the art of leading

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Why be a leader? Why not just sit back and enjoy the fruits of other people’s labor? Why not just be content with whatever way the world works and hope for the best? Why spend time growing as a person and becoming a leader? There are no leaders without followers, so why not just be a follower, which is much easier?. I have a simple philosophy regarding this: if you’re happy with the way things work, then don’t do anything. In fact, everyone is a follower in one way or the other. There’s nothing wrong with being a follower when you have nothing to contribute. But if you decide to not participate in the process of change, then don’t whine about how much better you would do it and how bad everything is. This not only applies to grand earth-shattering issues, but also to normal, everyday tasks.

I suggest the following: If you do care about something and feel that you are able to contribute something positive to that area, then by all means go ahead and develop leadership in that area. If you know that you are able to drive change in a specific issue, then plunge into it head-first and grow as a leader. You lose nothing. If you ‘fail’ to change the world, you certainly would have learned from that. If you succeed, then you have attained your goal.

The previous paragraph has uncovered at least three reasons why I believe it is worthwile to be a leader:

• Common good-By being a leader you’re able to contribute to society as a whole. Our expertise and abilities are put to good use by others.
• Change- Most of you believe something is wrong or that it can be done in a better way. The best way to achieve change is by leading it yourself.
• Personal growth- A person who fails will learn from failure. Likewise, success will do wonders for self-confidence and growth.

There are definitely many more reasons to develop leadership skills:

• Necessity- You may find yourself in a situation which thrusts you into a position where you are expected to be a leader. Maybe you got promoted or start a family.
• Money- Part of starting a business venture is the aspect of making money. In order to make money from your business, you need to lead the organization you have created.
• Recognition- This in itself should not be the main reason for becoming a leader. Nevertheless, it is perhaps a positive motivation factor when becoming a leader.
• Personal goals- Personal goals may also act as strong motivators to become a leader. Their attainment is dependent, in a large degree, on the leadership that you exert.

Categories : General Leadership //