A leader is not hero; he is a masochist at best. When something goes wrong, he takes the blame. When the group succeeds, he gives credit to others. When nobody wants to do the right thing, he takes the reins until it becomes a more appealing position. A leader should be self driven for no one should be applauded for what they rightfully can and ought to do; compensation should be limited to modest self satisfaction for anything more lacks humility.
Every hero falters and every leader fails; Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. MLK Jr., Cesar Chavez, and even Nelson Mandela had those that found error in their ways, victims who felt they were served a great injustice or negligence. Do we really expect to be better than them? Can we walk across that bridge without burning it for somebody else? When everything goes well, it is due to the effort of the group but when things go wrong, as they often do, it is due to faulty leadership. A leader must communicate often, ask around too much and you are incompetent, too little and you lack transparency and are a tyrant. A leader must be strong, steadfast, and unwavering in their decisions to demonstrate vision and charisma but not so much that he becomes unapproachable or seems to lack empathy and understanding. A leader must reflect on all options to ensure they make the best decision possible; too much and you seem indecisive, too little and you seem impulsive.
A leader must adhere to both the goals that they have set forth for themselves and those that others have placed onto them, but not so much as to be tunnel driven, blindly passing up new opportunities. If he fails to meet those benchmarks he is inept and if he completes unnecessary tasks he is seen as wasting time, energy and resources. A leader’s charm and personality must be acute to ensure that they are amicable, but not so much that he is seen as being too social. His focus should be dedicated to his role as a leader always, and he must distinguish himself from the rest all the while maintaining rapport with your base; as to not become arrogant.
In your free time, you must give back to your community and serve as a resource, mentor, and humanitarian giving others the opportunity to better themselves while ensuring their dignity is maintained. Through this stewardship you solidify your role as a leader because your greatest accomplishments should be produced out of selfless acts.
If he is lucky, a leader will be able to bow out before too many people find fault in his ways, for that is the closest they will ever get to being a hero- a champion of character, integrity, and altruism.
Hell, I don’t know why anyone would want to be a leader?
So hear me now, as I call out to you. Those still standing; step up to that line and accept my challenge. The road ahead is long and arduous and you will find neither comfort nor console at your journey’s end. Yet, it is with men like you that great strides are made, even if history will never admire or worse yet admonish your contributions. I stand here before you to commend your actions and I give you the only recognition you will ever likely hear, so listen closely my friend.
You did a good job.
Photo by Fresh Conservative via Flickr
No related posts.
About B. Celestino Carreon
