The ability to guide, to influence, and to inspire individuals or groups towards a common goal is leadership. It is a virtue that not necessarily everyone possesses, hence the sayings that “leaders are born”, “some are achieved or earned”, while “some are made”. This virtue manifests in individuals with leadership qualities who exercise their talents through a process that involves setting of goals (with a vision), making strategic decisions, and fostering an environment that encourages collaboration and progress. Effectively, leadership goes beyond managing tasks and people because it is all about motivating, inspiring, and building trust to achieve a common goal and interests (in other words, organisational objectives).
In management, a leader focuses on targets (the “purpose” and “process”) of achieving the set objectives by aligning the team’s efforts with the group’s values and culture. Leaders often have the attribute of their position tied to their titles and seniority, or even ranking in hierarchy.
Power, on its own, in politics, that is political power (power has multiple applications), involves influencing the behaviour of people who take directives and instructions from someone in a superior position (a place of authority) without hesitation or showing any sign of resistance or reluctance; but, heeding or complying absolutely. The simple fact that human beings are known to be political animals (by nature), supports the fact that power is synonymous with “order” in commanding and controlling situations surrounding human behaviours within a specified system, organisation or a community. Anyone in a position of power, therefore, should be mindful of the fact that “power intoxicates, and absolute power intoxicates absolutely”. This means that power should not be recklessly exercised, nor arrogantly usurped, but should be responsibly invoked and applied towards getting things done properly.
The great American president, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th U.S. President. He was a renowned philosopher that had his quotes cast in solid gold, and equally in people’s minds. Abraham Lincoln’s quotes are nuggets of wisdom for leadership and philosophical ideology in human relations. In just 56 years of his earthly pilgrimage, he impacted humanity a great deal, and exhibited very timeless leadership qualities that will be sustained for many generations to come. He was a very successful leader; hear him: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have”. This was a man who backed his purposeful ambition to become one of the foremost successful presidents of America, by equivocally stating that “I was a slow walker, but I never walk back”. A very purposeful achiever, erudite scholar and powerful leader of his time, who backed up his claims with yet another wise saying, that “Only a fool learns from his own mistake. The wise man learns from the mistake of others”. Leaders are supposed to be influencers in the society in all aspects of human engagements and interactions with fellow men in society. Today’s leaders need to learn from Abraham Lincoln’s quote on character. He said that “Character is like a tree, and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”. This, he quoted a year after he celebrated his golden jubilee birth day.
Today, in our society, it is not just political leaders alone who are expected to exhibit good character; at family level parents are charged to exhibit the right character traits that shall go a long way in molding the younger generations towards exhibiting acceptable characters and behaviours. Our society cannot get any better if the leadership fails in their duty to lead by example. A sustainable good character trait starts with leaders that are tested servant leaders, like the American 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, who always followed the right way, rather than following the majority. Attitudinal change is required of our leaders in managing the abundant resources that the nation is endowed with. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has a great assignment to conduct in making sure that the nation shifts from trivialities and drift towards actualizing the right core values with a mindset that is selfless in service to the state. This could be actualized through moral engagements to capture the future leaders of the country young. The demography of the population favours a brighter future, only if the younger generation shall be granted the chance to contribute towards national development. This journey in national development demands all the seriousness the leadership must offer through patriotic services being rendered for the actualisation of the right results.
All our politically elected leaders across the country are therefore urged here to begin by utilizing the mandate given to them in a proper manner; to discharge their national assignments without fear or favour by doing the right things; instead of applying the power and authority handed to them through the democratic process, in their elected positions, to serve the state and the land satisfactorily.