The right of commanding is no longer an advantage transmitted by nature; like an inheritance, it is the fruit of labour, the price of courage. Voltaire
No government, organisation or a small club cannot run efficiently without a leader. Most people believe that leaders are born. However, a modest view is that leaders are made. One who desires to be a leader has to hone his skills while motivating others.
If you are considered a leader, it is the ultimate compliment anyone can pay. Psychologist David Campbell of the Centre for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs says, “Leadership has become the universal vitamin C pill. Most people who want to be leaders seem to want mega-doses of it.”
When you become a leader, you become powerful commanding respect from others. What is more, leadership fosters achievement. Unfortunately, unlike vitamins, you cannot gulp down leadership skills. You have to cultivate them over a long period of time.
Cardinal principle
What are the skills you have to cultivate? A cardinal principle is that you have to give credit for anyone who performs a good job. If you do not give such credit to others, you will fail to be an effective leader. In Sri Lankan politics, there were leaders who never gave credit to their subordinates who did their jobs well. Instead, the leader became jealous of his subordinates. If you learn the art of giving credit to anyone, it will be an act of generosity.
Instead of giving credit, some leaders offer criticism which often hurts the others. Any criticism, good or bad, will be received with some animosity. If you see one of your subordinates doing something right, congratulate them and never treat such people as your potential rivals. What is important is that you must be loyal to your team members.
A leader has to take risks at times. Taking a risk is not an inadvisable exercise. Sometimes, you may not know that most sky divers do not go up a plane without checking the parachutes beforehand. When you take a risk you are aware of its possible dangers. Those who wish to be leaders should also learn the art of failing. If you fail once, try again and again.
Lee Ducat, a Philadelphia homemaker had a child infected with diabetes. He tried to contact the parents of diabetic children, but his efforts were in vain. Without giving up his struggle, he founded the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation with the help of a few mothers. Today, it is a worldwide organisation. By doing so, Ducat became a role model to others.
Mysterious happenings
The world is full of mysterious happenings. If you smile at people, they will smile back. If you frown at them, they too will frown at you. The principle is quite simple. You get back what you give. There was an elderly man who used to donate books for anyone who came to see him. And he also received many books from other people and organisations. If a leader is sure-footed, others will follow in his footsteps. If you have a particular goal, others will rally round you to get it for you.
A successful leader trusts others who do their jobs well. If you believe that they would fail, they would certainly fail. Most teachers marking papers in schools simply mark right or wrong without making an encouraging comment. Most of my teachers who are no longer among the living used to write comments at the end of the essays I submitted for marking. One such comment was, “You have a good flow, improve on it.”
Nobody will follow you if you have no direction. Successful business leaders lead thousands of their employees to success in their profession. Every leader should have a clear goal and focus on it relentlessly. That itself will not be sufficient. You have to look like a winner. Even if you doubt about achieving your goal, you should not show it to others.
Another leadership quality is that you should pay attention to your appearance. If you are shabbily dressed, nobody will care for you. In the same way, you should have a pleasant outlook. You can be friendly but firm. Your speech should always be polished and do not stoop to vulgar language even if you are provoked.
Savvy leaders
Any leader should be knowledgeable about his subject. They say knowledge is power. If you have no knowledge of what you are going to achieve, do not try to be a leader. Savvy leaders are efficient and full of charisma. If others come to know that you are a competent leader, they will be motivated to help you. They will also look up to you for guidance. Leaders should also have some measure of enthusiasm in what they try to achieve. If you are not enthusiastic, you will fail to succeed in life. When you are enthusiastic and excited about your work, all your energy will pour into whatever you do. Enthusiasm and excitement are massive forces you can harness.
If you want to be a leader, draw inspiration from successful leaders. Today, the world is relatively free of slavery, and we pride ourselves on the freedom of the people in any part of the world. About two centuries ago, the Slavery Emancipation Bill was passed in the House of British Parliament. The leader of the agitation was William Wilberforce, a philanthropist whom his bitterest opponents could not but hold an affection and respect.
After his education, Wilberforce turned his attention to slave trade. At the foot of a tree in Holwood Park in Kent, he made up his mind to champion the cause of the slaves. He soon became a leader of high principles, independent position and singular charm of character. In 1793, he introduced a motion to hasten the slavery abolition measures through the House of Lords. It was rejected by 61 votes to 53. Then he sponsored a bill to prohibit the supply of slaves from Africa to foreign countries. It was also thrown out by the Lords.
In 1804, he made another effort to free slaves, but the House of Lords stood against him.
However, in 1807, the bill was passed by the Lords. It received the royal assent in the same year. Eventually, Wilberforce became a national hero respected by all shades of opinion. In 1823, he founded the Anti-Slavery Society with the intention of freeing all the slaves. The bill he initiated to ban salve trade was a nobler epitaph than that was carved above his grave in Westminster Abbey.
