The issue of tapping into the leadership potential within us is so a versed topic that it can lend itself to various elucidations by various people at various time and circumstance. Time and space would not however, permit us to embark on this journey fully. But suffice it to say that self-conquest is, in itself, a step to tap into the leadership capability in us.
In a conscious effort to tap into the enormous leadership potential that lay within us, we must endeavour to conquer ourselves – a disciplinary step to become better persons that will inspire the society at large to lead a better life. Mahatma Gandhi took this further with his assertion: “The great change of the modern age is not to remake the world but to remake ourselves. Be the change you wish to see for the world.”
Can a man who cannot guide himself guide another? The first step to becoming an efficient leader is the ability to conquer oneself. By conquering yourself, I mean gaining total control of yourself, your emotions, your reasoning; being able to establish a level of imperviousness against situations and not allowing sentiments to becloud your better judgment.
You can only lead others as far as you have gone yourself. Can the blind lead the blind? No! It will worth our while to note that leadership is impossible without a guiding vision and purpose that generate passion for accomplishment. Leadership is born out of character and a determination to be and express one’s self fully. It is the discovery and marriage of purpose, personality and potential.
The world has come of age. It is now goodbye to the type of leadership where the leader is one who stood above his men and shouted order to them to obey. Leaders who first conquered self have an edge over others in terms of wisdom, courage, honesty, patience, integrity, meekness, self-control, etc. They guide by influence, directing by going before and along with the people. Their kind of leadership is by inspiration. It is the opposite of intimidation, and absolutely void of manipulation. There are many so-called leadership situations where fear is the motivator rather than commitment based on a response to an inspired life.
If we keep harbouring the thought that only a few lucky ones are born into the sacred position of leadership, we end up surrendering our life’s affairs to some masters we made for ourselves – we slowly become their victims, as they exercise control and authority over us. This is a flaw – this thought and waiting for the lucky ones. “If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2 vs. 21). Why must the world wait for a few individual to be born before they can enjoy the services of great leaders?
We need millions of Moses, Mahatmas, Mandela, Martin (jnr.), Abraham Lincoln, to mention but a few, but history has given us only one of such men. The leadership traits and potentials they possessed lie within us. You may not have the crowd to lead like them, but assuredly you’ve got yourself to lead, and that is the first step to becoming a great leader in this day and age. It is being said, “He who would move a mountain must first start with stones.” These men we idolize their leadership prowess started by conquering and leading themselves first.
“ Be the change you wish to see for the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi Tweet this
The individual who aims at reaching the top in leadership must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break and dismiss those habits that can break him, and advance to embrace those practices that will become the habits that will help him achieve the success he desires in leadership.
He who can conquer himself is greater than the fearsome warrior. To conquer yourself you must conquer your mind. You must ensure that you control your thinking. A leader must be controlled from within and disciplined. Self-control is learning how and when to say “NO”. As a leader, you should not be easily manipulated by the behavior or offenses of others. If somebody can make you mad, it means that person has controlled you; and if he can control you, then you have no control over yourself. The same goes for the person who can “turn you on”.
Conclusively, in a quest for self-mastery for better leadership, you must break yourself off from pride (the need to elevate one’s self by the devaluation of others; an attempt to secure a sense of superiority by the maintenance of the feeling of inferiority in others), ego (the sense of exaggerated self-importance), and jealousy (the wrong measure of one’s success by comparison to the accomplishment of others).
If we possess the inner strength to break deeply embedded habits that weigh us down from becoming better persons, then we have begun to tap into the leadership potential within us.
About Ogwo David Emenike
This is so very very intelligent, you have really said what is inside me. Though i have taken the first step to fullfil my desire’s. I’m striving to defeat the last enemy which is fear, as the bible say’s Jesus will come and defeat the last enemy which is death. Thanx for the advise, i hope my slogan will continually take place forever as it say’s…Make sure that the path that you choose it is true to you!!! Thanx again.
Great article, well said.
Thank you, Jason.
Do enjoy the rest of your day!
Kind regards,
Ogwo David.
Thank you, Jason!
Thanks for those great thoughts Ogwo David. We suspect you will resonate with the Tipu Ake ki te Ora Organic Leadership model (www.tipuake.org.nz) inspired and shared by the tiny Maori school and its community in Whirinaki, Te Urewera, New Zealand. That not only promotes the individual courage to conguer the enemies within us, but also relates that to the context we find ourselves in, which increasingly requires us to collaborate in order to thrive in complexity, ambiguity and inter-dependence.
Thanks for stopping by, Peter Goldsbury. I would like to know more about the Tipu Ake ki te Ora Organic Leadership model.
Do have a blissful week!
Kind regards,
Ogwo David
Dear Lori Polachek, in reply to your question I think this perspective can simply be made possible in k-8 by
1. Teacher should have a caring heart to recognize the genius in each child because each child is uniquely made by the creator. We should use both visual and audio teaching methods. A teacher must understand that students have different assimilation capacity and should find a way to carry each child along. This can only be achieved by teachers with caring hearts and not those who are there to just receive salaries. Our teachers must see there role as a ministry of making lives and not just living.
2. Parents should stop forcing their children into careers they don’t have giftedness for but patiently discover each childs passion and purpose and guide him or her aright. Every course is a professional course and a doctor is not greater than an artist or a lawyer greater than a writer. Every career and profession is needful and money yielding when properly done.
3. Motivation/inspiration must be included in school curriculum. An avenue should be created whereby people whom have achieved success in diferent fields should visit k-8 schools and chat, shake hands and speak with the students. They children will be highly inspired and passionate to fulfill their purpose. I remember a picture I saw sometime ago where President Bush visited the school where Bill Clinton was a student. When it got to Bills turn to shake the President, he said” one day I will be a President and years later Bill Clinton became a USA president. I have toured some Nigerian primary and secondary schools with Ogwo David Emenike and the outcome of the teachings we did is positively life-transforming for the students, teachers and ourselves.
A beautiful exploration of self leadership and an inspiring call for each and every one of us to lead Ogwo. We do need millions…our world needs for each and every one of us to defy the belief in the notion of the “few lucky ones”. There are many stones each and every one of us can move. And when we are courageous enough to start moving even one who knows who might follow.
Thanks Susan Mazza! Oh yes, there are many stones each and every one of us can move. When we passionately move those stones, we inspire others to follow.
Thanks for this post, Ogwo. Truly, leadership is about empowering others to grow their lives to reach their ultimate purpose in life. Therefore, the key essence of leadership is relationship. But again, before we could relate to lead others, we must lead ourselves first by growing ourselves in reaching our own ultimate purpose in life. Be the change you wish to see for the world. I am currently residing in Tripoli, Libya maybe in time you can visit here. I will be glad to meet you personally. I’m planning to build the first Toastmaster club in Tripoli. Wish all the best.
With Kind Regards,
Geraldine del Rosario
Hello Geraldine del Rosario!
Thanks for stopping by. I like this, “The key essence of leadership is relationship… Before we could relate to lead others, we must lead ourselves first by growing ourselves in reaching our own ultimate purpose in life.”
I would be glad to meet you in person. I wish you success as you build the first Toastmaster club in Tripoli. Best wishes!
Kind regards,
Ogwo David Emenike
Thanks for sharing this thoughtful post, which has generated interesting discussion.
It is indeed important to lead oneself before effectively leading others.
I really like…. “Leadership is born out of character and a determination to be and express one’s self fully. It is the discovery and marriage of purpose, personality and potential.”
What are your thoughts about integrating this perspective into k-8 schools and classrooms,
such that students learn to discover their own passions, to develop a sense of their own purpose and to learn to cultivate and leverage their skills, strengths and aptitudes to most effectively pursue and realize their passions and purpose.
You are right, the world needs more self aware people, who are contributing their unique gifts, with passion and humanity- this seems like an important priority for schools- which would call for a paradigm shift from teaching subjects and content, to teaching children.
I would love to hear your thoughts on how this perspective might be applied in the education of children.
Thanks for sharing
Lori
Hi Ogwo
Your focus on self-awareness and self development is a very welcome and refreshing change and a life lesson that many leaders and aspiring leaders should follow! I loved the quote from Marianne Williamson; David H’s re-telling of the Apple advert; and wholeheartedly support Dave B’s clarion call for great leaders of all genders!
Kind regards
John
Hello John Thurlbeck
Thank you so much! Yea, self-awareness and self-development are very important areas to look at when the message of becoming better leaders is being preached.
Kind regards
Ogwo David
Nice work David,Egotism is the only disease where the patient feels well while making everyone else around feel sick.it blossoms but bears no fruit. you hit the nail at its head…it is said a man who uses yesterday’s method in today’s world won’t be in business tomorrow,when pattern and tradition changes new opportunities come together…Mignon McLaughlin said “its is the most unhappy people who fear change”…A person who is deeply inlove with himself should get a divorce…conquering oneself,egotism,selfishness is the basics of becoming a good leader.keep it up Dave.
Regards
Michelle Asoluka
Thank you so much, Michelle. To lead others, you must first lead yourself by working on yourself (dealing with those habits that stop you from becoming a better person and inspiring the society at large).
Do enjoy the rest of your weekend!
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson
I thought this quote would fit in right now 🙂 Good post
My favourite quote, along with the one from Gandhi in the post by Ogwo! Have you seen this? It’s a transcript from an advert for Apple about 2o years ago -seems Steve Jobs was also inspired by Marianne Williamson. I love it, too!
Here’s to the crazy ones
The misfits. The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things.
They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire.
They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
We make tools for these kinds of people.
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
Warm wishes
David
Hello David Hain, thanks for stopping by… I like these beautiful lines. You really have to be crazy to change things, invent, imagine, heal, explore, create, inspire and
push the human race forward.
David,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful quote.
Seems like an important piece for parents and teachers to read and re-read-
I intend to print it and read regularly- as an important reminder, to mitigate against my own parental impatience and to help align my efforts with my aspirations for my children- to help them cultivate and effectively pursue their own aspirations for themselves.
Thx!
Lori
Thanks Frode H! I like the quote…
Great post and discussion about what lies within!
I love the quote you use by Mahatma Gandhi “The great change of the modern age is not to remake the world but to remake ourselves. Be the change you wish to see for the world.” I believe that in order to be a great leader of great service we must first get our quadruple bottom line in order and that means we have to do work on our inner and outer selves first. The four quadrants to do this are IQ, EQ, body and vision – once we bring all four of these together we have a chance to become the leader we were born to be.
Thanks Dave Bradley for flying the flag of all genders being great leaders too!
Thank you very much, Heidi. I agree totally with you on bringing the quadruple bottom line in order for a better leadership.
Do enjoy the rest of your day!
Sage Ogwo keep writing up…together we will positively transform our world. Thank you ToddNielsen.com for this platform.
Thank you, Ifeanyi Enoch…
Greetings, Ogwo David. Thank you for this great post. Your comments about the need to lead self before leading others link so closely with the need for self awareness in all leaders. I believe self awareness is the beginning of all leadership – so I appreciate your validation of that concept. As you have stated, we all need to look at our habits to see where they may interfere with our leadership effectiveness.
Thanks to you, Susan Bowen. Yes, the leadership journey begins with self-awareness.
Thanks for the appreciation!
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Very well said Ogwo. Self leadership is the first stone to move. I like also your quote about the leaders we need and must stive for to become: “Their kind of leadership is by inspiration.”
Kind regards,
Joan
Thank you Joan! Leadership by inspiration is what we need in this day and age.
kind regards,
Ogwo David
I agree wholeheartedly with these sentiments. The days of shouting orders and expecting people to jump are on their way out.
Taking the risk of raising different issues here goes… I notice all the references are about men as leaders.
While male leaders have been held as examples of good practice in the past I think we need to take the leadership traits expressed here and recognise that the qualities expressed here are great example of how women lead organisations and teams. So examples and quotes form great women leaders is perhaps something we should try to find and promote.
Thank you, Dave Bradley!
I agree with you on the issue of promoting quotes from great women leaders. I will definitely do that in my subsequent leadership posts.
Love your enthusiasm and exhortation for the movers and shakers ‘us’ or leaders as I would think everyone has the potential to do so. Yes we are motivated by some great leaders of the world as mentioned however, at different levels, various locations, global, national, regional and local in our own communities, we can also achieve great and mighty works I believe ‘in and through Christ Jesus, by the strength He gives us, we can do all things’ (Phillipians 4 v. 13) and that is our hope!. Therefore, we lead by serving in humility and with a pure heart!
Thank You Fia T. Turner for your comment. Indeed, we lead by serving in humility and with a pure heart!
Have a blissful week!