Authority Should Replace Leadership
“Authority should replace leadership,” those were words said by Marvin Bower in 1997 when he authored The Will to Lead: Running a Business with a Network of Leaders. Being in authority requires the capabilities and skills of a leader. The leader should portray characteristics that the community would aspire to emulate in their activities. The leader should be trusted and respected because he or she is the reflection of the community. Most national leaders have forged a misconception of believing that their experiences and qualifications are enough traits to make them a leader. However, to become and be considered as an honourable national leader, the community that you represent should trust and respect you and this takes more than intelligence and title to gain genuine respect. Therefore, a national leader should develop individual qualities and attributes to be considered good.
Good Leadership Stems from Personality and Character
Good leadership stems from the personality and character of an individual because these are challenging things to absorb when learning. However, the skills can be coached. The leader should be trustworthy and treasure integrity in any activity he undertakes or when dealing with people. Being honest with people around you tends to create a fortress of trust that elevates the level of leadership. Being honest has often been sought as challenging because it makes one vulnerable, but it reveals the precise identity of a person. Through being honest, the national leader provides a platform for disclosing his or her shortcomings which people can criticise and reject openly. Therefore, honesty is the foundation that concretes trust and respect while demanding confidence from the community and other national leaders.
Compassion Toward the Community
An excellent national leader should have compassion towards the suffering of his community. When a leader has sympathy, he or she dedicates their time towards finding solutions that will alleviate the suffering of their community. However, most people view compassion as being a weakness, but it is an actual character that can convert knowledge to wisdom. Great national leaders see a niche in their community that requires action and seek efficient solutions to the issues benefiting the community. Furthermore, compassion ensures the leaders are fair in their decisions. The leaders might be tough on their people, but they will receive respect because their judgment is done reasonably.
The Importance of Listening
Another outstanding quality for a national leader is listening. An exceptional leader is a listener. Leaders tend to provide a platform for people to express their grievances instead of ordering people and talking. Through attentive listening, the leaders are informed of what is happening around them and devise the best methods of tackling such issues. Leaders who listen are often open-minded to comprehend that they cannot have answers to every aspect. Therefore, through listening to the contribution of others, they are always fueled by the wisdom of tackling complex matters. Furthermore, through listening, people are drawn to being open with such leaders. People open up when they understand someone cares about their welfare and their ideas, and that is the kind of leader that the nation requires.
Flexibility and Putting the Community First
Therefore, several qualities are required to become a great national leader, but personality and character are something inborn. Finally, the real leader should be flexible to ensure that he or she is willing to admit when they go wrong and find ways to rectify the mistake. A good leader will always put the needs of his or her community as a priority and work hard towards satisfying them.
