remain hospitable to diversity. I believe in unity without uni-
formity and in man’s capacity to redeem himself.”
Given the pressures from our parents and the pressures from
our peers, how does any one of us manage to emerge as a
sane—much less productive—adult?
William James wrote, in 1890 in The Principles of Psychology,
A man’s Self is the sum total of all that he can call his, not only
his body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and his house,
his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation
and works, his lands and horses, and yacht and bank account.
All these things give him the same emotions. If they wax and
prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he
feels cast down.It’s hard to conceive of a more apt description of the con-
spicuous consumer of any era. But as James concludes, “...our
self-feeling in this world depends entirely on what we back
ourselves to be and do.”
Leaders begin, then, by backing themselves, inspiring them-
selves, trusting themselves, and ultimately inspire others by be-
ing trustworthy.
Famed psychoanalyst Erik Erikson has divided life into eight
stages that are useful to look at during our examination of self-
invention:
- Infancy: Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust
- Early childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame, Doubt
- Play age: Initiative vs. Guilt
- School age: Industry vs. Inferiority
- Adolescence: Identity vs. Identity Confusion
On Becoming a Leader