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Every major decision is driven by three perceptions: what we want, what we believe should be done, and the reality we face—the “is.”

Wanting to change reality is not the problem. Progress depends on it. The problem arises when leaders are driven by only one of these perceptions, and the others are ignored. That is how idealism turns destructive.

Leaders driven exclusively by either want or should, while dismissing reality are fanatics—certain, uncompromising, and blind to consequences.

Consider religious extremism. Decisions are justified by a pure should: This must be done because God commanded it. Example, the Inquisition in Spain. Or fanatic religious groups throughout history. 

At the opposite extreme are leaders driven solely by want. They pursue outcomes because they desire them, not because they make sense. Cost, feasibility, and unintended consequences are treated as inconveniences. Logic is replaced by will.

Dictators and authoritarian leaders are almost always driven by unchecked want. They see themselves as carriers of a grand vision—derived from ideology, religion, or personal pathology. These visions deal in aspiration, not reality. That is why the saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” remains painfully accurate. They pursue a preferred version of reality while discounting political, economic, and institutional costs. Desire replaces analysis.

The most rigid fanatics combine both extremes. They believe a course of action is what should be done—and on the top of it, what they want to do. Communism offers a classic example. Its goal—justice and equality—sounds morally compelling. It is both desired and morally justified. What repeatedly failed was attention to reality: human needs and behavior.

Constructive leaders behave differently. They begin with want, but they test it rigorously with should and is. They ask:

• Should we do what we want to do?
• At what cost?
• Given reality, can this be done without causing more damage than benefit?

This testing process is what separates builders from destroyers.

The pattern is consistent:

When leaders pursue what they want or what they believe should be done—simply because it differs from the present—without analyzing the conditions required to make change workable, they destroy more than they create.

We should be especially wary of charismatic leaders promising transformation while dismissing present reality. Change may be necessary. Even urgent. But solutions that ignore the IS produce disintegration, not progress.

Leaders driven exclusively by ideology or wishful thinking without sufficient attention to reality are not constructive leaders. They appear like leaders because of their charisma or convictions, but they lead to a disaster sooner or later.

Just thinking,

P.S. Dear leaders, I have not received any comments for a long time. I'm starting to wonder if my blogs are being read. Maybe I get no comments because I don't response to them. I can't because of the time limit. Each comment might require a whole blog in response. I assure you I read all comments and appreciate them. Please do because I'm starting to wonder if I should continue writing my blogs. 

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