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.
A few weeks ago, our three children taught me a valuable lesson during a trip to the national public library in Kenya to attend a children’s club. The first activity of the day was poetry, and the club’s coordinator asked for a child volunteer to teach the others a poem. There was a poignant unease as none of the children wanted to go up on stage.
