What makes a leader

By Muhammad Qasem Jami

“A leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way.” – John C. Maxwell

Leadership is like dwelling in a ship, (leader+ship) with your family, extended family, friends and folks, in which the eldest (traditionally) -the one with more experience, or the wisest and of the serving type­- will take the lead and tell the rest what to do to keep this ship going. After all, everyone on this ship wants to live a comfortable life, reach their destinations (goals),and have a happy ending. No one wants to be left behind or sink in the ocean, not at all. Nonetheless, off and on, everyone experiences the waves of the ocean that shakes the ship. Sometimes these waves are super high, too strong for many and may even put an end to their lives. Not everyone is brave or has reached the level of self-confidence to believe in possibilities. Some people learn how to manage them, be proactive and, in case it happens again,not lose control or lose heart in the moment of crisis.

From time to time, you, as one of the dwellers on this ship, notice the challenges and note the solutions. You hear someone yelling for help. Soon, you realize that there are hearts to be given strength, minds to be enlightened, trusts to be built on, ideas to be respected, voices to be heard and choices to be made. Then you take the role of the captain, without demanding acknowledgement in public and aim to be of help, to bring significant changes to the people’s lives, just what they wished for.

As the self-made captain (leader), you now feel responsible, yet cheerful inside, for being able to give a helping hand to the most needy. If you neither give up nor give in but stick to make sure every one’s need is met, their dreams come true, you will be truly be called a servant leader, their respected captain.

Leadership is preparing people with tools they need to deal with the waves (ups and downs) of life, so that they believe in their abilities and be what they have always dreamed to be. Leadership is sharing your resources with others and caring about them. It is to follow up with your followers, as your followers follow you, to assist their progress, measure their abilities, meet their needs, and pave the way for them to go ahead. Ultimately, this is either the circle of influence or the circle of your concern that decides your and your followers’ destiny. If you have a clear vision and have set realistic missions to go ahead, then, only then, you will be able to reach and meet people dwelling on the other side of the ocean.