Here is a Silver Lining
Positive leadership gives the right direction to its people, so
that they set about struggling for what is right, rather than
just register complaint after complaint.
The British historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889 – 1975) is best known for his 12-volume work, A Study of History, which was published from 1934-61. In this work he has examined the rise and fall of 26 civilizations throughout the course of history and has developed a theory regarding the growth and disintegration of these civilizations. According to his analysis, history is governed by a law of nature. This law is based on what he terms, the ‘challenge-and-response’ mechanism. According to this theory, all the great civilizations were created by minority groups.
A minority always comes under the influence of historical factors, which have a profoundly motivating effect upon it. This motivation enhances the minority community’s general capacities until it is finally recognized as the most creative segment of the country or region to which it belongs. All civilizations have been the culmination of the efforts and struggle of some such minority.
This law of nature itself is not enough to make the minority a creative one It requires wise leadership. It is a fact that the minority is always under pressure from the majority. This is but natural and there is no exception to this rule. It is a very critical situation. At this juncture, the leadership of the minority community is put to the test. If the leadership of the minority takes the pressure from the majority as a negative experience, and resorts exclusively to complaining and protesting, the minority will ultimately face disaster. Such leadership plays a negative role in the life of its people. It is this kind of leadership that is thus referred to in a verse of an Arabic poem: ‘When a crow becomes the leader of a nation, it will certainly lead its people to a disastrous end.’
The reverse of this situation is one in which, when a minority comes under pressure from the majority and is beset by problems, its leadership plays a positive role. It is then that the leaders of the minority community tell their people that the situation they are facing is not a problem, but is rather a challenge which the people should try to meet with all their might. This kind of positive leadership gives the right direction to its people, so that they set about struggling for what is right, rather than just register complaint after complaint. It is this kind of positive leadership that leads its people toward playing a healthy role, and thus giving rise to a new civilization.
This law of nature means that the minority is always in an advantageous position from which it can overcome the majority. Every minority is potentially in a position to give a gift to the world, that is, a new civilization.
