 In
today's world I find myself asking “what is a
leader?" When I think of leadership a variety
of qualities come to mind. When discussing leadership
qualities with others, an individual’s character
seems to get the most discussion. Does a person's
character affect how they make decisions, run
the company, raises a family, or hold an elected
office?
I've had the privilege to be of service to
a variety of organizations: profit, not-for-profit,
and government. In each organization I worked
with a variety of leaders. Would I have followed
them into the heat of battle? A few yes. A few
I wouldn’t have trusted any farther than I could
have thrown them. What does that say about leadership?
Is leadership a position, and activity, or state
of mind? Is trust an essential component of
leadership?
Corporate leadership has come under great scrutiny
lately. With the Enron scandal, again the character
of the leaders is in question. As the Enron
scandal unfolded, more and more evidence of
corruption has emerged in other corporate settings.
What about political leaders? In this country
we have witnessed many politicians that have
been caught in questionable activities. Many
people said it didn't matter because they are
good leaders. If they can make bad decisions
in their personal life, what does that say about
their other decisions?
Is this a new situation? I don't think so.
I think we have always had leaders who have
let the power of their position go to their
head. It's just that in today's world of information
overload; we're hearing and seeing these issues
as they occur. We're also intimately connected
with the results. We can sympathize with an
Enron employee who has lost everything. We can
feel the pain as the stock market falls in response
to the scandals.
Does character really matter? I think it does.
I think that the current environment is asking,
no demands, that leaders look at themselves
closely. "What type of a leader am I?"
“Am I the type of leader to be admired?"
"What are the people actually saying about
me and my leadership?"
But before we started pointing fingers at the
"leaders" in our society and blaming
them for all the wrongs in our world, we need
to recognize one very important point. Each
and every one of us has a responsibility to
be a leader. We began with personal leadership.
"What kind of leader are you and how you
affect the people and events that surround you?"
Begin today to be the leader you expect others
to be.
By: Margie Thomas
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