In the past times, persons with superior powers generally became the leaders. It didn’t matter whether common people liked them, supported them or not. People’s point of view or their opinions were not at all important for so called leaders. At the same time, they used to declare themselves as a leader and compel people to accept it with the help of their strength, manpower, weapon power etc.
People had no choice but to accept them as their leader. People had to face all their torture and exploitation for their whole life. These leaders spoiled the whole country for a very long time. No one had the courage or the power to oppose them.
Now, let me ask you a question. Do any of you consider them as a true leader? Are these those qualities which a good leader should possess? Is this the true value of leadership?
I hope most of you don’t consider them as a true leader except a few one who believes that powerful people should have the authority whether they are ruthless. But those people should not have the right to live in a democratic country.
True Values of Leadership
Nowadays, the values of leadership have totally been changed. In this era, most of the countries are democratic countries. Here the common people have the right to choose their leader. But this big change is the efforts of few of our legendary leaders who spent their whole life to make this dream of a democratic country come true. Most of them are not alive but their thoughts are still influencing the whole world.
Mahatma Gandhi, in one of his quotes, said,
“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”
In the present era, the qualities of a good leader possess the power to influence people with their forecasting power, the thought process and the capacity to take appropriate actions on time.
Nowadays, people are not bound to accept one as a leader. One must have the appropriate skills to influence people rather than having the authority only. And this is the true value of leadership today.
Ken Blanchard said,
“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”
Conclusion
Leadership skills, in true sense, require the quality and the ability to influence people with their appropriate actions on time. The leaders who cannot create influence among people are not the real leader in fact. Power can only give you the authority but the ability to influence people would let you to your destination as a leader.
Written By: Avishekh Tiwari
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