It is common practice to speak about the importance of leadership, especially it being an objective to be attained – as if, it is a level that you require to demonstrate that you have reached the pinnacle of accomplishment. Leadership skills and Leadership management actually goes beyond this.
This methodology tends to make the notion of becoming a leader a static concept. Visualise a man or woman strolling down the skill path, stopping for just a couple of minutes to pocket some object referred to as leadership and then triumphantly announce – There! I did it!
The more we ponder on it, the more we feel that this is far from reality! What is Leadership? Is it not a Journey in itself?
There is no dispute on the importance of leadership but to believe that it is a destination by itself would be to shed the essence of the enrichment that comes from becoming a traveller in this journey of self-discovery.
You may well wonder – why speak of self-discovery when leadership is in reality, about directing other people?
In the journey of leadership and the understanding of the importance of leadership, almost everything will get primarily based on the assumption that the principal aspect is YOU. Just before a leader starts leading other individuals he has to be adept at leading oneself. Therein lays the importance of leadership and leadership skills!
The story begins with self-belief. Do you think you can generate a constructive effect on other people? Do you think that you are on to considerably productive and meaningful pursuits? If you don’t, you may as well not commence the journey itself!
The journey of Leadership, as a result, is primarily a self-discovery. Before your venturing into leading other people, you will seek answers within yourself to acquire clarity about your path in life. You will be compelled to define your values, ideas, concepts, and expectations for yourself.
You cannot hope to make a big difference other people’s self-confidence & willpower if you can’t first handle these concerns for yourself. When you identify your potential and your skills and then perform on them, you can assist other people to do the same.
The initial phase is all about comprehending who you are, what are the issues you care about and why you are performing the way you are! Your convictions, values, aspirations, and options ought to be properly defined in your eyes.
Look at it this way – YOU are the very first individual you are going to lead and show the path to. The importance of leadership starts in your sphere only.
Contrary to what most people believe, teams that you are going to lead do want to know about you-your values and beliefs, what all do you care about and what have been some of the most influential aspects variables in your daily life. Or for that matter, what are the experiences that made you who you are now.
When people see you in your real ‘human’ element, they discover it is simpler to relate to you, connect with you and are a lot more inclined to be led by you. From their point of view, they can respect the power and determination that may be reflected in your actions.
The reason ‘leadership’ seems a challenging process to accomplish is that people need to go through a transformation themselves before they can call themselves ‘leaders.’ The change entails both self-evaluation and evolution. Leaders who have walked their journeys of growth and development effectively assist in bringing about a much better, broader perspective to their teams and consequently to their organizations.
Leaders can do for other people what they have accomplished for themselves. Successful leaders are excellent coaches, storytellers, and teachers.
By being a Transformation process, Leadership is more of a journey than a destination. All leaders are perpetual travellers – they are constantly in the flow. They have stop-points in life for review, introspection, renewal of thoughts & ideas and then they move on.
In doing so, they are progressing more and more to be completely their TRUE self.
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