THE NUGGET
Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done
- Dwight D. Eisenthower
EAT-IN
In people’s mindset, a leader is supposed to tell them what to do. They are supposed to be better than the followers. Sometimes, we are expected to be grateful for being under the leadership of a particular person. Therefore, we should always be grateful to him and pay homage to him. This is why most human cultures and collectivities invest on identification and development of “heroic” leaders men and women who will provide us directions and rescue us in difficult times.
It’s time we reconsider our cultural norms about leadership. For the purpose of today’s thought, leadership should be viewed as an art. The more you practice it the closer you are to perfection. But to be perfect, you need appropriate tools. Leadership tools are the followers-human beings. There can be no leaders without followers. Good followers breed good leaders, and not the other way round.
Leaders get their jobs done by first defining realities and objectives. Once the objectives and goals have been defined, it is the followers that will carry out the activities which, if successful, only the leader will be decorated. Leaders, therefore owe their success to their followers, and they need to say “thank you “ to those who put them at the position of leadership and sustain them.
TAKE-AWAY
Leadership is based on inspiration not domination, on cooperation, not intimidation
- William Arthur Ward