When we talk about humility as a critical function of effective leadership, we’re underscoring the power and importance of consistently seeking input and feedback, without hubris and an over reliance on our expertise or knowledge. Experts — however knowledgeable in their field — can benefit from a diversity of perspectives.
In a new paper coauthored with Piotr Swistak, Stanford Professor Jonathan Bendor argues that while expertise, hierarchy, and meritocracy are critical in a democracy, they can’t operate without appropriate oversight. “Nonspecialists need to hold people accountable,” he says. “Otherwise, you get little groups that aren’t accountable to anybody.” As democracies turn to specialists to solve big issues, Professor Jonathan Bendor says non-experts should still hold them accountable.
Always, and especially as we navigate another election season, let’s anchor in the critical role of accountability as precisely what unifies democracy and meritocratic bureaucracy.
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