Leadership

I have often been asked about Leadership.

What makes a good leader? How does a good leader become great? What are the tips, if any, to become a good leader? Can anyone become a leader? Are leaders’ born or made? Who is your favourite leader and why? Did you ever think you would be a leader in your own field?

The above questions were not all asked together, nor were they put forward by one person. They have come up in conversations, in class and business discussions and above all, during my long career in education.

I have thought about Leadership long and hard, read up on the same, used Google as a point of reference and spoken about it at length. Eons ago, I also remember using the very well known, Encyclopedia Britannica much before the era of computers!

If you Google the word LEADERSHIP, there are literally, millions of articles, quotations and references to choose from but today I am writing from my own experiences – simple and straight from the heart.

I do not profess an expert on the topic and you may not agree with my thoughts but then this is what Free speech is all about!

Did I want to be a leader? Not ashamed to say Yes- Definitely. I was not too sure about how to go about it but I believed that if I worked hard, grabbed any opportunities that came my way, thought things out clearly before acting on them and never took too many unnecessary risks, I would make it.

Did I make mistakes along the way – yes, I did. I guess that is part of the learning process.  If you are frightened of making a mistake, you will go nowhere.

I believe that most people are born with some leadership qualities within them- some go on to hone those while others are contented with their lot and that makes the difference.

Let me say it clearly here – not everyone has the ambition to be a leader and there is nothing wrong with that. Others have that fire burning within them and that is not wrong either. Each to his own I guess.

Lastly, there is a certain amount of luck involved so also being at the right place at the right time. I have never disputed or denied this fact.

As a Leader -:

            You must strive to leave a legacy behind you. You must strive to be a trailblazer, a game changer, a front-runner.

The book- MY STORY by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is one of the finest books I have ever read. It ends with TEN RULES FOR LEADERSHIP. - Serve the people. Do not worship the position. Set your plan. Monitor Yourself. Build your team. Innovate or leave. Communicate and be optimistic. Compete. Create Leaders. Go forth and lead a meaningful Life.

The book itself is a revelation and definitely worth a read

            Recently I read another book about a very special leader and it spelt out, rather effortlessly, the qualities of an amazing leader and someone I have always admired.

He was the son of a tribal chief & his father died when he was 12.  He graduated as a lawyer, had honorary degrees from over 50 universities, was an ardent admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, and was a nonviolent activist, politician and philanthropist.

He spent 27 years in prison & died at the age of 95.

 He is   Nelson Mandela.

            Mandela was known for his tolerance, integrity, consistency, optimism, servant leadership, self-confidence and emotional stability. Admirable qualities and worthy of emulation.

            He was simple & loving –   kind- yet determined to succeed.      You & I   may never be like Mandela but we must strive to be fair, just, tolerant and hardworking leaders – always putting others before ourselves.

            Even now, I work very hard to be a better leader every day than the day before. Striving to constantly improve is the key to good leadership. Keeping it simple is a close second. Continuing to learn is the third.  People unnecessarily complicate leadership with jargon and glib talk and that becomes so obvious!

            Therefore, we must strive to lead by example. Staying grounded and remembering where we came from is paramount.

Leadership is all about people, about colleagues and friends. It is about helping, understanding, motivating & mentoring. It has a lot to do with give and take, praising, being firm& assertive & apologizing when necessary. It is about kindness, going that extra mile and giving credit where credit is due. It is about being goal oriented & sharing the glory with the team.

It is about taking responsibility and being ready to take the blame when things do not go according to plan.

Leaders must learn to communicate well. The key to that is reading as much as possible, writing whenever the opportunity presents itself and speaking eloquently – brushing up on these is helpful.

            Leaders must not take up aboard in an ivory tower in the true sense of the word – being approachable is the key. – I have also known leaders who are too backward to come forward, stand up and be counted.

 Leaders must be visible and available when needed. Remember – everything you ever do as a leader is based on one audacious assumption - which is, that YOU matter and it is not being vain or egoistic to believe this thought.  

            Before you can lead others, you have to lead yourself - you have to believe that your words matter and your actions can move people. You have to believe that what you do counts for something.  

            You have to believe that leadership begins with YOU – self-belief is paramount.

Leadership is definitely not easy. Uneasy is the head that wears the crown.

“ If your action can inspire others to dream more, learn more , do more and become more , you are a leader”  John Quiny Adams