Of rules, rulers, and leadership in a digital age

The start of a new year has a way of slowing us down, even if briefly.

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It invites reflection, not in the form of resolutions that rarely survive January, but in quieter questions about direction, values, and the kind of leadership we want to practice and accept. For those of us responsible for building organizations, shaping policy, or influencing public discourse, the turn of the calendar is less about fresh starts and more about taking stock.

This year, I found myself reflecting not on what I want to achieve next, but on what truly governs our choices. Who holds power over our work and lives. What standards we use to measure success. And whether the systems we build, increasingly shaped by technology, are reinforcing good leadership or simply amplifying authority.

It is from this place of reflection that this column is written.

In every stage of our lives, we operate within systems of rules and under the influence of rulers. Some are obvious: organizational hierarchies, titles, laws, institutions, and formal authority. Others are less visible but often more powerful: the internal benchmarks we use to measure ourselves, the standards by which we judge others, and the definitions of success we quietly accept without question.

Over time, I have come to believe that leadership, success, and even fulfillment are shaped less by who rules us and more by what rules us.

This distinction matters even more today as technology accelerates decision-making, reshapes institutions, and amplifies both good and bad leadership.

LEADERSHIP IS NOT THE SAME AS AUTHORITY

Not all rulers are leaders, and many leaders do not rule anything at all.

True leadership does not rely on position. It reveals itself through behavior, especially when formal authority is absent. In business, government, and civic life, effective leaders consistently demonstrate a small set of traits that transcend industry or title.