The magician's triumph

On December 31, 2009, in Leadership and attitude, by Neculai Fantanaru

Take full advantage of your potential of leadership, without getting away from reality that others perceive.

The show was almost ending. The light that bathed the stage became blood-red, and started to lose more and more of its intensity. I knew something big was about to happen. The drums quieted down their beats. A deathlike silence spread into the bumper. Furthermore, an inscrutable, thick gloom. The audience was struck with a well-pleasing fear.

Suddenly, there were heard steps. Somewhere in the left of the stage, a vague shadow was spotted, slightly changing its position. In the next moment, I thought it could be only him, the creator of illusions. I was right. The magician came out again in a special suit, wearing a mask, emanating a special touch and creating a very mysterious atmosphere. After getting at the centre of the stage, he said some strange words on a pompous tone: “Acta est fabula!” He actually wanted to say: “The play was staged. I decided to show you who I am.”

He quietly got near the spectators. He was staring in the dark, like everything was normal, like he could clearly distinguish everybody. I started to believe that, finally I would have the chance to find out what lies under his mask.

The truth behind the truth

The magician was preparing to take off the mask of his face. Everybody was stunned by his decision to reveal himself, to show us his true face, especially since at his previous performances he promised solemnly that never and no one will ever find out what lies behind the mask, the one who he really is. The magician sheltered a lot of deepness and, behind his lovely Venetian style mask, his real force most certainly nestled. The mystery he shed was creating a strange sensation both on me and on the other viewers.

The long-awaited moment arrived. The magician took off his mask. However, great was our surprise when we noticed that behind that mask, there was another mask. Once more, another game, another challenge, another mystery. Awakened from an illusion, we gave ourselves up to another one. Only then, in that particular moment, I realized nobody would be able to control reality better than him, the Magician, The Creator of illusions. As the main performer of the show, he is entitled to make us accept his own reality. A reality that, like it or not, even if we do not understand it, we must all, by all means, to accept it.

And then I also realized that by no means, a faultless magician would never take off his masks, which he always wears in his shows, but he will always maintain his mystery in order to maintain and increase everyone's curiosity, because his persuasiveness and dominance would linger in his shows. Mystery is the factor that will always be persistent in his performances. It would have clearly been a recklessness to reveal his true identity.

Here lies the triumph of a magician, in the mystery he hides and leaves behind him. In his symbols, in the illusions he creates, in his unknown identity, and especially his secret, strongly guarded tricks.

The leader is the one who controls the reality

A great leader knows he could own absolute power only if he could manage to control the reality around him. And if he fails, he must convince people that he is the one controlling it. Totally. A leader can impose his supremacy only if he is able to cause people to believe he owns the absolute control on every situation. On all the events, desired or not. On every change. At any time. The people he leads must see things not in their true nature, but rather at his choice.

If people believe in him and follow him, then he could call himself, in all reason, a great leader. Because only a great leader can manage his subordinates: through unprecedented ideas and views, a win-win attitude, very clear argumentations, encouraging speeches, personal style, new approaches, his unique and viable vision.

A leader shares common beliefs with a magician, but is different from him because he does not create illusions, but stands upon reality and practical examples. From the perspective of a “viewer”, of a man uninvolved in the work of a leader, he can be regarded, in a simplistic manner, as a magician. And “the magician's triumph” hides a lot of work, ability, qualification and professionalism, as well as well kept secrets.

Take full advantage of your potential of leadership, without getting away from reality that others perceive.