The success of an individual depends upon the direction he/she gives to his/her life. The success of an organization depends upon its ability to hold the members together till the goal is reached. The growth and development of a nation depend upon the vision it has for its citizens. A leader is the one who can give direction, who can keep an organization united and who provides a vision for peoples and nations.
It doesn’t matter if the leader shares a powerful vision, if the leader is not someone who people will follow , the vision will never be realized. As a leader, who you are makes a difference. The most important message you can share is yourself. “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things . He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things “ says the former President of America Ronald Reagan .
Without trust there is a huge gap between the leader and the vision. Without trust people will stay off the bus. However if people trust the leader they will hop on the bus with the leader and help move the bus forward towards the
Andy Stanley said “ As a leader you can have all the rules you want but if you don’t invest in your people and develop a relationship with them they will rebel. This applies amazingly to children as well. It’s all about relationships.”
We usually associate leaders with authority. But those with authority need not be leaders. Authority comes to us in two ways. First, a person with authority should delegate it to us. Secondly, by the way we live our lives, we command authority. Real leaders belong to the latter category – they command respect, power and authority by the way they live their lives.
Those who rely on their physical strength, wealth, influence, and inheritance for their authority are not genuine leaders. The leaders who rely on such transitory things for their authority will do anything to increase their wealth, influence, etc. Hence, no wonder, we lack authentic leaders today.
The attributes of a genuine leader are: unwavering courage, self-control, keen sense of justice, clarity of vision, definiteness of decision, the habit of doing more than what you are expected to do , a pleasing personality, sympathy & understanding, and a willingness to assume full responsibility. Leaders make things happen. Defeats and difficulties do not discourage them. They have considerable amount of endurance and enthusiasm.
Wherever you are, be a leader. But, remember, if you haven’t learned to follow, you can’t lead.