Speaking of leadership most people will take their minds into politics! But in fact leadership is far away from politics. You can be a good politician but fail to be a good leader, nevertheless you can be a good leader but not a politician. Leadership is a very independent skill far from political skills.
We need leadership in our day to day lives. As matter of fact, we practice leadership in our day to day activities. To achieve anything there must be some leading-ship skills to guide you into its achievement. It starts from a very point of individual level then pave its impact to the people around and the society at large.
You need to achieve higher grade in exams, you need to LEAD your character into studying schedules. You need to buy a property of your own, then you have to LEAD yourself into a proper expenditure of your finances and develop your serving ability.
You need to get back home early so as to prepare dinner for your family, then you have to LEAD yourself into punctual fulfillment of your activities away from home, and to avoid any divergence of plans.
In so many other things we do in our day to day life; we practice LEADERSHIP everyday in our day to day activities.
In due course, people who makes a stunning achievement are the ones succeeded to LEAD themselves into the achievement of a goal(s) they set. One of the greatest leaders once said “Leading means running fast enough to keep ahead of other people”. It sounds more of selfishness or dictating or rather manipulating and enslaving others but NO! It simply mean, to understand yourself and plans; to a point of automatically be ahead and others to learn from and through you.
The following paragraphs will help us to check our LEADERSHIP ability, and as said before, it makes its impact in a simple and small level of an individual practice. You live it; It impacts people. It's here then we get a concept of our subject “WE LEAD OTHERS BY LEADING OURSELVES”. I personally find this important because it plays a very significant role in self achievement.
The following aspects can help us to not only analyse our leading potentials but improving them as well. Let us see what effective leaders are made up with:
Effective Leaders are good communicators
- Are able to understand and be understood
- Hear both what is said and felt
- Are clear in expressing what they think, feel and want.
Effective Leaders Bring the best in others
- Connect with others and give them energy and confidence
- Know how to show and express positive emotion, respect and caring.
- Are able to encourage, inspire and appreciate.
Dream of the future
- See and understand what’s possible
- Imagine a better tomorrow for self, others, community and any aspect of life
Are flexible
- Listen deeply
- Can adopt to another point of view
- Are willing to take a chance, but are not foolish.
Are Courageous
- Have energy for new, unproven opportunities.
- Are willing to take risk and stand up for what’s right.
Are Resilient
- Can bounce back from adversity and understand there is tomorrow.
- Are able to look to the future and not live in the past
Expect high performance
- People who work with them are motivated not to disappoint
Are Servants
- First have a heart for serving others, and then their leadership is a gift to others.
Are ethical and can be trusted
If then our lives will be grounded in Leadership ideal, as set out above, it is certainly that, we will live a life of our inspiration.