Leadership – The Impact Of Selflessness

DON EBUBEOGU

Bild, a German newspaper once published 3 pictures showing Angela Merkel wearing the same dress for 18 years; 1996, 2002 and 2014. The newspaper remarked that she may be too occupied to go shopping. Her life has always been dedicated to adding values to others.

A press reporter once reminded Angela Merkel that he took a picture of her in the same dress 10 years ago. She said to him, “I have a mission to serve German people and not to be a model”.

Angela Merkel, while suppressing her personal desires, accomplished her mission by leading the 4th world biggest economy with an annual export worth of $1500 billion and still earns $30,810 (N12m) monthly salary, a paltry sum by Nigerian political standard.

Angela Merkel is a microcosm of true definition of leadership. The Leadership that is defined as the action of leading a group of people or an organization, to deliberately focus on a goal and achieve a result that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

There are many definitions of leadership, some of which dwelled on what leaders do and what leadership is. Some definitions captured leadership as a process of influencing others, by a leader with the ability to build relationships and influence people’s behaviour as required to execute a vision. This perspective of leadership is focused on inspiring and motivating others. In our local parlance we describe this as “leading by example”.

Jack Welch, the celebrated American retired business executive wrote, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

Leadership, in all spheres of Nigerian socio, economic and political environment is the bane of Nigerian greatness. We have not and will not attain greatness until we behave like leaders who live, work, and lead in alignment with their positive core values, principles, and beliefs to in turn ignite the same characteristics in those we are leading.

To provide purposeful leadership, SELF shall not be part of the consideration. Leadership is deliberately selfless. It has to be anchored on self-denial and principally focus on OTHERS.

Leadership is not about a title or a position. It’s about service, passion and accountability.

We are all leaders in our different fora. Whether in football field, class room, market place, WhatsApp group, town union and political office, we are bound by the same standard we use to assess other leaders. And if we fall short of the expectations as a leader, we are part of our problem.

How do you then know if you are a leader?

According to John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Don Ebubeogu writes from Onitsha, Anambra State.