What if our biggest problem in politics is not voters, but how leaders are chosen? In this video, I explore a forgotten idea that once helped societies select capable, trusted leaders without rewarding ambition, money, or ruthless self-promotion.

Modern democracy claims to be bottom up, yet real power often flows through wealth, party machines, and professional campaigning. We end up with popularity contests rather than merit. But this was not always inevitable. From America’s founding debates to medieval Venice, we find practical systems designed to elevate integrity, judgement, and public spirit while limiting corruption and factionalism.

I look at how bottom up meritocracy worked in practice, from the Founding Fathers idea of the Electoral College, and the Venetian Republic to a contemporary citizens’ assembly in South Australia, and why random selection paired with peer judgement can outperform elections alone. The question is not whether democracy should change, but whether we can improve how we choose leaders in politics, public institutions, and beyond.

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Why are so many decent, honest people repelled by politics-as-usual? I use the story of Mal Meninga, the celebrated Australian rugby captain, who famously tried politics and quit 30 seconds into his first interview, choking on the very talking points he’d practiced for weeks. He simply balked at the falsity of it all.

His experience reveals something deeply unsettling about our modern democracy. The political system seems to actively filter out the humble and decent, leaving a space that attracts narcissists, Machiavellians and psychopaths.

We conclude with a glimpse at a different, older model of democracy, championed by America's founders and ancient Athens, that offers a way to heal our broken system.

▶ Enjoy the next episode on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ or Spotify next week

📽️ Find this video on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎙️ Listen to the “Talking it Through” episode where I talk more about these ideas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We all want good leaders in our democracy, but what if politics, elections, and the very systems we use to choose them actually give narcissists and bad leaders a leg up? In this video on the dark secret behind democracy, I explore the paradox at the heart of our modern institutions. We want leaders who serve others, not themselves.

Yet, our reliance on pitting leadership candidates against each other in open competition, whether in politics or organisations, discourages worthy candidates who dislike self-promotion. Worse, it actively attracts the very people who do the most damage. We have built a meritocracy that confuses what it takes to win with merit itself.

This system allows narcissists and psychopaths to thrive. I examine why our selection process favours the "dark triad" and how we lost touch with the idea of intrinsic merit.

▶ Enjoy the next episode on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ or Spotify next week

📽️ Find this video on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎙️ Listen to the “Talking it Through” episode where I talk more about these ideas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Join the conversation on my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord server