Rick Houcek on Leadership and "Mob Rule"

ATLANTA - Yesterday, I was watching a grainy old, black-and-white, gun-fighting western on TV.  I'd forgotten how much fun those were.

There came a point in the story where a man -- an outsider -- was walking down main street in a rough new settlement, when he was spotted by a local, who shouted at him "Hey, your kind is not wanted in this town."  Then he turned to other townfolk and yelled, "We don't want him, do we?  Let's show him what we do to foreigners."

At that moment, the townspeople who, up until then, had been going calmly about their business, angrily erupted into a loud, snarling mob.  They grabbed rocks, picked up clubs, drew guns, and charged hastily toward the unwanted man.  He was pelted and kicked and pounded and cursed -- when suddenly amidst the impromptu lynching, the sheriff appeared and saved the day by calling off the dogs, then locking the man up for his own safety.

It all happened in a matter of seconds.

I thought for a moment.  Not one of those townspeople knew anything about that man.  They didn't know what kind of husband or father he was.  Whether or not he was a law-abiding citizen.  They had no knowledge of his family or upbringing or job or values or contribution to the community.

Nothing.

They just knew one thing.

That a fellow townsman had angrily shouted at the top of his lungs that he should be gone.  Pronto.  That fellow townsman ALONE had passed judgment on the outsider.  HE ALONE had rendered a decision that the man was unfit to walk among them.  HE ALONE had decided the man must be taught a lesson.

And in a split second, he was able to convince a group of peaceful, mild-mannered citizens to join in his anger and maliciously punish the outsider.

How?

Mob rule.

It's that instantaneous moment when a group of people -- otherwise calm, decent and civil -- turn into an enraged, destructive mob by the violent urgings of one loud, infuriated person who rallies them into explosive action.

Hollywood loves to insert these volcanic moments into movie storylines.  I laugh at the silliness and the quickness of the fickle masses to join in.  It's fiction, after all.

But hey, mob rule is not always make-believe.  Happens in everyday real life, too.

I saw it happen live on Dr. Phil.  Unlike the movie, it was non-violent, but it was mob rule nonetheless.

Here's what happened.  A few months ago, right after New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had resigned in disgrace, awash in a prostitution ring, his scandal was the topic of the day on the Dr. Phil show.  Shortly before, Spitzer had resigned his governorship in a news conference while his dejected-looking wife Silda stood beside him.  The question being discussed was:  Given the gravity of the situation and how he disgraced his wife, should she have accompanied him to the podium?

Robin McGraw, Phil's wife, said she would never accompany Phil under similar circumstances.  No way.  She was firm, decisive, and crystal clear in her words and tone.  To her, the dishonor and disrespect of his actions would cause her to let him take the heat alone.  Her support, her love, and her respect, at that point, would be gone.  The audience, mostly women, erupted in thunderous applause.  As a viewer, it sounded like the full audience -- or close to it -- was agreeing with her.

This is a tempered, non-violent example of mob rule.  An articulate person states a clear, sound position that makes sense, and listeners are persuaded to stand in support.  Regardless of what they may have thought beforehand.

But wait -- then something else happened.  Bishop T.D. Jakes, spiritual leader and author, who was a guest on the show, then said this, and I'm paraphrasing:  We're only seeing a small portion of their marriage on camera.  We don't know what their marriage is like without cameras.  She accompanied him for her reasons and we can't pretend to know what those reasons are.  We just have to respect them.

Hmmm.  Makes sense.  Then, more thunderous applause from the audience.

More articulate persuasion.  More mob rule.

But hold on a minute.  This, too, sounded like the full audience applauding.  So how can two opposing viewpoints be supported by the very same people?

Answer:  That's how mob rule works.

It plays on the fact that the large majority of people are followers -- waiting for a leader to establish a direction, announce a cause, or express an opinion they can agree with -- so they can jump on the bandwagon and follow it.  And they'll sway in the breeze, leaping from one viewpoint to the next, if each sounds good enough.  I do not mean to suggest that Robin McGraw or J.D. Jakes had "mob rule" in mind as an intentional outcome when they voiced their opinions.  But even so ... it happened.

Some most certainly DO intend it.  Others certainly do not.  But it happens anyway.

Lessons & Actions For You:

What can leaders learn from this?

Plenty.

Let's go back to the McGraw-Jakes example.  They had different views -- so who was right?

For my purposes here, it doesn't matter one hoot.  That's not the point of this piece.  (It's personal preference anyway.  In my view, heck, they both made good sense.)

The point I wish to drive home is, like most "tools", mob rule too can be use for both good and evil.  And as a leader, you have the position, title, and authority to use it either way.  Your choice.

The late Cavett Robert, founder of the National Speakers Association, said "Most people are walking around, umbilical cord in hand, just waiting for someone to plug it into."  Sadly, he's right.  Most people just follow the crowd.  Largely without opinions or viewpoints, they wait to see which way the majority will swing -- then go with it, assuming it must be right.

Unscrupulous leaders -- and there are plenty -- use this fact to their sinister advantage.

Honorable leaders use it too.  But for dignified, principled, virtuous means.

Please do not misunderstand me.  I do not mean to suggest that an honorable leader should NOT use the principle of mob rule to gain advantage.  On the contrary, any sales presentation, any persuasive speech, or any morale-building rally you've ever given is intended, most definitely, to sway people to your viewpoint, to your product, to your cause.  Hopefully in large numbers.

And that's a good thing.

As long as it is grounded in integrity, in truth, in ethics.

Rallying a crowd into a frenzy to storm a building and murder its defenseless inhabitants is one thing.  Rallying a crowd into a frenzy to storm a building and save a child's life is quite another.

Both require the same skill of persuasion to gain mob rule.  But one is for evil intent, the other for good.

I'll summarize with two thoughts.

• First, make the choice every morning to be an integrity-driven leader and only use mob rule for the best and highest good.
• And second, beware the mob rule that is used against you, your family, your team, and your organization.  Consider its purpose and intent before succumbing or joining in.  At times, you may only have a few brief seconds to decide.

Always walk the high ground.
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Rick Houcek is a regular contributor to ManagementRecruiter.com.  Rick facilitates off-site strategic planning retreats, helping CEOs and Leadership Teams create high-impact plans that overcome the crippling effects of lousy execution and get successfully implemented.  His Power Planning strategic process drives action through his Escape-Proof Accountability system.  It's ideal for small and mid-size businesses.  To bring this potent weapon to your team, contact Rick by phone, fax or email.  Visit his web site at Soar with Eagles.com.  Ask about his 100% No-Risk Guarantee.