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The good shepherd is one of those managerial virtue of Christ in the Holy Bible. We believed he is a good example of a good leader. Shepherds re barely known to be keepers of Sheep, but there re distinct characteristics in their duty which is leadership. A leader is more or less a shepherd because they execute the same duty.
Leadership requires a lot of sacrifices and an exemplary lifestyle. We have had misfortunes of recent in the calibre of leaders we possesses in our helm of affairs. The important thing about leadership is not about the position but rather about character in action, what you can offer, solutions you can bring, maintenance of dignity. Most of our leaders re only leaders by the lips, they'd brag about what they can never do. Good leaders re mostly concern about their followers and not their selfish interest. Leaders re servant to the people and not the boss because a leader must have the consent of the people before taking the mantle of authority. Many people seek power just for their indelible selfishness. They seek power just because they want to earn more money. Most people want power by all means just to become famous. The mantra of leadership have degraded to a very large extent. Many countries and regions of the world today can only boast of enjoying good leadership in their early days. Just like my beloved country where we keep making emphases to past leaders of about 3 to 4 decades ago as the only time we tasted good leadership.
It is pathetic and a disservice to humanity when the people suffer for lack of good leadership. Our political offices re paraded with undescribable corrupt minds. Embezzling public funds without fear. They don't care about the economy, whether life is bearable to the common man or not they don't care. They manipulate power to their favor. They live above the law even when the law says "everyone is equal before the law", we only experience equality of the law with the lower class in the society. In great significance the populace have also contributed drastically to the kind of bad leaders we have today. People tends to follow popular figures, they trip to vote for the rich, not considering what this calibre of people have to offer. Personal successes does not qualify one a good leader, educational background wouldn't make you a superb leader. Leadership is birthed on character. They re great numbers of elites without the right character.
The paradox of leadership demands humbleness and respect for the people. We encounter some leaders that makes situation so bad and worse and they re some leaders who would change things around and give people a better life. To be a good leader they re certain characteristics one must incline to, this portray a virtue in leadership, good leaders make this their daily mirror. They try all means to keep toe on it. To be a great leader that would be remembered for good consider the follow.
# First Be A good Follower
Leadership requires training, no one is born a leader except Christ. One needs to learn from existing or previous leaders. You must have a mentor in leadership, you need to undergo a preliminary lessons. You don't just jump on top of a ladder, you climb it one step at a time. This would lay a good foundation for you to know what it entails to be a good leader. Though it does not automatically make you a good leader. Because one thing that doesn't change overnight is character. No matter the kind of great and good mentoring one has, he may still end up becoming a bad leader. That's because character demands never disappears, it emanate anytime it finds a medium, which could be power. Though no one is born a leader not everyone can lead. There re signs to show, you could be a leader, whenever you have the urge to stand for people, to fight for the people. Whenever you re unhappy when things re done wrongly or you always love to show a good example. Whenever you have that burning urge to help people solve their problem, whenever you sacrifices your time and resources to help others, know then that you could be the right choice for the people. So to forge ahead you start by following.
# Be Responsible
A good leader must take absolute responsibility all the time. A good leader must not account his failures to previous administration. This has been one of the talk in town especially in political offices. Where previous administrations re blamed everyday for the failure of the present holders of power. Which simply connote unprepared leaders and people who seek power for fame rather than having the prerequisite knowledge to lead. You must know what happens in all paras tata. You must know how the people's resources re harness and spent. You must take responsibility of providing the basic necessity needs of your followers. You must give to the followers what rightly belongs to them. You must consider the people first in any of your decisions. This people deserve to be serve and that is your responsibility. You must serve the people, this is how good leaders think.
# Be Accountable
This is where many leaders have failed woefully. Inability to be transparent at service, embezzling of funds, its very bad and one of the killers of good leadership. The people must know how you spend their money. You must be very accountable to every transactions and expenditures incur. Show them you re trust worthy by doing the right thing. This is the reason why good leaders succeed in power. Your followers would become proud of you all the time.
# Be Sacrificial
In our present day, we hardly find sacrificial leaders. This connote leaders that would give in their time, resources, trust and love to the people. You mustn't feel Ok until something good is achieved. You must always be on top of your game on daily bases. Let the people see that you love them. Let the people be your biggest priority. Seek to make them happy before making yourself happy. This is how good leaders lead.
# Seek Wisdom
The reason why we encounter great failures in leadership is simply because majority of the so called leaders lack absolutely the benevolence of wisdom. So when you allow a fool to lead you you do be prepared to suffer. Because no one can give what he does not have in possession. King Solomon knows that to be a good leader the first and best gift to have is wisdom. That was why when he had opportunity to ask one thing from God he never hesitate to ask for wisdom to lead his people. Wisdom is the principal of good leadership, if you lack wisdom then never seek for power. Because you and your people would perish away. As a leader or aspiring to lead people, whether in hundreds, in thousands, in millions as the case maybe, you need all these above requirements. It doesnt
matter about the numbers, all that matters is giving your dear followers a befitting life of good governance. When i talk about leadership, i don't just emphasize on political powers, am actually talking about leadership in general. Whether government or private paras tata, the same mantra is required to lead the people at right.
HERE I WOULD SAY, TO THOSE GIVING US GOOD LEADERSHIP, MAY YOUR DAYS BE LONG AND MORE POWER TO YOUR ELBOW. BUT TO BAD LEADERS I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO SAY MAY YOUR DAYS BE SHORT BECAUSE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. #THANKS FOR READING THROUGH, I LOVE YOU ALL. FEEL FREE TO DROP YOUR COMMENTS HERE. THANKS.
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