Monday, May 11, 2009
CRIME AND INDISCIPLINE IN OUR SOCIETY
LEADING OR TAKING A WALK?
John Maxwell once said and I quote: “He that thinks he leads while nobody is following is only taking a walk.” When I first came across that statement, I thought it to be quite comical, but now I understand that however amusing it sounds it is profound with meaning. One of the first things that come to mind when analyzing that statement is that leadership is more of a pragmatic than a theoretical concept. Leadership is more of a functional than a positional phenomenon. What do I mean by this?
Well, I have realized that in actual fact not everyone who claims to be in leadership is leading. A person may claim to be in leadership because he occupies a position in an organization. You may be surprised however to surprised however to discover that shortly after this same person vacates that position; he is left with little or no relevance at all. I have understood that influence and relevance are inseparable from true leadership. Put more directly, leadership is about influence and relevance. Let me say therefore that is your leadership is predicated on the position you occupy, then you better watch it closely because people might just be following you not because you are influential or relevant to them, but because they have to respect the authority under which you act.
Influence is not only the bane of leadership but will remain so. You cannot claim to be leading people whom you exert little or no influence on. If I cannot inspire or stir up a particular desired, predetermined pattern of thought in people and get them to act out that pattern of thought then my leadership is suspicious. Look at all the people in world history whom we consider to be great leaders, we consider them to be great because of the influence they had on their world and still have on our world. The biblical Daniel influenced his three Hebrew brothers into preferring pulse and water to the suspicious but idolatrous meals the kings of Babylon offered, Jesus got Peter, Andrew, James and John to abandon lucrative fishing career to follow a way they knew nothing about . in a negative sense, Adolph Hitler under Nazi Germany got his men not by coercion but influence, to embark on the annihilation of the Jewish race. I’m sure that right now you can remember someone who has led by influence.
I want to say at this point that I do not think there is anyone who would not want to be a powerful leader. Everybody wants. But why are there few who become powerful leader as a result of their influence? The answer found in two very important words: Character and Charisma. Time and space will not allow me to delve into them now. Please do me a favour by answering this poser very sincerely and personally: Are you actually in leadership or are you just taking a walk?
John Maxwell once said and I quote: “He that thinks he leads while nobody is following is only taking a walk.” When I first came across that statement, I thought it to be quite comical, but now I understand that however amusing it sounds it is profound with meaning. One of the first things that come to mind when analyzing that statement is that leadership is more of a pragmatic than a theoretical concept. Leadership is more of a functional than a positional phenomenon. What do I mean by this?
Well, I have realized that in actual fact not everyone who claims to be in leadership is leading. A person may claim to be in leadership because he occupies a position in an organization. You may be surprised however to surprised however to discover that shortly after this same person vacates that position; he is left with little or no relevance at all. I have understood that influence and relevance are inseparable from true leadership. Put more directly, leadership is about influence and relevance. Let me say therefore that is your leadership is predicated on the position you occupy, then you better watch it closely because people might just be following you not because you are influential or relevant to them, but because they have to respect the authority under which you act.
Influence is not only the bane of leadership but will remain so. You cannot claim to be leading people whom you exert little or no influence on. If I cannot inspire or stir up a particular desired, predetermined pattern of thought in people and get them to act out that pattern of thought then my leadership is suspicious. Look at all the people in world history whom we consider to be great leaders, we consider them to be great because of the influence they had on their world and still have on our world. The biblical Daniel influenced his three Hebrew brothers into preferring pulse and water to the suspicious but idolatrous meals the kings of Babylon offered, Jesus got Peter, Andrew, James and John to abandon lucrative fishing career to follow a way they knew nothing about . in a negative sense, Adolph Hitler under Nazi Germany got his men not by coercion but influence, to embark on the annihilation of the Jewish race. I’m sure that right now you can remember someone who has led by influence.
I want to say at this point that I do not think there is anyone who would not want to be a powerful leader. Everybody wants. But why are there few who become powerful leader as a result of their influence? The answer found in two very important words: Character and Charisma. Time and space will not allow me to delve into them now. Please do me a favour by answering this poser very sincerely and personally: Are you actually in leadership or are you just taking a walk?
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