In Leadership: The Problem With This Generations Leaders

What does it take to be a good leader?  This is a question that many of us have asked ourselves, a question that takes more than one answer.  I know one answer would be people that are genuinely willing to follow us.  Because it is impossible to lead if there is nobody to follow you.  Another answer would be to be a good follower, because it is impossible to lead if you’re not willing to follow.  These are just two of the many answers to this one question and all of them require a lot out of the person asking.  

Being a leader is not an easy task, but it is a task that has great benefits for the person leading and the people following.  I say this with the mindset of; if you are an actual leader then you’re doing it correctly.  I do not refer to bad leaders as leaders because they might only be a leader because of their rank or position not because it’s a personality trait that they’ve adopted.  A real leader is somebody that has set out to better themselves and the people that they’re leading, not somebody that just so happens to be in a position of authority.  It’s like a man that is a sperm donor calling himself a father.  If you’re not present to raise the children then you’re not a father, just as if you’re not willing to go through the process of becoming a leader that people are willing to follow then you’re not a leader.

We live in a time where words have lost their original affect.  People don’t hold certain words with the level of respect that they used to hold.  Words like honor, love, faithful, loyal, and leader.  We no longer have respect for positions of authority, nor do we have the desire to earn our positions and respect.  Instead we are so impatient that instead of taking the time to develop ourselves as leaders and instead of taking the time mentor other people to help them become good leaders we try to rush to the top to prove we’re the best.  We move ahead by ourselves and stand atop of the mountain and scream this is what I did by myself.  We don’t acknowledge anybody and we don’t help anybody.  We are the captains of our own ships and we are unwilling to welcome anybody aboard.  This is the era of selfishness.  This is the time of “me”.  Who wants to help others when I can help myself?  

We are no longer believers of the principle of serving something greater than ourselves.  We instead are serving nothing greater than ourselves, and the whole world is suffering because of it.  There are people that will do so much for their organization and community just to get ahead.  So many people that will find one person to mentor just to have somebody that’ll look up to them and kiss their….  

To be a leader we cannot be motivated by selfish desires.  The bible says to “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”  If we seek to do what’s right for our organization and the people we’re leading then success will come, raises will come, promotions, recognitions, adulation, everything that a selfish person desires, a selfless person will get just because he’s looking out for the interests of those around him and above him.  People will take care of you as long as you are willing to take care of the organization and the people within it.  Taking care of the people in the organization is not however blowing smoke up the bosses butt; it’s doing what you know to do to get the job done, and being an example and mentor to the newer less experienced people in your organization, even if those people aren’t in your direct chain of command or are unable to do anything to return the favor.