Just my ramblings on Leadership....

Leadership is not rocket science but a simple act of bringing positive change for the betterment of others. It sounds so simple, yet so many leaders we know are only able to dream, talk, and lull their followers into the same dream ......and soothingly reminding us not to wake up, for if we wake up the dream will be over.
Leadership - is a role and a choice! And once you have chosen to be a leader, it is incumbent upon you to deliver to your constituents ....to those people who follow you, and unlike you many of them do not have a choice but to be in the crowd of followers.

Leadership happens everyday and everywhere. Leaders make things happen. You can either be born with leadership flowing through your blood or you can also acquire the skills. But beware, leadership skills are learnt early on in life.

Leaders energize others!

In my view, the key roles of a leader are
1. To identify the end results ( or more popularly known as vision )
2. To assess the gaps * between now to there - there being the end game!*
3. To have a game plan on how to get there
4. To have a rigorous review and monitoring systems
5. To build a contingency plan, just in case.

The clearer the end game in the mind of a leader, and the more effective the communication the higher is the probability of success. A great leader can see an end game which is not so obvious to others. He can seize the future. He can visualize the impact of the end game to others - and compellingly motivate others to pull together to execute the plans.

What really differentiate great leaders from those in the middle of the pack is their ability to spot and mobilize the right people.

Therefore it is also important to understand "Who are the right people?"
The answer will vary from a leader to the next. In the end it is also dependent on chemistry and preferences of styles. A leader who has a tendency of recruiting only people who mirrors his/her own style and image may miss out the benefits which diversity can bring. But all said, the final measure rests on how effective the person is in making things happen! If he/she is one - then he/she has the most important ingredient.

Talking from a personal perspective, the 'right' people for me are.....

- People who have a burning passion to achieve. One who makes extra effort, especially on their own initiative. For example a manager who not only present excuses why targets were missed but has researched and tested ideas on how to recover and even do much better after learning from the mistakes. You may say, that is so obvious....think again! When was the last time you experienced something like that yourself?

- People who has energy and is naturally energizing others. Energy is contagious, and an office requires energy to enable creativity and innovations. A factory requires energy to be productive. Positive energy comes from confidence, and confidence comes from having knowledge, skills, and relationship. Ahh, I love to be surrounded by people has "Can Do!" attitude. They simply get going and focus on achieving .....The harder and more complex the challenge the more motivated and energized they become. I can't have enough of such people in my team.
On the other hand, people who sees only problems, and allow their pessimism to stop them from even trying.....as far as I am concerned, they are better off being employed by competitor companies.

- People who are great at making things happen! To be visionary is one thing - but even the best of visionaries need to be willing to roll up their sleeves and do things. Leaders who are satisfied to have binoculars to their eyes from the top of the ladder, and lead only through the vision will not achieve much and may find himself/herself without great followers.
The leader must be able to translate the vision into actions and ultimately delivering results through executing with the team.

And I will also add one important trait - the highest level of personal integrity into the mix.

Are you a leader? Are you doing justice to your constituents? On a personal level, our children are constituents entrusted to us. We need to have clear goals for them too....how do prepare them for the wild wild world...and what foundation do we provide them with?
If there are gaps, do we know them? What are we doing to ensure the gaps are closed? When was the last time, we opened their exercise books voluntarily to review and monitor? Do we know who their best friends are?
What contingency plans to ensure their schooling are not interrupted, just in case our source of income is stopped involuntarily or through disability?
We have chosen to be parents - we better deliver our roles and responsibilities to our children.
Are we influencing them to be 'great leaders of the future' - leaders who can make things happen for their organization, their community, and last but not least - lead their own families.

I am a firm believer that a social system really starts at home. Leaders are born, and leaders are trained. But not at Universities. Leaders are trained by the hands that rock the cradles, the voices which sing nursery songs, and by parental leadership with examples - with love and compassion. And to love is to give them time....undivided, attentive time!

I like the poster above, especially the sentence "LEADERSHIP is a way of LIFE".