The syndrome is by now familiar, foretold in my book, The End of Leadership, which came out in 2012. Since then, the evidence is constant, if complicated. This is not to say that followers – people without obvious sources of power, authority, and influence – invariably triumph over their leaders in, for example, the United States. Not by a long shot. But it is to say that in general leaders – defined here as people in positions of authority – have a hard time exercising the authority that putatively is theirs.
This has implications that are major not minor, and they are not only in theory, but they are also in practice. Among the other consequences, most leaders are aware of how relations between leaders and followers have changed during the last decade. Which means they are far more careful now than they used to be about exerting the power and authority that technically is theirs – for they know full well they risk being overthrown if they are too heavy-handed.
This appears to be precisely what happened in recent months at New York University. The school terminated its contractual relationship with a highly eminent professor of organic chemistry, Maitland Jones, Jr. Why? Because students did not want him to be their instructor. Because students said his course – considered by many a gateway to medical school – was too hard. Because 82 of his 350 students signed a petition against him. Because other conciliatory overtures made by the school to the students did not mollify them.
As the story was reported – by among other outlets the New York Times – there was modest blame on both sides. That is, the professor’s and his employer’s. The details do not, however, concern us here, whereas the overarching point does. Here is how the Times summarized it: “The entire controversy seems to illustrate a sea change in teaching, from an era when professors set the bar and expected the class to meet it, to the current, more supportive, student-centered approach.”
This “sea change in teaching” is of course representative of a sea change in the U. S. more generally. It is a sea change in the dynamic between leaders (professors) and followers (students). And, since everything is connected to everything else, it is also about a sea change in standards – standards for leaders.
Professor Maitland is old school. He has been an outstanding scholar and, judging by his several awards for teaching, also a good or even a very good instructor. But the days when he could count on being respected for his exceptional accomplishments are over. Leadership remains an occupation not a profession. Character is considered secondary or tertiary, not primary. And expertise and experience count for little or nothing as opposed to nearly everything. If you don’t think there’s a connection between the sad, sordid candidacy of Herschel Walker, Republican candidate for Senate from the state of Georgia, and what happened to Professor Maitland, think again.