When Democracy Falters, Ordinary People Lead
Thank you to our friends at People Power Health for bringing me back to On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, by historian Timothy Snyder — a book I drew on when writing Your Leadership Moment: Democratizing Leadership in an Age of Authoritarianism.
Snyder, a historian specializing in 20th-century Europe, particularly the rise of fascism and communism, offers a set of clear, urgent lessons from history. His goal is to equip ordinary people — not just leaders in formal positions — with practical tools to defend democracy in the face of rising authoritarianism.
Some of these lessons feel especially resonant right now.
1. Individual responsibility matters
Tyranny thrives when ordinary people choose conformity and silence over resistance. These moments of choice — to stand up, to step back, to kneel in patriotic protest — are leadership moments, but they often aren’t grand or scripted. They’re fleeting and personal, but they matter. What you do in those moments either reinforces the status quo or cracks it open for something better.
2. Be as courageous as you can
Snyder reminds us that resistance, like leadership, often starts small and lonely. But courage, like fear, is contagious. We’ve all felt that moment — the heart-leap of hopeful anticipation (or trembling fear) when you realize the next step is yours to take. The question is, would you recognize your next leadership moment when it comes? And, would you know what to do when it does?
3. Language shapes reality — so listen for dangerous words
Propaganda and dehumanization are classic authoritarian tools. But authoritarianism isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it seeps in through the language we use without thinking. We accidentally reinforce authoritarian reality every time we call certain people “leaders” when what we really mean is authority figures. Calling someone the “leader of the free world” or a “political leader” often legitimizes power, not leadership. True leadership, as we know, is about mobilizing people to face difficult challenges — not hoarding authority.
4. Do not obey in advance
Authoritarians rely on what Snyder calls “anticipatory obedience” — people guessing what those in power want and complying before they’re even asked. Adaptive Leadership teaches us that compliance takes many forms: following direction, maintaining a broken status quo, protecting our own teams rather than challenging them, or deferring to the cult of expertise rather than trusting our own judgment. In authoritarian moments, one of the most radical acts can be to simply break ranks.
5. Learn from peers in other countries
Snyder emphasizes that no nation is immune to authoritarian threats — but we’re also not alone. Around the world, communities have faced these challenges and found ways to resist. We can, and must, learn from them. Two participants in recent programs reminded me of this in powerful ways.
One, from Liberia, warned against the blind dismantling of institutions — even for seemingly just causes — without deep forethought about what comes after. When institutions collapse, it’s those with the least institutional power who suffer most in the aftermath.
Another, from Kenya, put it bluntly. Reflecting on her own lived experience watching superpowers maneuver for influence across Africa, she said: “Whether the U.S., Russia, and China are fighting or making love, it makes no difference — the grass under them still dies.”
6. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives
History warns us that democratic collapse is always possible. But history also shows us that informed, courageous citizens can, and do, lead every day — even when they don’t hold titles or formal authority.
For the past ten years at Adaptive Change Advisors, we’ve accompanied people in pivotal leadership moments. Through the Adaptive Leadership framework — refined and extended for times just like these — and a committed community, we create space to navigate the unimaginable and prepare for the possibility that’s on the other side
Your experiences, questions, fears and hopes are a critical resource to this community. Join us in our monthly community gatherings, or if you’re ready for a deeper dive, explore our Masterclass on Leading Through Uncertainty.