Tech Leader Pro

Tech Leader Pro podcast 2024 week 14, be careful where you place your deference

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The amount of authority figures you defer to in your life should be a very short list indeed.

Notes:

  • Recently I seen Dune part two, and it got me thinking about deference again.
  • According to the dictionary:
    • "deference - respectful submission or yielding to the judgement, opinion, will, etc., of another." Ref: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/deference
  • The Dune story acts as a warning for us not to blindly follow a charismatic leader.
  • In the story, a tribal leader Stilgar suffers from a profound religious deference towards a young leader, named Paul Atreides, who he believes is a messianic prophet that will lead his people to freedom.
  • Stilgar places so much deference in Paul, it almost becomes comical in the latest version of the movie. He is portrayed as a zealot.
  • In spite of Paul's discomfort with this, he finds himself surrounded by fanatical followers who will follow him blindly into a holy war.
  • An extreme fictional example perhaps, but our history is full similar real examples.
  • Polite deference to a senior colleague, a teacher, or a parent is welcomed as a mark of respect.
  • Blind deference to a superior can be dangerous however.
  • The amount of authority figures you defer to in your life should be a very short list indeed. Everyone else should be questioned.
  • Deference is intrinsically related to trust, and once trust broken, so is deference.
  • Deference placed upon the shoulders of a young leader is a heavy burden, a theme explored wonderfully in Dune. Paul resents it.
  • The movies are great, but please read the Dune books by Frank Herbert!
  • What I am working on this week:
    • Ongoing testing of the internet search indexer for the Alpha Framework.
    • Media I am enjoying this week:
      • Diaspora by Greg Egan.

        • Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/640-Tech-Leader-Pro-podcast-2024-week-14,-be-careful-where-you-place-your-deference

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        Tech Leader ProBy John Collins