At some point in our lives, we have all had a relationship with someone -- a parent, a teacher, or employer perhaps -- who greatly changed the way we look at life and the world. Someone who had high standards and truly stood for something. Someone who inspired and motivated us. Someone who taught us to set goals and instilled the confidence and spirit to achieve them. Such a person is a true leader.
Today, we are surrounded by people we may call leaders -- in government, in business, in education, in the arts. But we are suffering from a scarcity of genuine leadership in many areas..
A leader provides a new perspective, inspiring us to abandon our narrow field of vision. When we are preoccupied with our self-interests - be they petty or great - a leader sends out a wake-up call, alerting us to seek the true priorities in life.
A true leader wants nothing more than to make people stand on their own, as leaders in their own right. Instead of trying to blind us with his or his/her brilliance, a true leader reflects our own light back to us, so that we may see ourselves anew.
We often tend to think of a leader as a person who is well-connected, who is powerful or charismatic or wealthy. We judge our leaders by what they have. But a true leader should be judged by what he has not -- ego, arrogance, and self-interest. A true leader sees his work as selfless service toward a higher purpose. “Leadership is not power and dominance; it is servitude”. This does not mean that a leader is weak; he derives great strength from his dedication to a purpose that is greater than himself.
Each generation has its great leader who inspires absolute trust, who is totally dedicated to fulfilling his unique role. He understands and appreciates each person’s role in perfecting this world, and guides him or her accordingly; he rises above any individual perspective to take a global view, seeing how each person and issue fits into the entire scheme of the contemporary world.
A true leader shakes people from their reverie and tells them, “No, you don’t need to live a life of desperation and confusion. Yes, you do have the ability to find meaning in your life, and the unique skills to fulfill that meaning. You are an important link in a chain of generations past; you have a legacy worth preserving and a future worth fighting for.
A true leader does not want followers; he wants to teach others how to be leaders. He does not want control; he wants the truth. He does not impose his leadership on others, nor does he take away anyone’s autonomy. He inspires by love, not coercion. When the time comes to take credit, he makes himself invisible; but he is the first to arrive at the time of need, and he will never shrink away in fear. He is so passionate about your welfare that when you consult him for guidance, it is like coming face to face with yourself for the first time.
A true leader must be a living example of his teachings. When we see that a leader’s personal life embodies his philosophy, we too are inspired to learn that philosophy. Conversely, if we see that a leader does not live by his own words, we cannot trust him.
It is useless for a leader to be a visionary in the abstract; he must be a successful communicator whose vision can be translated into specific, applicable principles - not knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but knowledge that can actually help improve the world.
So a leader must be many things - selfless, devoted, visionary, courageous, and above all, humble.
Source article: Meaningful life