A Good Leader

A GOOD LEADER
Good leaders are made and not born. For someone to become a good leader the person has to pass through many processes. Good leaders are not made over night. Just like a good wine, it has to go through some stuff. It has to be pressed, put in a place to ferment then pressed again, sifted then has to be blended with some other stuff being to become a good wine.

Remember that in my introduction I wrote “leadership is not a place but a journey without destination.” So good leaders are made through continuous process of learning, studying, education, training, self-development and experience. Good leaders are always looking for ways to improve themselves. They are on a never ending journey of self development. They always seek a better way to lead because once you think you have arrived in leadership, you will start to sink into the deep waters of bad leadership.

Therefore anyone that has will power to learn from everything God has made can become a good and effective leader. We are not born with good leadership ability. There are people who are naturally good and wonderful but once they take up a leadership position you see them falter. Some become very aggressive and defensive. While others become unapproachable. These things happen because the person probably was not ready educationally (education here has nothing to do with four walls of classroom) to lead. They were not well educated on the journey of leadership. Even parents fail too because before they went into family life they didn’t know that it is not just about the wedding day activity.
Let me say this at this point. We will do ourselves and families then our nation some good if we start early to expose our children and younger ones to leadership roles; guiding them on how to be better leaders as they grow in life. Because if most of us have known on time that we are leaders, there are mistakes we have made which we would never have made.

Good leadership is a product of first all “who you are” before “what you do.” But most people are more interested in what they do than who they are. If one is able to develop himself to become it will so easy to do. It is important we pay attention to what we do but it is much more expedient for us to pay attention to whom we become.

Most times what people see us manifest is coming out of what have right inside of us. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:35-36 “ good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS:
Someone wrote, “to inspire your followers into higher levels of performance, there are certain things you must KNOW, BE, and, DO. These do not come naturally, but are acquired through continuous work and study. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they are NOT resting on their laurels.”

What do they study? They study life style of other leaders both living and dead. They study trees, ants, animals and every other creature you can think off. The Bible says in Proverbs 6:6-8, “go to the ants though they have no visible leader, still have the ability to provide for it selves what to eat in the rainy season during the dry season.” (Paraphrased)

There is this popular saying that says “readers are leaders.” People that have time to read have more current information on issues of any discuss more than those who do not read. But it is unfortunate that these days we have more people that “watch, play, Chat, gossip” than those that actually read.
In reading it is not just about reading book but also about “reading” people. To me I learn from everybody and anything. I discovered early in life that I can learn from everybody and anything. If I go to poorly organized event, what I will learn is “how not to organize event.” If I found myself in a very well organized event I will learn how to organize event very well. No matter what you think of me I will still try to learn from you.
I am from a relatively large family. I look at my father and uncles and how they handle their families. I look at how each of them brings up their children. I told myself when I was younger that I have enough school of marriage in Onuigwe’s family. I don’t need any other school or adviser to tell me how to live with my own family when I get married and start having children. I took my time to understudy each branch of Onuigwe’s family.
I also look at their relationship with their wives and that is what formed my inside as a person. I am not a naturally patience person. I know there was a time in Onuigwe’s family when many people (especially the older ones) were so worried about me. They were worried and wondering how I would live with a woman and live peacefully. The worry was written all over their faces and how they react toward me anytime I have one of those my anger bursts.

Let me briefly confess this here; what I found very unpleasant as a teenager in the life of my Father and uncles’ relationship with their wives is their closeness to their wives. Because these men are (yes they still are) so much attached to their wives, sometimes I feel they care more about their wives than they care about we their children. I was wrong anyway; well it was age that taught me they love their children as much as they love their wives.

What we know is what makes us. Not what we do. Therefore as leader try to know as much as possible so that you can become. What I learnt and still learning from those I call leaders in my family became what I now know and that is what formed and still forming my inside.

As a leader both in spiritual and physical thing I am so open to learning. I am open to understudy anybody you wouldn’t even know that you are a “case” study for me. Because I want to get better on this never ending journey of leadership, I even study people who I don’t like or appreciate their beliefs or way of life.
Remember this “to inspire your followers into higher levels of performance, there are certain things you must KNOW, and then BECOME, before you DO.” It is what we know that determines who we become and who we have become motivates what we do. This is the simplest way to interpret this.

If we spend time in whom we become the out come of that will be noticed even before we take up any leadership position. Because it is not the bottle that makes a good wine. The justification to which ever price that is attached to a product is not in the packaging but in the quality. The quality of every product is in the inside. Shiv Khera wrote in his book YOU CAN WIN, “it is not the size of the dog in a fight but the size of the fight in a dog.” (Revised Edition). What is important is not the picture you portray outside but what lies within the veil. Get all the training and keep getting them to become the very best of a leader as you can.

It is not about what we see outside but about what is inside. I love watching documentaries and reading interviews of those we consider great men in any field at all. I like to read biographies so much because I believe that is where at least I can get a little glimpse of who someone was when he was here on earth. As a leader what people see outside or what you do should be a product of what you have become.

Leaders inspire, guide and mentor others to achieve great things. If a man does not have a certain quality there is no way he can pass it on to another person. Nobody can give out a car or a house that does not belong to him to another person. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:34-35 “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” It is what we have inside that we give out when we occupy any leadership position.
As a leader keep learning..
Lots of Love…

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Plagiarism is a punishable offence BE WARNED.
Take permission and mention Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel as the Author and owner of the work.

I am Leader

I AM A LEADER
Now that you know who a leader is I am sure you can see the place where you fit in in the whole leadership thing. I think this will also help you to know you are a leader. I know there are people who argue that leaders are born while some others believe leaders are made.
But what do you think?
ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE?
Most of us belong to one of the divides while few of us belong to both. Someone like me believes leaders are born and are made too. I believe we all are born leaders and I also believe leaders are made. Let me put it in a simplest form I could; leaders are born (all of us are born leaders) but GOOD LEADERS are made. I think this is easier to understand now.
Please just follow me and hear my reasons.
The reason why many exempt themselves from being called leader is because they always think that leadership means position. Yes we have some people who by the position they are occupying today are leaders but that does not mean that you who presently are not occupying any position is not a leader. No! You are a leader whether you are occupying a post/position or not.
Allow me to drop this truth before I continue:
It is a fact that someone without any leadership position stands a better chance of influencing more people than the person with position. He also stands a better chance of having genuine followership than the person who is currently being called “Onye isi.” Just hold your peace, we shall come back to discuss this as we progress.
As I wrote before I am sure as you are now, you have some friends or even play group and I am also sure that many times those your friends or play group have looked up to you for a decision in some important issues. Let me say it like John C. Maxwell would say it “Leadership is influence.” What I am trying to say here is this; once you are able to have some level of influence on people or individual, you are a leader. It will be very important to note this: Position does not define a leader; position is only an avenue to make your “leaderabilty” known or noticed faster.

It is because of this notion that until one occupies a position he is not a leader that they kept saying “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” and in the Nigerian milieu or even the whole of Africa; tomorrow never comes. If you look round African especially in Nigeria my country you will discover that those who occupy leadership position at all levels are people who are well over their prime. These men and women are supposed to be leading from the side line but they refused to leave the pitch for their children with younger mind and dexterity to continue the play.
These old men and women keep pumping this tomorrow’s leader thing into the brain of our youths then because the youths of Nigeria believe or think their time to lead is “tomorrow,” they keep on playing away their time. Most are in school without any plan of what to do with their life after school. They are just happy they are not living with their parents and they just want to enjoy their freedom while it last because all operating cost are on the bank account of Dad, Mum, Uncle or Aunty.
Have you noticed that many people that inherited wealth from their Dad or husband mismanage the wealth in less than 3 years? Have you ever asked why it is like that? The reason is simple: they never taught they were leaders, therefore they allowed their Dad or husband to do everything. They saw themselves as the led and when the unavoidable happens like death or incapability because they were not prepared. They will be in the river while soap hurts their eyes and they couldn’t do anything until the inherited fortune is almost gone.
I don’t want to throw the blame to the parents of these children but to the young ones, because if they have been wise enough to know they are born to lead they would have been ready to face any eventuality.
From my above points I think you have seen that you are a leader and even that your house maid or house boy is also a leader.
We will look into good leadership and leadership traits in the next edition.
Thank you so much.

Stop illegal copying of my work.
Take permission and mention Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel as the Author and owner of the work.

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Plagiarism is a punishable offence BE WARNED.

Leadership

INTRODUCTION:
Leadership is one of the most misunderstood words in this universe. Because virtually every one of us under the sun believes he knows what leadership means and also what it is all about. I always place LEADERSHIP and LOVE at the same bag because love like leadership means different thing to different people. These two words are like that proverbial elephant felt by six blind men.
These six men have different thing this elephant mean to them all based on which part of the elephant they were able to lay hold on. Many time people say what they fill or think about leadership or love all based on their own “private” experience or experience of someone they assume they know very well.
What I have done over the years anytime I am invited to speak on LOVE is to first tell my audience that love is not a noun but a verb, I also dare tell them that love is not a place but a journey without destination. You know this always sound ridiculous to my audience especially the young ones who think they have arrived because they have found the “love” of their life.
Most shockingly to me, recently I also discovered that Leadership is not also a noun but a verb and leadership is not a place but also a journey without destination. Because I have found out that leadership is not about “just” what you do but a combination of who you are and what you do.
Leadership like love is a journey every living human is consciously or unconsciously engaged in. It is not important if you know it or not. All of us even the new born are already engaged in one form of leadership or another. Yes! That is true.

One other thing I Onuigwe Chidi Sirnoel always tell my audience especially when I am in leadership or mentoring class is; “there are three persons looking up to you, wanting to be like you, love the way you dress or the way you talk etc.” And because you don’t know them you must have to mind the way you walk or talk so that you do not hurt someone unknowingly.
In this write up I will attempt to make some positive impression on your leadership mind and life. I am not saying that I have the monopoly of knowledge when it comes to leadership but I want to inspire you through this piece to cross the boundary of “just” what you do into the land of who you are.
Follow me slowly.

WHO IS A LEADER?
Sometimes dictionary definitions of things are shot of what their real meaning are or should be. Therefore I am not going to quote any dictionary in defining the word “Leader”
1. I will define a leader as someone that LEADS people or someone that have INFLUENCE on some persons either voluntarily or by force.
2. I can also define a leader as someone whom others have CHOSEN to lead them or someone that was by promotion has AUTHORITY of leading others.
3. I will also define a leader as someone whom people TRUST enough to COMMIT their future, goal, life and destiny into his hand.
4. You should also know that a leader is that person who has the COURAGE to take people from where they are to where they should be not necessarily where they want to go or be.
5. A leader is that woman who has the PATIENCE to GUIDE others into their destiny.
Now if you look at my definitions which I am sure it is not very different from what you already know or have in mind; you will discover there are words that are in upper case (Capital Letters). They are; Lead, influence, chosen, authority, trust, commit, patience and guide.
These words are what make someone a leader. And these words are also the life style of a leader. That is why I told you earlier on that leadership is not just what you do but who you are.

Follow me slowly as we explore the Art and Act of LEADERSHIP this month of June…
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