LEADERSHIP: THE UNTOLD SIDE OF ITS REALITY

Itoro Udotim



To some, leaders are destined, to many leaders are mentored, to a few, any head in an office is a leader. Although all of the above have shadow reflection of who a leader is, but in my opinion, leadership is an attribute putting subordinates in a just position to be productive and progressive. This makes such leadership style run faster than a cataractous hurricane capable of descending on the unqualified to make him qualified. King David and king Solomon are historic examples.

Barrack Obama, in his high school at Indonesia, once told his peers, “one day I will become an American president”, his Indonesian friends laughed him to scorn, but stupendously, Obama never relented until he became the president of United States of America In fulfilment of Malcolm X’ and Martin Luther King’s dream for the black race.

Leadership begins from home, village, religious and other legitimate social institutions. This means, you can't assume yourself a leader if you weren't destined to be one, lest you will be like a directionless chariot leaving your followers or supporters at the junction of confusion. Therefore, projecting yourself to be a leader is a good idea, but the essential part of it is that “you must have a good vision for the mission you are aspiring to accomplish”.

Today, the way some desperados understand the word ‘leadership’ is out of context and amusing. Many continually see it as an avenue to quick wealth, while some pursue it as totems to be behold at all costs, even without any vision for the downtrodden, thereby creating animosities among families, friends and supporters.

Stating the obvious; Leadership is beyond being saddled with the responsibilities or affairs of the institution one sees himself as the head, but it is about bringing dreams and visions to realities without excuses.

Today, every part of the world is faced with one leadership crisis or the other, may be, it is logically observed that some leaders are not living up to their promises as enshrined in their manifestos, or perhaps, the pressure of the office they occupy. Moreover, before you criticize them, it is imperatively pertinent, you do so constructively, because you are not in their shoes to detect how it pinches.

However, some venture into offices with vocational ideas but along the line missed it completely because of wrong advisers they surround themselves with, thereby creating nuisance among the officials and the governed.

Leadership has become a global issue, everyone wants to lead, everyone wants to be addressed as ‘Sir’ without consideration. To me, leadership is a process which offers lofty opportunities to take different people to meet expected end. All can't be leaders the same time for the same position.

Leadership is a divine call to serve and never to be served, therefore, while dreaming to become a celebrated leader, you must prepare, wait and believe that someday your services will be needed.