Leadership- A personal perspective

Leadership is vast, complex and infinite in its interpretations and how it is perceived. Leaders as I see them are more endearing than authentic in most cases. That is no to say that they lie but more so adapt to their situations. Leaders that hold steadfast to their beliefs are more of an exception then rule: Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Thomas Dewey even David Koresh. The willingness to put your life on the line, to face ridicule and public scrutiny while holding firm to your beliefs is the very essence of a true leader in my eyes. I understand that most people can be a leader under ideal circumstances such as having subordinates that are obligated to follow or positions that offer financial compensation and professional growth. It is under the most extreme scenarios and conditions that a leader’s true ability and innate qualities are seen. What made people follow Malcolm and put their very lives on the line for him? What made people want to work with Dewey when an entire city was in the pocket of organized crime? At the end of the day it’s not about the power they wield over their followers or how they compensate their subordinates. It comes down to character and a true belief in what they are saying is righteous and true and will stand up to all scrutiny.

As I look at myself and what type of leader I would like to become I ask myself, what am I passionate about? What do I believe to be true? From this perspective I find that my potential and growth is not based in the professional world of business, closing deals and increasing the bottom line or helping people to achieve superficial goals. If I can’t lead doing something I think is going to help the people or right a wrong then maybe I am not meant to lead. It is important that people are honest with themselves and realize that truth, not everyone is meant to lead. When I lead I lead a person or people I want them to know my motivation is based on doing what is right and just and not the bottom line or making them happy to make myself look better.

Not everyone can be Gandhi or Churchill or a General Schwarzkopf. They are rare and that is why we celebrate them at their time and remember them as larger than life when their time has faded. At the end of the day if I must use a chart, table, theory or any other manipulative tool to be seen as effective then the truth is I’m not one. That is not to say I can’t be a boss or a manager but to be a leader in the true sense as I interpret it. I honestly can’t say if I can or will achieve that. Did any of those people I mentioned above set out to rewrite history? I doubt it… that is why they did.