Published on: February 27, 2026 at 11:09 am
Many people ask why we rarely seem to have the inspiring political leaders who we need at pivotal moments in a country’s history.
Academy of Management Scholar Adam Galinsky of Columbia Business School answered that it’s because being a leader is not only challenging but—especially these days—often so punishing. He noted that being an effective leader takes more than talent and ability; it takes a willingness to have one’s decisions scrutinized and to stand tall while taking a beating in the public square.
“There’s a famous treatise by Plato: ‘Those who don’t seek power are the ones fit to hold it’—the problem is that when a leader is not motivated by the spoils of leadership, it becomes hard to endure the slings and arrows that occur in the everyday turns of fortune of leadership,” Galinsky said. “Being a leader is hard, and it makes sense that people shy away from it. But then we get stuck with narcissistic people in the process.
“Plato suggested that we should seek out reluctant leaders,” he said. “The person who is a leader, not because he wants the spoils of leadership, but [rather] because he doesn’t want to be governed by someone who is a horrible leader.
“And so, the person is willing to sacrifice for the greater good.”
Galinsky said the cost-benefit analysis of being a leader is tougher than ever because of how frequently people in positions of power get attacked these days.
“Part of it is technology—it’s greater exposure via Twitter and other social-media platforms that quickly turns into viral outrage,” Galinsky said.
“If you want people to act the right way, you have to both reward people who act the right way and hold them up as visionary exemplars of acting in the right way,” he said. “That is unfortunately scarce in our political world right now.”
