During my mission trip to Kazakhstan, the key focus was to share with the participants about leadership. To me, this is one of the most important skills in life.
I believe every one of …us is a leader. However, none of us are born to be an effective leader, nor can we become one without proper education.
To be an effective leader, we need to be committed to be an effective leader. More importantly, we need to learn leadership skills and hone them through the crucibles of life.
It is a part of my life mission to help others become better leaders. I believe that acquiring effective leadership skills will help them improve their quality and standards of living.
At the same time, they will be in a better position to do more for the people around them. They can better contribute to their community and country.
It has been proven that all great organisations are shaped and moulded by great leaders and great teams. They achieve win-win outcomes and contribute to make the world a better home.
On the other hand, toxic leaders and teams produce toxic organisations. By their commitment to negative motives, means or ends, they will eventually generate negative results and destroy many lives.
There is generally a lack of effective leaders at many levels of the organisational hierarchy. This disorder plagues many organisations in the economy, community and country.
The challenge can be resolved through the educational process. Sadly, our academic curriculum does not cover a course on leadership.
It is not at the top of the priority list of subject materials. Therefore, there is little room to impart this critical body of knowledge and skills in the classroom.
People learn leadership skills mainly through modelling after leaders who came before them. This is a sure-fire way to eventually stagnate and deteriorate in a fast-changing world.
If they attempt to learn through trial and error, there is a limit to what they can learn, improve and achieve on their own.
In my country, there are some leaders who pattern their leadership style after the autocratic leadership style that was prevalent at the early stage of our nation-building process. It was a style that was relevant and effective for a different group of people and at a different age.
There are other leaders who are in essence negotiators. They trade off benefits and may sometimes wield a big stick to persuade people to follow them. It works until a bigger carrot or stick comes along.
I have met some leaders who believe that as long as they set a good example, they will be able to influence others. While it is important to exemplify good conduct, it is not good enough to develop effective teams and produce sustainable results.
Along the same vein, there are some leaders who develop themselves to become charismatic leaders. Their followers are so in awe of them that they are willing to work for them to fulfil their desired outcomes.
The challenge is that these followers may end up following blindly. In addition, they may not think deep enough and rise above the quality and standards set by their leaders. Therefore, there are limitations to the team’s growth and results.
In my study of leadership, I am drawn to leadership models of the revolutionaries in history.
Revolutionaries moved the hearts of millions of people and galvanised them for worthwhile causes.
They help developed systems of operation that took on a life by itself. These systems were constantly adapting and ever-improving to suit the changing landscape.
Revolutionaries applied effective systems and skills to organise the followers and aligned them to fulfill a seemingly impossible mission.
As a result, they changed society. They wrote on the pages of history.
The people who followed them would never be the same again. Their followers and the followers that came after had their lives irrevocably altered.
If you want to make your life truly count, aim high.
Be a revolutionary.
Start a revolution.
Now.
Go4It!
I hope this message will find a place in your heart.
By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.
Visit my Inspiration blog at http://liewinspiration.wordpress.com/
Visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com/
Please read them and continue to teach me.
Life is FUNtastic!
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