MAJOR CAUSE OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE EXPOSED!

MAJOR CAUSE OF LEADERSHIP FAILURE EXPOSED! When Isaac Newton proposed the first law of motion, I doubt if he had the concept of leadership in mind. I hope he will not turn in his grave if I borrowed his invention briefly. Newton's first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. I like to think of the law in the light of Nathaniel Hawthorne famous quote - "To do nothing is the way to be nothing." Things or life will remain unchanged (rest like a grave) except there is an intentional force that will bring about the desired change. People experience leadership when that change empowers them to make choices that are in alignment with a vision of the desired future. Authentic leadership is a force of change. Great leaders know how to rally people around a unifying vision. They know that the best way to equip people is to teach them how to make the best choices for themselves. Therefore, they always seize opportunities to communicate the vision they believe. The world is blessed with great leaders, yet evidence of leadership failures also abounds. Is it not an aberration to get thirsty while living near the river? Dr Martin Luther King Jr. communicated his life purpose and passion in his unforgettable "I have a dream," speech. That speech was in agreement with the vision of his country, the United States, where freedom was supposed to be every person's right and privilege. At that time, racial discrimination and divide held the USA in its deep web. Martin's passion put him to work even at the cost of his life. Throughout his lifetime, his visions shaped his values, which in turn determined the choices he made. His life and work influenced an immense multitude within and beyond the shores of his country. About 50 years later, the USA had her first-ever black president. The barriers that racial discrimination has created, that which Dr Luther King fought in his lifetime was dealt another fatal blow. According to the records on the website (https://thekingcenter.org/), an organization set up in his memory, during the less than 13 years of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. This incredible feat would be impossible without the inspiration he drew from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. learnt leadership. He had a mentor. Though the circumstances of his time /life might have thrust leadership upon him, he did not bank on a mere event, limited experience or the lure of wishful thinking to get him through it. There had been an old and prolonged debate on whether leaders are born or made. I hope not to resurrect it. Best of athletes though talented often put work, more work than their average contemporaries. And there is also a famous saying that 'ultimately handwork trumps talent '. Both talent and hard work are raw materials for great success. Learning is hard work. Though it may involve listening, reading, or writing, the process is not complete until it produces a noticeable change of behaviour. You see, change is real work. Being able to change oneself and influence change in others is the hallmark of outstanding leadership. There are nations, individuals and organizations that have steadily and consistently moved through various phases of development and are close to the ideal that their founding fathers had in mind. It never happened overnight. Over a while, they have had different people (leaders) at the helm of their affairs. The succession of developments and progress can only be possible with a deliberate and consistent push in a desirable pre-agreed direction. Likewise, we have nations whose founding ideals and vision have been washed in the muddled water of corruption, poverty, lack of infrastructure and another undesirable element. Africa is the world's second-largest continent with the oldest human history. She most likely had experienced outstanding leadership at some point and made some progress. Despite a rich history, natural resources and abundant human resources, most African countries remain underdeveloped. Most African countries have been led by military officers and other 'emergency leaders' who have no experience in nation-building and did not bother to learn. The men in uniform ruled mostly after seizing power while others got to power through flawed selection (packaged as election) process. Some military rulers who managed to transition to democratic leadership, continued in their limited knowledge of leadership and nation-building, probably hoping that their clout or some other hidden factors will bring good fortune. Oh, Africa, what (rather who) has befallen you? Suppose nothing moves or works, except it is moved or worked, it is safe to believe that leadership is vital to the growth and development of any worthwhile venture. Nature has enough demonstrations of how life works- essential traits and features necessary for survival, growth and development are often transferred to the next generation, a process called hereditary. Humans, the most sophisticated of all living beings even devised nonbiological means of passing useful skills and knowledge to others through teaching, learning, and documentation. Just like all essential life skills, leadership skills can be passed on to others. When it is not learnt or passed on, stagnancy and underdevelopment are inevitable. You do not have to look far before seeing the evidence of leadership failure in many nations across the world. From deteriorating value systems to corruption, poverty, and the list goes on and on. The absence of worthy role model figures that the younger generation could look up to and learn from is a significant factor responsible for poor governance, leadership failure by the political class, family and religion heads and other myriads of socio-economic problems bedevilling the world. Leaders and people all around the world need to embrace mentoring deliberately. Mentoring in this context can be thought of as the transfer of wisdom from a wise and trusted counsellor, generally in a leadership position, who helps to guide another person to become a successful leader. Leadership and mentoring are inseparable. Hence, it is shocking that some people in leadership positions do not embrace or believe in it. Even some who believe in mentoring are not intentional about it. According to a research published by PDI Ninth House, it was discovered that as leaders move up the organization, their ability to develop others decreased -- even though they readily recognize its necessity at every level. This why we have knowledge and experience gap which is responsible for lack of sustainability and continuity of initiatives that could lead to growth and development. Leadership is all about service; influencing people to become better. The focus is primarily on those being led. And the most critical metric for the achievement of a leader is the growth and development of those being led. The great privilege of leadership carries with it an even greater responsibility; the obligation of service. Once a person assumes a leadership role, they automatically inherit the responsibility for the care, well-being, and overall stewardship of those they lead. Some may refer to the demands as mentioned earlier as the burdens of leadership. However, they are the real primary benefits of leadership. Mentoring is a vital element of a leader's job description. A leader should help people develop to the best of their ability, thereby reaching their full potential. Leadership is not an easy task because it is life moulding; this why all successful organizations and nations need to create a culture where the acquisition, development, implementation, and transfer of skills and knowledge are highly valued. This type of culture cannot exist where the practice of mentoring is not a top-down initiative. Leaders must not only embrace mentoring, but they must also become its champion by building their mentoring process on trust, mutual commitment, living by example and choosing mentees who are deserving of their time. For every nation whose labour of their past heroes has yielded results, there has been a deliberate transfer of leadership skills. These heroes were wise to know that what they have done will amount to nothing except they commit their vision to able men who are also able to teach others. This is how legacy is laid and a great nation or organization built. Have you heard the quote – "Success without a successor is a failure"? What does it mean to you? No matter how 'great' an achievement is, without sustainability and continuity, all that is accomplished crumbles and falls like a pack of cards. The only way to achieve real success is to raise leaders that will sustain and build on initial progress achieved by their predecessors. A leader who has not raised at least another leader cannot be referred to as a successful leader and cannot leave behind an enduring legacy. Mentorship must be embraced and deliberately practised to avoid leadership failure. © David Osiri A.K.A. Mr Mentormophosis 08021471061