In trying to define leadership in one word, majority have defined leadership as “influence”, that is, the ability to change or control the actions or behaviours of others. Personally, I don’t agree this definition is the best. This is because influence can be positive or negative.
According to history, we have had people like Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein e.t.c., who had great influence but are not reckoned with as great leaders. This is because they were influential but not exemplary.
Not every so-called leader is actually a leader. At least not yet, because leadership is a process. More so, leadership is a function of so many qualities. In this post I will be sharing with you three key ways to unleash your leadership potentials and greatness.
1. WISDOM: Be Knowledgeable, Decisive, Courageous and Competent
If I am to define leadership in one word, I will define it as “decisiveness”. The ability to make the right decisions or judgements in an effective and timely manner.
Leadership is first decision making. And according to John C. Maxwell,” Inability to make decisions is one of the principal reasons executives (leaders) fail. Deficiency in decision making ranks much higher than lack of specific knowledge or technical know-how as an indicator of leadership failure.”
Wisdom is Knowing What to Do and Doing It
Decisiveness is a component of wisdom. Hence, leadership is wisdom. Dr. David Oyedepo defined wisdom as “knowing what to do and doing it.” To know, you need information and illumination. To do, you need ability and courage. Therefore, to be a great leader you must have the right knowledge, capacity and courage. Right decisions bring right results. Right results produce positive influence.
2. EXEMPLARITY: Be Trustworthy
Exemplarity is a quality of being a good example worthy of emulation. A leader must be a role model people aspire to be like. He must be someone parents desire their children will grow up to be like.
What does it take to be exemplary? Be trustworthy, period! Being exemplary is more about credibility and character than ability, influence and oratory. Arthur Friedman once said, “Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared, but only men of character are trusted.” Therefore, people see you as a leader first because they trust you. They follow you because they can vouch for you.
Success does not necessarily make one exemplary. You can be successful and not be a leader. But you can’t be a leader and not be successful.
Great Leaders are Forthright, Not Necessarily Perfect
Nobody expects you to be perfect but you must be forthright. Abraham, the Father of Faith, was exemplary (Is. 51:2), though he was a liar. Nelson Mandela was a role model, such that his people called him “Madiba” which means “father“, though he was once a terrorist. Martin Luther King Jr. was a dreamer and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. His birthday is a federal holiday in the United States, though he was a womanizer.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is known to be the father of the Indian nation. They called him “Mahatma” which means “great soul“, though he was said to be idiosyncratic. These icons were not perfect but they were forthright. Their strengths so much outweighed their weaknesses that their weakness became completely insignificant. Hence, they became generational role models.
3. FOLLOWERSHIP: Have Vison, Direction and Results
Everyone is a potential leader because everyone has a destination, whether he/she knows it or not. A leader is anyone who has a clear and specific vision of his/her destination, coupled with the willingness to pursue and motivation to actualize the same. Vision is more about seeing than just knowing. It is the ability to see far ahead. The ability to see what others cannot see.
When you have a destination, you can determine your direction. Many have knowledge, some have abilities but only few have directions. Efforts are not enough, you must have specific and measurable results. Direction gives focus to your abilities and efforts. Focus generates the force and re-enforcement that makes results inevitable. Therefore, with vision, direction and results you cannot lack followership.
Every leader needs follower(s). According to Barbara Kellerman of John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, “there is no leader without at least one follower.” A follower is one who willingly buys into and embraces the vision of another because the vision connects or resonates with him.
Every follower is a potential leader. If you can’t follow, you can’t lead. Hence, every leader is a follower. Followers follow the leader, the leader follows the vision.
Purpose of Followership
Followers are positioned to support, assist, serve and contribute to the fulfilment of their leaders’ vision unconditionally. Follower serve with or without rewards or credits. They serve with a sense of purpose and duty.
Visions are meant to be bigger than individuals. They come with commensurate amount of burdens. Followers help to share in these burdens, and that is why visions are fulfilled without the leaders being overwhelmed.
To fulfil a vision, you need a team. The quality of results you will command is not determined by the quality of your inputs alone, but the quality of the inputs of your team. Travis Bradberry, the president of TalentSmart, said “a leader is only as good as what he can achieve through other people.”
A Follower Versus A Fan
A follower is usually a fan but a fan is not necessarily a follower. A follower follows a vision, not necessarily a person. Because persons die, visions do not. A fan follows a person, not a vision. He is interested in personalities, what people do and what they represent, not where they are going. A follower is present until the vision is fulfilled and speaking. A fan shows up after the vision is partially or completely fulfilled. A follower follows you for who you are while a fan follows for what you are. A follower stays and remains committed no matter what, a fan comes and goes.
If nobody is following you, it is a sign you may be going nowhere. Remember the words of John C. Maxwell, “he who thinks he leads but has no followers, is only taking a walk.” A great leader must be wise, exemplary and followed. With these three qualities you can generate the kind of impact that will set you on a path to becoming a great leader.