MESSAGE FOR WEEK BEGINNING 15th March 2004

Lead or Follow?

Is there a bus because a lot of people want to travel in the same direction? Or, do a lot of people want to travel in the same direction because there is a bus going that way? Do people follow because a politician is leading? Or do politicians follow the way that people want to go and just give the impression of being out in front? Do manufacturers make the things that people want? Or do people have to buy the things manufacturers make because that is all that is available? The easy answer in each case is that it is a mixture of both. This is, however, a dangerous answer because it stops us thinking about the huge difference between the two situations.

Edward de Bono nmt
14th March 2004