Leadership In Adam Rand's The Rule Of Three

In times of crisis, somebody needs to step up and take charge as a leader. However, this isn’t something that everybody is ready to do immediately and it isn’t something that everybody does in the same way. In the novel The Rule of Three, the characters were definetly going through a time of crisis. At the beginning of the story, a teenager, Adam Daley, was at school when there was a power outage; but along with the power, all computers and the technologies that use them–including cell phones and modern cars–were no longer working. Without access to transportation, food, water, or lights, people were getting out of control. In order to survive and keep their neighbourhood safe, it was crucial for Adam, his neighbour Herb, and his mother Kate

Herb knew how to ensure that they survived, but Adam wanted more; Adam wanted the entire neighbourhood to survive and his leadership qualities were shown through this. In order to keep the neighbourhood safe, they needed an empathetic leader; a leader that genuinely cared about those around him. That was Adam. At one point, the situation was getting desperate. Herb proposed that they took certain families with them to a remote farm. These families were ones that included doctors, mechanics, police officers, and teachers: the kinds of people that would be vital in starting a new community. Adam didn’t like the sound of this idea. When Herb suggested this, Adam responded, “Just because things are desperate and people are getting ruthless doesn’t mean we have to be ruthless. We don’t have to abandon all of those people,” (pg. 169). Later, when speaking on his new plan, he gave an incredible speech: “We can construct our own world guided by justice and fairness, marked by caring and compassion. We can stand and succeed as a group or fall and fail as individuals,” (pg. 241). This speech truly shows Adam’s character. He speaks about the principles that guide him–justice, fairness, caring, and compassion–while inspiring others to follow them as well. His objection to Herb’s plan shows this as well. He couldn’t bring himself to simply up and leave knowing that the people they were abandoning wouldn’t make it. It shows

None of the plans made by Herb and Adam would have been possible without the cooperation and help of Adam’s mother Kate. Kate was a police captain and lots of Herb’s ideas and plans to keep the neighbourhood safe directly involved the help of the local police officers and their materials, such as guns. Specifically, one of the main ways that the precinct was being protected was with sentries posted around the area. Armed police officers were on duty guarding an assigned area, making sure that nobody was leaving or coming into the neighbourhood without permission. In order for Herb to put this plan in place, he of course would need the help of the precinct police captain. When Herb suggested this plan, Kate was open to it, but she wouldn’t be a good leader if she went through with it before fully understanding the plan. Kate asked questions and had an open discussion with Herb about how it would work, and what they would need to compromise. They discussed where the officers should be posted. Herb asked Kate about three officers, “What if you assigned them to patrol in this area instead?” To which Kate responded, “Then I’d be down three more officers that I can’t afford to lose,” (pg. 54). Herb suggested ways that they could make this possible, including giving the patrols access to transportation and asking some civilians to get involved since they were so low on officers. Eventually, they came to a final decision