Generative leadership and the trap of neoliberal autonomy

The article analyzes the concept of generative leadership, contrasting it with traditional charismatic models. Using the activities of Ella Baker and the SNCC organization as an example, the author illustrates the process of transforming dispersed experiences into collective agency. A key element is the transition from a mobilization model to a capacity-building one, where the leader's success is measured not by the group's increasing dependence on them, but by the redistribution of responsibility and the cultivation of self-trust among participants. The text emphasizes the role of the organizer as a catalyst for others' competencies, which allows for the avoidance of the tyranny of charisma and the iron law of oligarchy. This analysis serves as a starting point for a critique of contemporary neoliberal autonomy and the problems associated with dependent self-employment.