Leadership......hmmm......sounds tough? One word that keeps a nation on its feet, one word that ensures sanity, security and development and one word that gives a class leader a reason to dominate (What!?). Many articles portray bad examples of leaders such as Adolph Hitler, Saddam and even Bin Laden. But many overlook the fact that Europe trembled during Hitler’s regime, Iraq was a feared nation for its power and oil resources courtesy Saddam and Bin Laden, well, is pretty much running the largest terrorist group (oh, and also the World Record for the longest lasting game of hide and seek with big names such as the FBI, M16, CIA etc. even until today!!!)
Wisdom, shrewdness, guts, the ability to reason and make apt decisions makes a leader truly invincible. It’s not about getting more people to follow, but grooming more leaders. You don’t go around shouting instructions to people, reminding them that you are THE MAN! If you know the way, then people will follow.
Everyone born has a leader in them. Let’s compare leadership to the various phases of man.
When you begin to take the wisp of our beloved atmosphere, you know nothing of where you are, what you are and who you are. Crying is a constant. You know little, and being the empty vessel, you tend to cover up faults with a cranky speech, scream and go supernova hot before your sub-ordinate even thinks to blurt out the words, “But boss......”. This is obviously phase 1.
Phase 2, you’re a kid; you realize that you are in total control of some wiggly things that help you push your mum’s favourite vase. You begin to explore your surroundings, you ask questions that drive people mad; you look, listen and learn.
And the part that really gets you cracking, the teen. Now you know how to bend the power of 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C to your will. You implement your policies and begin to experiment your intellectual acumen. If you succeed, well and good, you gain the trust of those who look to you, and if you flop, it’s obvious that you’re going to get screwed. Either way, you grow in experience, learning from your mistakes and misses.
And finally you’re an adult! Your word is law and you know how to handle situations, people, things etc. but you’re incomplete. With each new day’s passing, your experience grows. As the years go by, you learn the art of getting someone else to do a thing you want done because he or she wants to do it. In the process, you learn to identify and guide people according to your needs.
Last and the most important phase, your followers. What are you going to lead, if they aren’t in the picture? Leonidas wouldn’t have made his well acclaimed Persian sushi festival a grand success, if not for his 300 fellow Spartans. Take anyone for that matter, anyone, the support and faith of your followers is crucial in every step one takes as a leader.
Be it an army of men donning red capes and leather undershorts with a thirst for the clash of metal and bones or an elite group of executives of a multi-billion dollar industry, an ideal leader would infuse an element of pleasure into the job, which would give him/her, the perfection in work and bring out creativity.
But sadly, today’s so-called leaders, are either cash magnets, toppers of class tests and nerds, or yes-men and puppets who are made to handle pressure and suppress rational thinking, but not lead.
Success lies in recognizing people, men and women, with the determination and ability to instruct and instigate others into action, which would ultimately allow organizations, (schools and colleges) and industries to function more efficiently, thus building a sustainable and progressive economy.
All of us are leaders, but yet again, the cream is and always will be on the top. Wish for cream or forever dream? It’s up to you.
by Ramesh Rajesh on Saturday, 27 March 2010 at 10:00
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