Leadership has been poorly understood largely because it is primarily an aesthetic function—a concept that is also poorly understood. According to ancient Greek philosophers, continuous development depends upon the pursuit of truth, plenty, the good, and beauty/fun—aesthetics. * The pursuit of truth is the societal function of science. * The pursuit of plenty is a function of institutions that are concerned with (1) producing and distributing the resources that make possible the pursuit of ends as efficiently as possible and (2) protecting the resources acquired against their appropriation, theft, or destruction. * The pursuit of the good involves the dissemination of ethical and moral principles. * The pursuits of beauty and fun are inseparable aspects of aesthetics. Together they make possible the continuous pursuit of ideals—ends that can be approached indefinitely but never attained.
The role of aesthetics is not well understood in our culture. Aesthetics expressed as art inspires—produces an unwillingness to settle for what we have and a desire for something better. It is both the producer and product of creative activity—change; it is essential for continuous development. Art also entertains and recreates, yielding fun in what we do, regardless of why we do it. It is the satisfaction we derive from "going there" in contrast to the satisfaction derived from "getting there." Recreation provides "the pause that refreshes." It recreates creators. We would not be able to maintain continuous pursuit of ideals without payoffs along the way. But how does all this relate to leadership?