When you observe a group of children playing together, it is quite easy to single out the child that has the tendency to be a leader among them. It will be quite obvious, even from the way they play. The particular child would easily give instructions and the others would follow.
This is not about the kid with the most toys being the king of the playground, this goes way beyond all that. This is just about the child commanding the authority of his peers and making whatever they are playing go as he wishes.
If you take out time to watch some kids at play, you will notice that there would be that one kid that tells everyone else what to do. If a kid should refuse, he would convince them to with whatever ruse his childish brain can think of. But then, in the event that there is another child just as strong-headed as he is on the playing field, then the followers would be split.
Why am I saying all this? I’m just trying to ask a question here. Are leaders born? Or are they made?
Kings are born, right? Right from their birth they have their life already set out for them and they would not dare to stray from the path because the fate of the kingdom and the people would rest solely on their shoulders. They do not have the luxury to be picky about their lifestyle.
But then, being born a king does it make one a leader?
There are people who just wear the role of leadership naturally. When they get into a place, people automatically look to them for guidance. It is like a default setting for them. It is possible that people who didn’t know them before can just decide to want to follow them. For such people, if you ask them about their past, you’ll see that they have been holding leadership positions for a long time.
And then, there are people who have to learn it. Either they came into the role unexpectedly, or they brought the role on themselves, either way, they won’t leave it so they have to learn how to master it and use it to the best of their ability.
There are a lot of things that go into being a leader, and it doesn’t matter if you are born a leader or not, without it, you will lack what is needed to lead.
I know someone that once he goes into a place, one of the first things he does is scan the place and pick out the problems, then he would start setting things right. He would have a chat with strangers and he would be able to convince them to help him out in arranging the place. And before you know it, it's all set.
Leaders have visions, and they already have a clear path to achieving that visions. And then, it is their job to be able to gather resources to get to the achievement. Both human resources and otherwise. They are the ones that will control everything, and make sure they get it.
The job of a leader is not easy at all, because they have to see the bigger picture all the time while also paying attention to the little things. It is very possible to get confused over time and mix one up for the other. And for that, they need razor-sharp focus so they will be aware of what they are doing, all the time.
And then, while the leader is focused on the vision in their head, they must also be flexible so they can make amendments as the clime and times deem fit. Still, they still have to be wary so they do not get changes or additions that will only serve to ruin what they have built or struggling to build.
So yes, it is possible to know who the leader of a group is just by observing the group. And to my first question, are leaders made or born?
Well, personally, I don’t have an answer to that question. There are instances where people showed leadership qualities right from childhood, and there are those that only started showing theirs when they absolutely had to. Either way, one thing was clear, they had to keep on learning and make sure they kept the followers first at all times.
They have to be decisive and work to get everyone to understand their plan to follow them. I’ve said this before and I will say it again. Not everyone is meant to be a leader, while some lead, there have to be those who will follow. It's like two sides of a coin, one can’t exist without the other. For a leader to exist, there needs to be a follower.
Truly, being a leader is not easy, but when you’ve done it long enough you get the hang of it. And so, if you find yourself under a leader, please do your best to be a good follower. It makes the job easier. And if you are a leader, do well to carry your followers along and have their best interests at heart. You all will go far together.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, I would love to know what you are thinking. Till we meet in the next post.
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