LEADERSHIP

I got this picture through an email from one of the professional subscriptions I've engaged in.

The picture is of nothing spectacular; just a stack of red coloured books stacked on top of another with the different titles (or elements) creating the word LEADER vertically, but it drew me in.

And it got me thinking.




so do you have what it takes? :)

 

WHAT MAKETH A LEADER?

I believe the six embedded qualities or elements are vital and verily, essential for a Leader.

When one is lacking, a Leader is not who she (or he) is ought to be.

Or would a missing element matter much?

In my humble opinion, if you don't have all the qualities, it does not necessarily mean you will not qualify or destined to be a Leader. to become a great and effective leader, you have to work for it. it doesn't happen overnight - whereby you wake up in the morning with a superhuman strength that is cheesily called Super Leader (can't help myself) - but i believe it's more of a gradual process. it's a hit and miss thing, and you develop your leadership quality or prowess or whatever you like to call it, along the way, filled with more uneven bumps than straight sure-fire routes. you have to face them in order to learn, and when things don't go your way, it doesn't mean you are a failure. when you take your hardships and turn them around to serve you, in such a way that you learn from your mistakes, and a vow to improve yourself because you deserve it, you will then be able to grow spiritually.  grow as a person.

And when you do, you are able to lead yourself. motivate yourself. because you have the requisite self-belief.

it's  true. leadership starts from within. you could not (and would not) lead unless you believe that you could. and yes, this is something that i need to tell myself over and over again.

From Merriam-Webster Free Online Dictionary, the meaning of the word Leader is 'to lead' - which does not explain much until you know the definition of the word LEAD.

LEAD, as a transitive verb is:

1. to guide on a way especially by going in advance ;

2. to direct on a course or in a direction ;

3. to serve as a channel for (the example given is 'a pipe leads water to the house')

(click here for the link to the site)

Before i go overboard (although i may inadvertently have gone) with my fascination with the English language, i am not here to lecture on the actual meaning of To Lead, per se... but to illustrate that, even without you knowing it, you are a leader already, leading others in your own UNIQUE way,

Either you are guiding a friend or a colleague with the instructions on a particular task or directing a step-by-step way to go to a new place or to bake a cake (typical me to think of food), and perhaps, channeling your time and energy to help under privileged persons,

YOU ARE already LEADING.

so it is that easy peasy. it is actually BIG, not at all measly. :)

and all you can do for yourself is to incorporate the INTELLIGENCE, HONESTY, CREATIVITY, CONFIDENCE, DRIVE and COURAGE elements along the way in your pursuit of purposeful LEADERSHIP.

because as of now, believe it or not, you may already have at least one of these qualities. right?

RIGHT. :)