Some say leaders are born and not made. This saying is true, as fighting can be taught but not courage....
Starting with this blog on leadership, a few things need to be highlighted.
First of
all, what is a leader and leadership????
Many people think a leader initiates his own
actions; most people think a leader takes a step forward; some people think
will so and so leader solve my problem; few people think a leader should direct
his people; while a handful of people think I trust his leadership and I want
him to be my leader. In leadership, every aspect is essential; guiding,
directing, communicating, attitude toward problems, courage, vision, decision
power etc. All these elements coming together make a good leader.
So let’s understand every aspect step by
step, after all leadership is a thoughtful process and not everybody survives
this domain effectively.
1)
Direction and Guide: Starting
with direction as the important aspect of leadership adds essence to the
decision powers. Imagine that you have good amount of money, also you have good
information regarding investment. You followed your decision and few months
later you learned that your investment is not going to pay as expected after a
period of time. So what’s at loss?? Money, time or your thinking? Obviously, lost
money can be earned after a period of time. But what about the invested time
and the thinking power? So, in this scenario having good money and also
investment information is not sufficient, proper direction about the action is
needed. So, this was a typical example regarding finance. Generally, to think
ahead thinking power is most needed. If you can properly guide yourself, you
are likely to lead your group.
2)
Communication: Communication
is the general but a very important aspect. Many take this casually. But, no!
You have to keep on improving your communication every time. After all, a great
leader is not what he tells, but the timing and how he preaches his words. A
leader should be cool and patient while delivering his words. He should know his
dictionary of words and their literal meaning. Communication should not be done
to only impress, but to deliver the right thing at right time. Communication is
power and also a tool that every leader must have. Remember, the right
communication even makes a lion to dance in circus.
3)
Attitude toward Problems: The
mental part of leadership is attitude. A leader failing to maintain his
attitude in times of trouble does not deserve to be a leader. Let’s say a
leader and his workers go on a strike. The factory owner informs the police
about it. The police convert their words into actions by thrashing them. The
one who bears the beating and still stands against the atrocities is surely
called a great leader. But the one, who runs away fearing the consequences of
it, does not tend to be leader. Attitude does not come in a day but it is to be
earned with loads of hard work and commitment over years. The right attitude
always reflects positive traits of personality.
4)
Courage: Courage is the
emotion that every leader must have. No leader can fight any situation without
courage. Courage means not only facing the consequences but to follow morals
and principles with thorns in the path. Not
every leader dares to show this courage. After all fighting for principles and
standing for right needs lots of courage.
5)
Decision Power: A leader’s
determination is proved by the right decision he takes. It is not about the
right decision, but the ability to prove his decision right makes him
determined. Some may call this as stubbornness, but determination is above
stubbornness. A very good example was the Indian Independence movement. The young
leaders were determined and had overcome their fear challenging the tyrannical British
government. Their decision to serve for the country bought them martyrdom. If
decision power is strong, every action is positive and for a good purpose.
6)
Vision: A vision is
something that makes a leader unique. It is the medium that makes people understand
him the way he wants. A visionary never fails in spite the storms in the sea. A
vision is the only motivation that drives a leader to achieve his results. Like
leaders are born, vision is also in born.
Last but not the least I would conclude that
a soul and the mind of leader should be interconnected to see the new dawn.
