When cattle are crossing a ford,

if the chief bull goes crookedly,

all the others go crookedly

because their leader has gone crookedly.

So, too, among human beings,

when the one considered the chief

behaves unrighteously,

other people do so as well.

The entire kingdom is dejected

if the king is unrighteous.

When cattle are crossing a ford

if the chief bull goes straight across,

all the others go straight across

because their leader has gone straight.

So too, among human beings,

when the one considered the chief

conducts himself righteously,

other people do so as well.

The entire kingdom rejoices

if the king is righteous.

– from AN 4:70, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi

In the book The Buddha’s Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony, by Bhikkhu Bodhi, there are a number of suttas that emphasize the importance of having a righteous leader, sometimes called a (Dharma) “wheel-turning monarch”. In the Buddha’s time, there were small monarchies in many parts of India, so it was pretty clear who was in charge of particular areas, and whether they were righteous or unrighteous. These monarchs were not elected and usually remained in power until they either died or were conquered in war.

Our situation is less clear. Even if we live in a country with a monarch, who’s “in charge” can be ambiguous. Different groups of people make laws, enforce the laws, make judgments about the legality of laws, and often customs determine what actually happens, sometimes in spite of the laws of the land. The leaders of the different branches of government, most of the time, change regularly, which may cause citizens to feel confused about the prevailing rules and culture.

How are we to manage? In our work or school environments, it’s clear that the person at the top influences the daily experience of staff and consumers. Sometimes we can influence others, and sometimes not, depending on how we are positioned.

Many people in America think the President is in charge, and to some extent he is. Many others claim that God is in charge, but there’s no agreement about what that means. In many places, the local government provides the dominant political framework.

Who are our leaders? Who is guiding our “herd”, at how local a level, and in what direction?

At the local, national, and international levels, there are righteous leaders. Our choices of who those people are will vary, but there are good leaders in government and other institutions who can help us make sense of our world.

If we follow the Dharma, our respected companions on the path can serve as our chiefs. And we can do our best to guide others in wholesome directions. Or the teachings of the Buddha can be our touchstone. We can ask ourselves: “If I follow this way, make this choice, do this action, would it be for the harm or benefit of myself and others?”

Leading and following are human activities; sometimes we don’t even recognize when they’re happening. Who are we following? Who are we leading? To where? We can bring an awareness of these questions into our decision-making process, for the benefit of ourselves and others.