“In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king”. This is a popular adage often used to explain why doing the “minimum” in the midst of a group of mediocre individuals makes you stand out. The adage suggests that your little efforts will propel you to the position of leadership – i.e. leading these mediocre individuals.
While the logic of the adage might be acceptable, there is another perspective that could be considered,
and here it is: the one-eyed man among blind people is considered a “weirdo”.
The one-eyed man is an outlier. Being a visionary leader in the midst of complacent people could be one of the most frustrating experiences of leadership. No one will understand your actions, and this will result in endless criticism. You spend a lot of energy trying to prove the validity of your ideas and plans, instead of focusing on implementation.
So, what should the one-eyed man do in the land of the blind? Here are 2 thoughts to consider:
1. Find other one-eyed people in other lands. This is a prime scenario where networking with other people with similar challenges of leadership will help. Don’t spend all your time with the blind. Think about it…how long would you live with the blind before gouging out your one-eye feels “natural”?
2. Don’t argue or feel the need to explain yourself to the blind. Realize that no matter how much you try to describe what you see as a visionary, they just won’t get it. Don’t fight it; it takes a miracle to make the blind see
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ugo is an energetic and dynamic speaker. He is the founder of NEU Gen Leaders – a youth leadership organization with a mission of helping the youth discover their life’s identity and mission. He is the author of the book, Secrets of Academic Excellence. He can be reached at [email protected].