Noble Leadership

To lead others in a way that is “illustrious, distinguished, and worthy of respect”  is the essence of “noble leadership.” Noble leaders are illustrious, that is, they “shine” as an example of good leadership. They are distinguished in that they accomplish their purposes skillfully and in areas of import to those whom they are charged with leading. They are worthy of respect because they work for the common good and in a way that respects the inherent worth and dignity of ALL the citizens, not just the ones with whom they agree or align themselves politically. 

The Guiding Philosophy of Noble Leaders

      Every person is possessed of basic, inherent, dignity and worth.Thus, noble leaders:

•  Always want what is best for the populace and, therefore, want to serve.  
•  See themselves as servants of the people and therefore have an attitude of humility.
• Desire peace and harmony.
• Are confident in their convictions and true to them.
• See irony and find humor in life, due to having tremendous perspective.

The speech of Noble Leaders is:

• Benevolent – their words are not aimed at injuring, wounding, or maligning, but instead they reflect non-aggression, uplifting and supporting the dignity of all.
•  Humble – they do not boast of their qualities or accomplishments, or imply that others’ are not as good or benevolent as they are.
•  Ennobling – their words reflect and support the best in people and pull them up, encouraging all who hear them to nobility in thought, word, and action.
• Appreciative – recognition is given for deeds accomplished, cooperation, teamwork, and efforts made toward a good cause; a spirit of celebration.

The actions of Noble Leaders are:

• Aimed at the common good.
• Unifying, rather than divisive.
•  Skillful in timing and execution.
•  Marked with dignity and grace.

A Renaissance for Nobility

Society these days is sorely lacking in a certain quality--namely, “nobility.” Just what does it mean to be "noble"? Let's look at some definitions:

noble (n.) "man of rank," c. 1300, from noble (adj.). The same noun sense also is in Old French and Latin. Late 14c. as the name of an English coin first issued in reign of Edward III.

noble (adj.) c. 1200, "illustrious, distinguished; worthy of honor or respect," from Old French noble "of noble bearing or birth," from Latin nobilis "well-known, famous, renowned; excellent, superior, splendid; high-born, of superior birth," earlier *gnobilis, literally "knowable," from gnoscere "to come to know," from PIE root *gno- "to know" (see know). The prominent Roman families, which were "well known," provided most of the Republic's public officials. Meaning "distinguished by rank, title, or birth" is first recorded late 13c. Sense of "having lofty character, having high moral qualities" is from c. 1600

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary

 If we look at the earliest use of the word “noble” we find that around 1200 A.D. it was used to mean “illustrious, distinguished, worthy of honor or respect”. When we look at our leaders today, we might consider them “illustrious” due to being in the public eye. We may also consider them “distinguished” due to their many accomplishments. But “worthy of honor and respect” seems to be a tough one to swallow. The word “noble came to English from Old French which derived from the Latin “nobilis”, meaning “well-known, famous, renowned” and even further back from “gnobilis” from “gnoscere” derived from the Proto-Indo-European root “gno-“ meaning “to know” (the “g” being silent and also a phonemic pair with the letter “k”—thus, modern English’s “kno”). So originally to be “gnoble” or “noble” simply meant to be “known”. The ones who were “known” by everyone in the ancient Roman Republic were most often its public officials.

Later in the 13th century the additional meaning of “distinguished by rank, title, or birth” was first recorded. Thus, the word “noble” came to mean someone who was “well-known who was of high-rank, title, or birth.” These are the people who were looked up to and expected to rule, to create order, to protect and promote the common welfare or “commonweal” (commonwealth). Moreover, there is a connotation of “superior” but also of being “splendid.” In short, these were people one could look up to. Ideally, when they did promote the common good, they were “splendid” and admirable. However, when they began to use their position and power to secure wealth, land, and more simply for themselves, the “nobles” were looked on with disdain. Still, the past corruptions notwithstanding, the terms “noble” and “ennoble” have enjoyed a generally positive connotation within the modern day lexicon. These terms conjure up the idea of “doing the right thing”, being “educated”, and acting out of a “higher purpose” rather than out of narrow self-interest. I believe it is a re-birth, or renaissance, if you will, of this manner of nobility that our contemporary political arena would benefit by.

Noble Leadership in the U.S. Political System and the Presidential Elections of 2016

Vice President Joe Biden' Presidential Race Announcement

In his speech on October 21, 2015 announcing that he would not enter the 2016 Presidential race, Vice President Biden, while gracefully declaring that he would not be throwing his hat into the campaign ring, issued a clarion call for what is most needed--because it is most lacking--at this time in U.S. political culture:

I believe we have to end the divisive partisan politics that is ripping this country apart. And I think we can. It’s meanspirited. It’s petty. And it’s gone on for much too long. I don’t believe, like some do, that it’s naive to talk to Republicans. I don’t think we should look at Republicans as our enemies. They are our opposition; they’re not our enemies. And for the sake of the country, we have to work together.

As the president said many times, compromise is not a dirty word. Look at it this way, folks — how does this country function without consensus? How can we move forward without being able to arrive at consensus?

On the topic of “justice” he further stated:

I also believe we need to keep moving forward in the arc of this nation toward justice — the rights of the LGBT community, immigration reform, equal pay for women and protecting their safety from violence, rooting out institutional racism. At their core, every one of these things — every one of these things is about the same thing. It’s about equality. It’s about fairness. It’s about respect. As my dad used to say, it’s about affording every single person dignity. It’s not complicated. Every single one of these issues is about dignity.

And the ugly forces of hate and division, they won’t let up, but they do not represent the American people. They do not represent the heart of this country.

Kudos to VP Biden for demonstrating what Noble Leadership sounds like!