Leadership perspective

By Tunde Jaiyebo- updated: Sunday 01.11.2009

THE dire need for effective leadership in virtually every sector of our society is not in doubt. It is an open secret that true leadership is scarce and this has set us back.

However if we can identify what wrong leadership traits and concepts are it will help us see leadership from the right perspective and consequently we will be better of.

Many people equate leadership to holding an office or position. We erroneously believe that once a person occupies an office he automatically becomes equipped to lead – nothing can be far from the truth. We have many office holders today who are mere figure heads and who are far from being true leaders.  We have people in offices that have no clue about why they are in office and are just out to pursue their own personal agenda.

 True leadership is influence. A true leader influences his followers to achieve certain objectives that lead to the common good of all.

Leadership is not superiority. A leader is not in any way superior to the people he is leading neither is he necessarily smarter or better than them. A true leader is a man of vision – he sees far ahead of the people he is leading and he is able to influence them to move from where they are to where he sees the group should be. He is able to mobilize people and resources to move the people forward to be able to ‘live and walk in the vision’ he has seen for them. A true leader is a both a motivator and a motivation. He has the charisma and the charm to “provoke” the people to desire and aspire to reach out for the ideal. He is not superior to the people but he is their servant. He is honest. He leads by example – he is a role model. He does not manipulate or take advantage of the people and the office he holds. Whatever resources and power bestowed on him is always deployed for the common good of everybody.

 Leadership is not an exclusive preserve of some people – each one of us is a leader at one level or the other. Being a leader does not necessarily mean we have or hold an office, leadership is influence.

As long as we have the capacity to influence people we are leaders. Some of us are leaders in our homes, schools, offices, among friends etc.  If we understand this then we will all aspire to lead well.

“Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds, but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright” Proverbs 28:16

FOR ENQUIRIES AND COMMENTS PLEASE SEND EMAIL TO URLIFECOUNTS@YAHOO.COM