Ernest Martin Hopkins said that intelligent leadership requires an intelligent constituency.
Most discussions of leadership focus on characteristics of the leaders. Hopkins words recognize that leadership is not a solo act but rather a complex dance between the leaders and the led. But, what is an intelligent constituency?
First, an intelligent constituency chooses to be led by knowingly entering into a partnership with leadership, based on mutual trust and respect.
Second, an intelligent constituency is informed, a state that requires both initiative by the constituency and support by leadership.
Third, an intelligent constituency is engaged, a skilled and autonomous agent that enthusiastically endorses the community’s values and goals, usually because it participates in setting them.
Finally, an intelligent constituency is responsibly empowered, allowed to function autonomously within the limits of its expertise and in the service of the whole.