Poet-leader

Robert Greenleaf quoted poets in a number of his essays on leadership. It seems that for Greenleaf that the power of poetry in leadership is that “it is not so much designed to convey meaning as to elicit it”, as he wrote in his essay “Lessons on Power” where he discusses a poem written by the historian Charles A. Beard.

So when I came across the headline in a recent edition of Minnpost “On Poetry and Leadership” I had to read the article.

Pulitzer prize-winning poet Rita Dove
Photo by Dan Addison

Terry Monahan interviewed the poet, Pulitzer-Prize winner Rita Dove regarding her upcoming talk as part of the University of St. Catherine Forum on Women in Leadership. The forum will be held on March 5 in St. Paul MN.

What follows are some excerpts from the interview.

Schiller once said that poets were the unacknowledged legislators of the race. I think that what he meant was you lead by reminding people of themselves. If I read a poem that moves me, it illuminates or reminds me of something in myself that I was too busy to see.

Poetry makes us reflective beings. It teaches us how to proceed more deftly and gently in life. That's what a leader should do in any kind of arena: show how one should behave.

I believe that Michelangelo or — choose your great artist — thought of the individual standing there who is nobody, not someone you need to impress but who you want to connect with. If leaders could try to remember that, it would make them happier human beings. But of course it calls for bravery.

Language is astonishingly powerful. So often when people get disaffected with leaders they detect in the language that it's not sincere. What politicians could learn is the immense power of the word placed correctly. Language is not black or white, this torpid thing on the page. When we read, it shapes our breathing, the way we feel. When we read the word "moon," we can almost feel the howl.

Being prepared makes you ready for when inspiration strikes. I keep a notebook with me at all times. I tend to gather these seeds as I go along. I feel obligated to write them down. It doesn't seem hard as long as you pay attention to the world.

So the next time you feel that desire to find meaning in life, read a poem — or perhaps even better — pull out the notebook and write one (or if your not up for writing try howling at the moon).