I learned from a news paper that the President said the country will take a position to “Lead from Behind” on internal conflict issue on a Middle East country in his speech.
I also learned the phrase is the borrowing from a notable African-origin politician's biography, and that “Lead from Behind” is an antithesis to “Lead from Front.”
To me this expression sounds pretty illogical for logical English as a language, even though it’s a simile, because you do not push the trains usually with a locomotive fixed at the rear.
Although it is clear that he does not want to make positive involvement in internal matters of a Middle East country,
I’m looking for the exact meaning of “Lead from behind” in this particular case.
Does it mean;
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It (His country) will pull the wire from behind the scenes, or,
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It will cooperate with but not enter, or
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It will play second fiddle, or
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It will sit on the fence?
Which is closer to as an interpretation of his remark? Can you give me exact meaning of his quote if you have something else?
Best Answer
The Mandela quote is in a different context i feel. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” Mandela here is definitely saying that Leading from Behind means that the leader should step back when the group or organisation or nation is celebrating something and step in to the front only when there is need for him/her to lead from the front.
So if we refer to Mandela's quote, then what Obama's statement means is quite remarkable. It would mean that the US won't get involved in the Libya issue but will be there to take credit by staying behind the scenes if things get better.
Another way to look at it would be that it was a diplomatic sort of a response to the matter at hand. Obama washed all responsibility off his hands in a manner of speaking.