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Leadership in a Land of Tears: What “The Little Prince” Teaches Us about Responsibility

by
Patrick Whalen

—

5 months ago


This post is sponsored by St. Martin’s Academy.

I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​reach​ ​him,​ ​how​ ​to​ ​catch​ ​up​ ​with​ ​him…​ ​the​ ​land​ ​of​ ​tears​ ​is​ ​so​ ​mysterious. -Antoine​ ​de​ ​Saint-Exupery

Most​ ​major​ ​bookstores​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​section​ ​devoted​ ​to​ ​leadership.​ ​​ ​Perhaps​ ​you​ ​have​ ​seen them?​ ​​ ​Dominating​ ​the​ ​shelves​ ​are​ ​books​ ​filled​ ​with​ ​well-intentioned​ ​how-to​ ​advice​ ​that​ ​is difficult​ ​to​ ​distinguish​ ​from​ ​the​ ​platitudes​ ​and​ ​bromides​ ​that​ ​fill​ ​its​ ​neighbors.​ ​​ ​Probably​ ​never will​ ​you​ ​find​ ​the​ ​French​ ​author​ ​Antoine​ ​de​ ​Saint-Exupery’s​ ​pamphlet​ ​length​ ​book​ ​titled​ ​​The Little​​ Prince​​​ on​ ​the​ ​shelves​ ​devoted​ ​to​ ​leadership,​ ​but​ ​he​ ​offers​ ​an​ ​insight​ ​we​ ​desperately​ ​need​ ​in order​ ​to​ ​mitigate​ ​the​ ​hollowness​ ​in​ ​our​ ​understanding​ ​and​ ​practice​ ​of​ ​leadership.

The​ ​quote​ ​from​ ​​The​ ​Little​ ​Prince​ ​​above​ ​describes​ ​a​ ​fictional​ ​meeting​ ​between​ ​a​ ​space travelling​ ​little​ ​boy—apparently​ ​a​ ​prince—and​ ​the​ ​author.​ ​​ ​The​ ​Little​ ​Prince,​ ​visiting​ ​earth​ ​from an​ ​asteroid,​ ​has​ ​explained​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​afraid​ ​for​ ​his​ ​flower—a​ ​rose—that​ ​grows​ ​on​ ​Asteroid​ ​B-612. One​ ​is​ ​never​ ​certain​ ​that​ ​an​ ​untended​ ​flower​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​eaten​ ​by​ ​a​ ​hungry​ ​celestial​ ​sheep,​ ​and realizing​ ​just​ ​that​ ​possibility​ ​has​ ​brought​ ​the​ ​Little​ ​Prince​ ​to​ ​tears.​ ​​ ​Antoine​ ​de​ ​Saint-Exupery struggles​ ​to​ ​console​ ​his​ ​small​ ​companion​ ​in​ ​this​ ​difficulty.​ ​​ ​But​ ​as​ ​he​ ​puts​ ​it,​ ​he​ ​is​ ​unable​ ​“to catch​ ​up​ ​with​ ​him.”
What Makes a Leader?

Antoine​ ​is​ ​an​ ​older​ ​man,​ ​a​ ​pilot​ ​on​ ​a​ ​mission​ ​gone​ ​wrong,​ ​who​ ​finds​ ​himself​ ​stranded​ ​in the​ ​desert​ ​with​ ​a​ ​broken​ ​airplane​ ​and​ ​a​ ​young​ ​prince​ ​who​ ​has​ ​just​ ​dropped​ ​in​ ​from​ ​outer​ ​space. Antoine​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​fix​ ​his​ ​engine​ ​but​ ​is​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​die​ ​of​ ​dehydration​ ​before​ ​he​ ​can.​ ​​ ​In​ ​the meantime,​ ​the​ ​Little​ ​Prince​ ​is​ ​crying​ ​on​ ​account​ ​of​ ​the​ ​sheep​ ​and​ ​flower​ ​situation.​ ​​ ​Perhaps inexplicably,​ ​Antoine​ ​assumes​ ​responsibility​ ​for​ ​his​ ​young​ ​visitor’s​ ​tears​ ​although​ ​he​ ​is​ ​not certain​ ​what​ ​to​ ​do​ ​about​ ​them.

You​ ​see,​ ​Antoine​ ​is​ ​a​ ​leader.​ ​​ ​He​ ​is​ ​confronted​ ​with​ ​two​ ​problems:​ ​a​ ​malfunctioning engine;​ ​and​ ​a​ ​sheep/flower/tears​ ​situation.​ ​​ ​Generally,​ ​engines​ ​can​ ​be​ ​fixed;​ ​a​ ​​mal​ functioning thing​ ​can​ ​be​ ​made​ ​to​ ​function​ ​properly;​ ​one​ ​exerts​ ​one’s​ ​will​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​malfunctioning​ ​object and,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​little​ ​luck​ ​and​ ​know-how,​ ​the​ ​thing​ ​functions.​ ​​ ​Whereas,​ ​for​ ​Antoine​ ​to​ ​attempt​ ​to impose​ ​his​ ​will​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Little​ ​Prince​ ​as​ ​if​ ​he​ ​were​ ​an​ ​engine​ ​to​ ​be​ ​fixed​ ​would​ ​be​ ​worse​ ​than useless.​ ​​ ​No.​ ​​ ​What​ ​to​ ​do​ ​about​ ​the​ ​possibility​ ​of​ ​hungry​ ​celestial​ ​sheep​ ​is​ ​the​ ​​real​​ ​challenge. Antoine​ ​chooses​ ​the​ ​more​ ​difficult​ ​mission—to​ ​attempt​ ​consoling​ ​the​ ​Little​ ​Prince,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​is more​ ​difficult​ ​because​ ​the​ ​Prince​ ​is​ ​not​ ​malfunctioning;​ ​he​ ​is​ ​suffering.
Suffering and Responsibility

(Continued)
https://www.catholicgentleman.net/2017/ ... nsibility/