many nonprofits and corporations.
Worker cooperatives are run democratically by all employees.
Swiss Federal Council (Switzerland’s executive branch) is a group of seven equal members who share power.
Challenges
Slower decision-making: Reaching consensus can take more time.
Diffused responsibility: Sometimes it’s harder to assign blame or credit.
Groupthink risk: If not managed well, groups can still fall into poor decision-making patterns.
How Consequences Work in Shared Leadership
The group as a whole is accountable for outcomes.
Poor decisions can result in restructuring the group, replacing members, or changing processes.
Transparency and clear rules are vital to prevent gridlock or hidden power dynamics.
Bottom Line
You’re absolutely right: If leadership is truly collective, the focus shifts from punishing a single “bad leader” to ensuring the group’s processes are fair, transparent, and effective. Many organizations and some governments already use this model to great effect.
{LIKE?}
Youth Power Coalition: A movement organization led by youth and adult allies, using sociocracy for collective impact and shared leadership1.
High Mowing School (New Hampshire, USA): Implemented sociocracy as a governing structure among faculty and students, resulting in positive organizational outcomes1.
Hager Homestead (Massachusetts, USA): A cohousing community using sociocratic principles for collective governance1.
Hertzler Systems Inc.: A business in Indiana that adopted sociocracy for more responsive and inclusive management1.
La Croisée des Chemins (France): The first democratic free school in France, governed using sociocracy1.
Asheville Movement Collective: A dynamic dance community that credits its growth and responsiveness to adopting sociocracy in 20091.
The Hawai’i Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities: A consortium of academic and community-based organizations in Hawai’i implementing sociocracy for collaborative project management1.
These examples span sectors such as education, business, community living, and nonprofit work, demonstrating that consent-based, shared leadership models can be practical and effective in diverse real-world settings1,3,6.