2011 witnessed lots of leadership upheavals, from business to politics and many leaders paid heavy prices. But what lessons are there for present and aspiring leaders to avoid the same pitfalls?
1.ILLUSION OF ETERNITY:Many leaders think they will be there forever.Eternity is of God. Man and his plans/purposes are time-bound.recognising your time is a critical success factor.Your exit is as important as your entry in defining you as a leader. So plan to go and plan for the work to go on UNHINDERED when you are gone. Failure to recognise your time makes you a victim of it.
2. ILLUSION OF PERFECTION: Bill Clinton in his first presidential campaign once said that 'if perfection is the standard, no one can be president'.Perfection has never been the requirement to lead, even from God. But it is surprising how many leaders assume the posture of 'know All' once in position. Worst still is the assumption that they ALONE,know it and can do it. Aversion to criticism or honest feedback and surrounding yourself with 'yes-men' are expressways to the pit.
3.ILLUSION OF CONTROL: It's amazing how many leaders expect those around them to surrender their minds and become robots at their beck and call. man was created with FREEWILL and even the Creator does not interfere with that freewill and says He will not approve of anyone who tries to subvert it.So, how do you think you can control or manipulate people for your selfish ends all their lives? Your job as the leader is to create the enabling atmosphere of trust that will inspire the positive contributions from their freewill to achieve the group's aim. They may keep quiet or say yes for a while to get their daily bread, but the day you place a crucial demand on their loyalty, you suddenly realise you are alone in the sun.
4.ILLUSION OF INFLUENCE: Many leaders confuse the position with the power and hence automatic influence over people.Positional authority is the least in the hierarchy because most times, the criteria are not objective and anybody can access position.What you do with that privilege determines your influence and power.It's sad that many see the position as the end rather than the means and so resort to all kinds of schemes to hang on to it.But the only secured position is the one you occupy in peoples' hearts.Unfortunately,you cannot scheme your way to peoples's hearts. You only get there by what you are willing to give and bear for them, honestly, sincerely and transparently. You can scheme your way to any position and even scheme to hang on there, but remember that no matter how good you are at the game, a smarter, better schemer is always by the corner.You are only as high, strong, wealthy or respected as the people below you.The reverse is equally true.
Our national leadership crisis cannot be solved top-down, it's bottom- up. you cannot be learning to lead at the presidency. Let's start where we are now and make 2012 and the coming years ones of leadership excellence.
2. ILLUSION OF PERFECTION: Bill Clinton in his first presidential campaign once said that 'if perfection is the standard, no one can be president'.Perfection has never been the requirement to lead, even from God. But it is surprising how many leaders assume the posture of 'know All' once in position. Worst still is the assumption that they ALONE,know it and can do it. Aversion to criticism or honest feedback and surrounding yourself with 'yes-men' are expressways to the pit.
3.ILLUSION OF CONTROL: It's amazing how many leaders expect those around them to surrender their minds and become robots at their beck and call. man was created with FREEWILL and even the Creator does not interfere with that freewill and says He will not approve of anyone who tries to subvert it.So, how do you think you can control or manipulate people for your selfish ends all their lives? Your job as the leader is to create the enabling atmosphere of trust that will inspire the positive contributions from their freewill to achieve the group's aim. They may keep quiet or say yes for a while to get their daily bread, but the day you place a crucial demand on their loyalty, you suddenly realise you are alone in the sun.
4.ILLUSION OF INFLUENCE: Many leaders confuse the position with the power and hence automatic influence over people.Positional authority is the least in the hierarchy because most times, the criteria are not objective and anybody can access position.What you do with that privilege determines your influence and power.It's sad that many see the position as the end rather than the means and so resort to all kinds of schemes to hang on to it.But the only secured position is the one you occupy in peoples' hearts.Unfortunately,you cannot scheme your way to peoples's hearts. You only get there by what you are willing to give and bear for them, honestly, sincerely and transparently. You can scheme your way to any position and even scheme to hang on there, but remember that no matter how good you are at the game, a smarter, better schemer is always by the corner.You are only as high, strong, wealthy or respected as the people below you.The reverse is equally true.
Our national leadership crisis cannot be solved top-down, it's bottom- up. you cannot be learning to lead at the presidency. Let's start where we are now and make 2012 and the coming years ones of leadership excellence.
this is good.
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