At least once in everybody’s life, they have the opportunity to experience leadership roles in society and in the lives of others. However, a lot of people have trouble rising up to the occasion or stepping up to fully embrace leadership opportunities. Part of the reason why this happens is because of personal insecurities which the individual may have. In the face of these insecurities – and even without them – many people sometimes wonder why they should ever be put in the position to lead anyone. And sometimes, other people are the ones who are wondering or asking that question.
WHY SHOULD ANYONE BE LED BY YOU?
Questioning your qualifications for leadership is a slippery slope which might lead to unpleasant places, as many people experience a lot of self-doubt and insecurities whenever they are placed in positions of leadership. However, a lot of powerful people – leaders and kingmakers – across the span of centuries have always inferred that best leaders are those who ponder upon their qualifications for leadership; the ones who take the time to ask themselves why anybody should ever be led by them. A lot of those powerful leaders and kingmakers will tell you that a leader who is unsure of the excellence of his own leadership is likely to be a much better leader to others compared to someone who is overtly confident in themselves and their own capabilities. Therefore, asking why anyone should be led by you may just be one of the first steps on the path of true leadership. The very fact that you’re taking the time to ask and ponder upon this question is an answer itself, and an indication that indeed, people might actually benefit from being led by you in more than one sphere of life. Other reasons might include the following:
- You are an expert in your field
Being an expert in your field of work or study is one of the most universally accepted qualifications for leadership, as it will be readily seen that you have a great store of knowledge in you, as a result of your qualifications, and many people out in the world may also be interested in learning from you and attaining a measure of your stockpile of knowledge and experience through the means of your leadership or tutelage.
However, being an expert in your field does not automatically equip you to be a leader in every aspect as there are other things involved in leadership asides expertise in a particular field of study, particularly when that field of study does not train you in education, leadership or psychology. Asides being an expert in their fields, true leaders also have some form of training that equips them to deal with others and their curious minds, particularly when the people you are leading are minors, teenagers or young adults. In this case, you may have to undergo some form of additional training which equips you to deal with those categories of individuals.
- You have innate leadership skills
Some of the best leaders are those who appear to have been born to lead. Some people are born with innate leadership skills that require little to no formal polishing before they are capable of leading others. Such people are usually the “take-charge” personality types who are usually seen to possess a lot of confidence as well as a great measure of sensitivity to the needs of others. Charisma is another trait that is usually exhibited by such set of people and among a crowd or a group of people, such individuals are usually the ones to whom others look for guidance when there is an emergency. Charisma in this case should not be confused with arrogance or insensitivity although some people with innate leadership skills may be prone to such negative behavior in the absence of proper guidance. No matter what, a good leader – or someone who should lead others – must be approachable by those who they are supposed to lead. And ultimately, no matter how great a person’s store of innate leadership skills is, there is always room for honing that talent and polishing it; this can only be done as a result of intentional efforts and experience.
- You have something to teach
The world is made up of billions of unique individuals and every person is special. Not only that, everybody has their own unique set of experiences, achievements and failure which have contributed to their own personal store of knowledge. If the wisdom you have come into in this world – and your knowledge – are things you see that others have a need for; that there is a demand for that brand of expertise or know-how and by sharing your knowledge you can somehow help them, in a way that is perfectly acceptable by the law, then you should go ahead and share that knowledge. You may have to work on yourself first by obtaining leadership trainings in order to unlock and polish your leadership potential, however if you want to do it, you should go for it. Work on yourself, achieve what you need in order to share your wisdom and knowledge and when you can sufficiently communicate your ideas, go ahead and do your thing.
- You have a service to render
A lot of people do not realize that leadership is a call to serve your community and the world. Good leaders understand that at the core of it, leadership is not just about getting the power and authority to order people about, but that it a system built on mutual trust and respect, by which real change can be wrought in a society by everybody coming together to pool their resources. The leader themselves, in this analogy, is also a part of those resources, along with the people they lead. They all constitute the human resource.
- You have something to learn
Good leaders must take the time and effort to invest in their personal learning, experience and growth as they operate within the spheres and authority of leadership, so that they may become even better people and better leaders who will contribute positively and favorably to their community and the rest of the world. It is the responsibility of a good leader to improve the quality of his person in terms of integrity, knowledge and leadership skills.