There are three fundamental reasons why we need leaders:
- Security
- Purpose
- Achievement
Security is about removing threats and barriers.
Purpose is about providing vision and belonging.
Achievement is about reaching goals and success.
We have a natural need for leaders
We are born with a natural desire to be led.
We don’t need leaders because society tells us so or because our employers tell us so. We need leaders because we have an innate predisposition to be guided, nurtured and supported throughout our lives.
Our natural desire to seek leaders can be linked to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which will be explained in this article.
There are three fundamental reasons why we need leaders.
- Security: removing threats and barriers
The first fundamental reason we need leaders is associated with the fundamental human need for survival. We will do anything and everything to survive and sustain our lives.
As children we are usually guided by our parents and they have a significant influence on our safety. They do this by removing threats and barriers that can jeopardize our safety.
As we grow and develop, our parents, we believe, have taught us enough so that we are able to keep ourselves safe and healthy on our own.
However, when we reach adulthood, we find ourselves in new and challenging situations that we have never encountered before.
This can make us feel threatened and insecure, not necessarily for our personal safety or our lives, but more for our comfort, pride, integrity and future success.
We will naturally seek out leaders, guidance and support from others who can provide it to minimize any threats and barriers we face.
If our ability to perform to the desired standard is threatened, it can have a negative impact on our future success and progress.
- Purpose: Providing vision and belonging
The second reason why we need leaders is associated with the timeless question people have asked themselves, “What are we here for?”.
While we have never found a definitive answer to this question, it doesn’t stop us from trying. We have a natural desire to understand our purpose and gain a sense of meaning and belonging in our lives.
Leaders are unable to answer the profound question “what are we here for?” in the fullest sense.
However, they are able to answer that question in relation to our work and our lives. We look to leaders to answer that question.
Good leaders are visionary and are able to articulate purpose and meaning in a way that inspires and motivates others.
Leaders help us identify, understand and refine our purpose. They help us align our thinking and clarify the motives behind our work.
People seek answers and understanding to everything they do, and leaders in some way help fulfill that need.
- Accomplishment: Enabling the achievement of goals and success
The third reason why we need leaders is associated with our desire to grow and develop in order to live a successful life.
This often becomes more meaningful once the threats have been minimized and the purpose has been clarified, thus gaining a solid platform for us to succeed.
It is natural to want to be the best you can be, to succeed in what you do, to learn, grow and develop. Our natural desire to succeed is based on our need for security and purpose.
The more we achieve and progress in our career and life, the more secure we will be and the more purpose and belonging can be fulfilled.
As children, our parents and teachers provide us with leadership to support our accomplishments, but as we find ourselves in new and challenging situations as adults, we are forced to seek leadership from new and more diverse sources.
Good leaders will greatly enhance our potential for success and achievement by maximizing our capacity to perform.
They have the ability to support and guide us in all our endeavors. They give us what we need, allow us the freedom to perform, empower us, reward us, and generally facilitate our progress in any way they can.
The three reasons we need leaders – security, purpose and fulfillment – can be perfectly aligned with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was first proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 in his paper entitled “A Theory of Human Motivation” in the Psychological Review.
The bottom two levels of Maslow’s pyramid are concerns with “physiological needs” and “safety needs”. These are essential human needs and are aligned with the first reason we need leaders – security.
The middle two levels of the pyramid are concerned with ‘love and belonging’ and ‘esteem’. If the bottom level, fundamentally about security, is satisfied, then love, belonging and esteem can be developed, which aligns with the second reason we need leaders – purpose.
The top level of the pyramid is concerned with “self-actualization” and becoming the best possible person we can be. This aligns well with the third reason we need leaders – performance.
Maslow’s hierarchical model of motivation and needs provides a good framework for understanding the role leaders play in supporting others.
Source: Jonathan Sandling
