Who is your leader?
It's never far from everyone's front of mind–leadership. Where are we in the face of what's on the surface, may appear to be a deficit of leadership skills?
History has thrown up an array of cruel and ruthless leaders–cold-blooded and evil. How many leaders in the history of mankind has received the accolade as having goodness and wisdom beyond compare?
Do we have many examples of leaders who are never satisfied? Those preferring to take the initiative, acting, rather than doing nothing, open-mindedness and richness of views–timeless characteristics, values and principles that separate those who lead from those who follow.
Who are tutoring leaders and leadership skills? Where can one go to learn to use passive resistance and to adapt to temporary circumstances or to learn policy-making and diplomacy?
The virtue of patience. Pushing events to happen before their time is often counterproductive and can cause untold damage.
It is important to sport in T&T that we have in the service of sports leaders at every level who possess the skills, abilities and attitudes that will enable them to successfully carry out the responsibilities, duties and obligations demanded of leaders.
There is no quick way to develop leaders. Those aspiring or desirous of leading must learn throughout their lives - never be above learning new insights, whatever or whoever, the source.
Recently, I was reading about leadership and the following qualities were posited as essential for leaders.
Loyalty - disagreement is not necessarily disloyalty. Someone who in the best interest of the organisation disagrees should be listened to.
Courage - Leaders must have the courage to act with confidence and to excel in times of uncertainty and danger. They must be fearless and have the fortitude to carry out their duties and accept the risks of leadership. They must not falter at the sight of obstacles nor panic in the presence of adversity. A leader will have to endure periods of loneliness, despair, ridicule and rejection.
Emotional stamina - leadership places demands on the emotions of leaders. Leaders must be able to recover from disappointment and bounce back from discouragement to carry out the responsibilities of their office without losing clarity of thought and perspective, as well the emotional strength to persist in the face of difficult circumstances.
Decisiveness - leaders must learn to be decisive, knowing when to act and when not to act taking into account all the facts and then responsibly carrying out their leadership role.
Tenacity - an unwavering drive to accomplish assignments. The strong persist through discouragement and deception.
Stewardship - Leaders must have the essential quality of stewardship. They must serve in a manner that encourages confidence and trust. Leaders must accept full responsibility for their actions.
Leaders are willing to make unrecognised and thankless personal sacrifices for those they serve and those they lead.
There are several other qualities various writers will articulate. What is in no doubt is that leadership isn't guesswork or happen-stance.