35 Marks of Irrepressible Leadership

Unique qualities for unsurpassable, powerful and passionate leadership

Habits of leaders who change their world

Matthew Ashimolowo

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 © 2015 Matthew Ashimolowo

Published by RiverBlue Publishing

ISBN 978-1-909113-08-4

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or be transmitted, in any form, or by any means, mechanical,
electronic, photocopying or otherwise without prior written consent of the
publisher.

The Conclusion has been taken from the book, “Failsafe Leadership” by Matthew
Ashimolowo, copyright of RiverBlue Publishing, 2012, Chapter 54.

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Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Risk taker
2. Helps discover and deploy other talents
3. Get people and organisations to change
4. See the broad picture not the narrow in matters
5. Lead more from the heart and soul, not the head
6. Passionate motivators
7. Adopt a personal and active attitude toward their goals
8. Take chances, not just solving problems
9. Characterized by their being inspiring leaders
10. Draw strength from their natural traits and attributes
11. Influencers
12. Operate with insight, foresight and far sight
13. Effective managers
14. Good followers who became leaders
15. Are results orientated
16. Provoke a following
17. Use charisma to provoke growth
18. Innovative
19. Inspire trust
20. Do not ask “what if”, but, “why not”
21. Providers of vision and influence
22. Independent in their thinking
23. Courageous and fearless
24. Problem solvers
25. Have high emotional intelligence
26. Ambitious and achievement oriented
27. Authentic
28. Concerned with effectiveness
29. Born negotiators, marketers and persuaders
30. Exercise diplomacy and tact
31. Set direction for the organisation and give the enthusiasm for achieving it
32. Diplomatic warriors
33. Enforcers of change
34. Servant leaders
35. Futuristic in their pursuit
Conclusion - have a succession plan

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INTRODUCTION
“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without
fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service
for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.” Sun Tzu
Our world is at a crossroads. It is confronted with issues, problems and threats
that were before unknown. Apart from these threats, no other civilisation has
known the level of advancement that has come in our times, in practically every
field; the technological, psychological, educational, spiritual, relational,
emotional, geographical, demographic etc.
On another hand, the nations, companies, industries and people who have not
benefitted from this sudden wave of change, seem to desire leadership that has
capacity, strategy and ability necessary to bring them into the same level of
advancement.
Economically, the global ball seems to be turning very fast. Nations that were
once powerful, pioneering and conquering, are today confronted with economic
challenges. These nations include Spain, Portugal, France, and Greece. On the
other hand, nations that were known for producing the inferior and almost
unacceptable are now the sought-after pride of the world: India, China, Brazil
have all suddenly come to the fore.
The 'dark continent' of Africa, at the time of writing this book, is said to be the
next possible emerging continent with the greatest potential ever. This scenery
calls for a kind of leader who is irrepressible. Yes, irrepressible! The word actually
conveys the thought of being uncontainable, enthusiastic, unrestrainable,
ebullient, unquenchable, unstoppable, and incapable of being repressed.
This kind of leader cannot be restrained. This kind of leader believes in change
and makes it happen. They have the guts to step forward, to take risks and lead
organisations and nations into the place of much needed change. During
downturns, they are the ones who make economies rebound.
35 powerful principles have been put together to present the irrepressible
leader; the one who brings meaning to life and helps people to become
performers.
The contents of this book will help you to further develop your leadership style
to achieve the success hitherto dreamt about. It will help you to foster trust and
develop the capacity to lead in your chosen field with uncommon ability. Enjoy!

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1. RISK TAKER
“The person who risks nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and
change and grow and love and live.” Leo F. Buscaglia (American guru, tireless
advocate of the power of love – 1924 – 1998)
Leadership is the capacity to see a possibility and start the process that leads
to that conclusion.
When a person is put in front of others to lead them or take them to an
intended destination, a risk has already been taken because the same person, if
other qualities were not observed before the action was taken, could also ground
the organisation in ineptitude and inaction.
Every major advancement in every generation has answered to those whose
are willing to take the risk without worrying about the possible consequence.
People who are risk averse in their approach, whether in major or minor matters,
need to realise that they may be cut out to be managers rather than leaders.
It is almost impossible for an organisation to maintain a momentum of
continuity of operation, expansion and breaking into new horizons without taking
risks.
Thomas Edison did not accept the status quo regarding the conducting of
electricity. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, pushed
communications beyond the bounds of the mere discovery of the Morse code.
Every invention or tool of modern convenience is a product of the desire of man
to stretch the possibilities around him.
Risk taking should not be looked at as if it is a strange option. We are all risk
takers by nature. It is just the measure that differs from person to person and the
result which it brings.
We are all risk takers. That is why we fly in planes, drive cars or allow
ourselves to be driven in a car or train. We sit on chairs in public places without
first checking if they are able to hold our weight.
However the risk of which we speak is that capacity to go where no one has
ever been; risking reputation in order to make a discovery. We are speaking of a
level of risk that requires a high dimension of commitment.
Risk taking makes people move away from their comfort zones and choose
the path less travelled.
In the words of Robert Frost “Two roads diverged in a wood and …I took the
one less travelled, and that has made all the difference.”
Certainly some have taken the road less travelled and ended up in
unimaginable challenges and a lack of success. However such is the spirit of
leaders who take organisations to heights unimaginable; they push the
boundaries of achievements and imagination because they were willing to take

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risks.
A challenge arises when the chemistry of the leader and the organisation does
not mix very well, or when his vision is running parallel to the setting where he
finds himself. When these risks are taken the irrepressible leader may not be
popular with some people but wisdom will always be justified by the product and
results.
Risk taking in leadership is not jumping off the cliff and then thinking of how to
build wings on your way down. It is a calculated risk, such that has taken the
consequence into effect. And when it comes to jumping off a cliff without wings,
people will resist jumping. In the words of Glen Jones, “People will rise to meet
seemingly insurmountable obstacles and challenges if they understand the
worthiness of the personal sacrifice and effort.”
The oxymoron often times though is that leaders who have a picture of where
they are going tend to jump ahead, without painting a picture of what the
consequences and the benefits would be for their followers. The leader expects
everyone to have an understanding of what they are trying to create.
Another reason people resist change is because they like and want to feel
secure. However, security is oftentimes an illusion, particularly where it requires a
risk to be taken. Security does not exist in nature or with humans. Nothing ever
remains the same; no human being can say he is totally secure forever, unless it
has to do with eternal matters.
We have already highlighted the importance of risk taking for leadership. The
converse is true for managers; managers tend to be risk averse and because they
are the immediate ones who have to relate with employees, they discourage any
form of risk and many times stop the chance of an organisation really growing.
Another result of having risk averse managers is that employees remain
unconvinced that senior organisational heads really want them to take risks.
They hear the rhetoric but they know that their bosses will not stand by them if
they go ahead and take a risk. In most cases employees do not have the legal,
structural and administrative powers to take the risks that are necessary to move
their company forward.
The risk taking leader may need to create a forum through newsletters,
meetings or ‘water cooler moments’; places where a leader is able to
demonstrate to the employees that he/she is a true listener and will appreciate
any risk that needs to be taken in order for the organisation to progress.
 

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2. HELPS DISCOVER AND DEPLOY OTHER TALENT
“If your action inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and
become more, you are a leader” John Quincy Adams
Leadership is not a magnetic personality that can just as well be a gift of the
tongue. It is not a mere making of friends and influencing people. That would be
flattery if that is what leadership is.
Leadership is about lifting a person’s vision to the highest standard. It is
building the personality beyond its normal limitations.
When we take a look around the world it is not uncommon to see heads of
organisations, denominations, corporations and missions who have been at the
helm of leadership for as long as a quarter of a century or even more.
This is even more apparent in third world nations. These heads hold on to
power without any system in place to allow the evolution of a new breed of
leaders; there seems to be a deliberate action to see that new and capable
people are not discovered, developed and deployed.
It is a sheer contradiction to lead a nation with a population that runs into
millions and keep justifying the perpetuation of power because there are no good
successors. This is very hard to accept in our modern times, considering the wide
variety of platforms and approaches currently available for training.
Quality leadership entails putting an effective talent discovery and
development system in place to avoid obsolescence. If an organisation does not
think of how the coming generation will be developed to take over, it will
fossilise.
Successive leaders create a management and processing system which aid the
development and deployment of the talents which they discover. The following
might be some of the steps that could help in succeeding in this area.
Like begets like – a leader should aim at developing other leaders. This can
start by focusing on developing people into key roles. The HR department may be
a good omen for modern institutions however it is difficult for leadership to
evolve by the mere selection of personnel that is done by a single department.
Ideally, recruitment should only be at entry point. The development should be
a continuous process because it takes time for the gifts in people to evolve. Once
potential have been discovered, a clear development path and scheme that
would lock the people who have great potential into a career path that leads to
heading the organisation, should be created.
There is a belief that talent is most critical for success, so a good leader may
need to look for raw talents and this may include people who at first give an
impression of having different views from the leader. The ability to think outside
of consensus opinion may itself be an advantage in discovering people who have
the potential to lead.

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 Once talented people have been found, part of the training process should be
to allow them to demonstrate that gifting or talent, even if it means that they fail
in an attempt to succeed. No toddler walks or runs without first making attempts
and falling several times. Sometimes leaders who have already arrived in a place
of great gifting need to realize that life is about rhythms of rising and falling.
The best place to start when you are looking for leaders to develop is in-
house. However, if an organisation must go from good to great; it may need to
look outside for individuals who can negotiate their own developmental path.
What makes leaders irrepressible is that they consider everything they do; a
chance to coach future leaders, to mentor and to bring those who are otherwise
not gifted in a specific area, to the highest standard.
The challenge often times with organisations is not the discovery of talents
and their development; it is the ability to deploy effectively and keep them in the
organisation. It is important to also create a system which keeps the talent that
has been discovered and developed from being poached by the competition. This
is possible through attractive remuneration. If you pay the best you will have the
best. Those who pay peanuts end up hiring monkeys.
In today’s rather competitive world, it might also be part of the actions of the
irrepressible leader to poach the best from the competition. However once
people are poached there is no guarantee they will be kept if the organisation
does not have a system that continuously challenges them. Good people like to
work with good people.
As future leaders are developed and deployed, opportunities should be
created and if sudden ones arise they should be adopted with the protégé given
the opportunity to participate.
Once leaders develop they could also be used as mentors of upcoming
protégés to build loyalty, commitment, faithfulness and to accelerate the
development of more and high potential people.
As the protégé settles into position and begins to understand that he is being
groomed for leadership; a detailed in house map of the future of the organisation
and where the protégé fits in needs to be presented to him. This will enable him
to embrace the future of the organisation.
Once people have been discovered, trained and given that soft landing and
allowed to fail and succeed, the organisation stands to reap from the actions of
an irrepressible leader.
 

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3. GET PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS TO CHANGE
“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise
you with their results” – George S. Patton
Irrepressible leadership is critical for the successful management of change in
an organisation. It is also critical to see people transformed into being effective
in their work with the system or the organisation.
When an organisation changes its overall outlook and strategy for success, it
may remove certain sections, practices or change the nature of its operation in
order to set itself in motion for organisational change. However this is not
possible unless the people who are part of the organisation are ready for the
transformation. It may be argued that organisations essentially don’t change; it is
the individuals within it who do.
So why is organisational and personnel change necessary? Most times it is in
order to improve the performance of the organisation or certain parts of it.
However, this could be very difficult to achieve if the wrong approach is taken
and the fact that people are generally reluctant to change their habits doesn’t
make it any easier.
Therefore, to make the change successful for both individuals and the
organisation, it is necessary for everyone to recognise the need for change; and
for a desire to be created in the minds of those who are to change in order to
participate and support the change.
The irrepressible leader needs to know how to effectively bring about change;
they must have an ability to cultivate the required skills and behaviour in their
subordinates; and be able to establish and reinforce change in a way that will
make it sustainable.
Almost every organisation has people who resist change; people often feel
that there is no need to fix anything if it is still functioning; even if it is functioning
in abnormality. Such an attitude has bred a resistance to change and an argument
for maintaining the status quo.
In the early 70s, the Swiss watch industry was confronted with a challenge of
change: the idea of quartz technology, which was to change watches from the
balance wheel mechanism, came into being. The Swiss watch makers thought an
electronic watch was unnecessary; therefore they hesitated embracing the
change. Their attitude was informed by the fact that they had always dominated
the market and at the time their market position was strong.
However, that refusal to change brought a disastrous decline to the Swiss
industry. Between 1970 and 1988 employment in their industry fell from 90,000
to 28,000. Several watch making factories either closed, went into insolvency or
disappeared. The number of factories fell from 1600 to a mere 600. The Swiss
called the period the ‘great watch decline’ while the Japanese and the Americans

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called it the ‘Quartz revolution’.
An irrepressible leader is a person who will come and take the organisation
through a re-engineering, realignment and refocusing.
How does a leader get people and organisations to change?
There are many approaches to guiding change; some are planned, structured
and explicit while others are purely organic, unfolding and implicit. Some change
processes work from the future back to the present.
In other words, you cast a vision and then create an action plan for making it
happen. Some change specialists have argued that to effect change a three step
action is advisable and that is to unfreeze, change and freeze.
This theory argues that behaviour is like frozen meat which needs to be
‘unfrozen’. This action requires the ability to make a person recognise their need
to change. Unfreezing may require presenting a picture of a desired future,
alongside the current situation as a starting point.
Stakeholders, associates and subordinates are sometimes unwilling to change
and will often stand as an impediment to the leader’s desire. However, the ability
to paint a picture of a desired future may unfreeze the mind.
The second step in this three step model is to change before freezing again.
This is carrying out the assignment of a change agent with the cooperation of the
participants; otherwise the change will be ineffective.
This could happen by painting a picture of the true likelihood of the
competition taking over because people refuse to change, or help in making
progress.
The change process that an irrepressible leader will use may also include
defining a change management strategy and preparing a change management
team who would help implement the plan of action. Failure is likely where one
person thinks they can bring all the change necessary.
With the change management team a leader can go out and build support
among like-minded people; whether they are recruited as a part of your initial
team or not. There are always people within almost any organisation who desire
change.
Then recruit honestly, by this I mean that a leader should not make promises
that he cannot fulfil. If the promises are too grand and unattainable,
disillusionment becomes inevitable, because the leader is not able to keep the
word or promise he made to those who are helping in the process of change.
Appreciate environmental factors – Does the change you bring create a lot of
discomfort in an organisation? For example, a computer system that has been
implemented without prior engagement of all the key stakeholders, especially
those expected to use the system. If your change creates discomfort people will
resist the change
Do not instruct or mandate change – what makes a leader irrepressible is the

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fact that they carry everyone along by creating relationships without anyone
feeling that they have been dictated to.
Look out for the likely opposition and create an atmosphere that will not give
people a reason to fight and dig their heels in against the coming change. People
tend to oppose what they do not understand. Involve others in the planning
process. Nothing makes people resist an idea more than the feeling that it was
imposed on them and that they were not a part of the whole process of making it
happen.
Do not neglect yesterday and today – irrepressible leaders are people with a
helicopter view by nature. They see the big picture particularly as it applies to the
future; they see where the organisation can go. However, while they are so
focused on the future they could overlook present needs and also the history of
the past. It is important to realize that no great future may be achieved without it
resting on a foundation that regards, respects and manages the past and the
present.
Remember, we started with three theories for change; unfreeze, change,
freeze. Once the quality change desired has been achieved, it is important for the
new culture to be frozen; in order for it to be permanent and for people not to
slide back to the past.

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4. SEE THE BROAD PICTURE NOT THE NARROW IN MATTERS
“Many are so caught up in their own problems that they cannot see the big
picture. Often seeing the big picture can give one the perspective that makes
illusive solutions suddenly easy to visualize” Mr. Prophet
The broad picture is the capacity to have an overall view of a situation or
situations in one’s field of leadership.
There are different kinds of leaders and their nature reveals how they
approach matters. Some are pioneering while others are energizing. Some are
affirming, inclusive and humble, while others are deliberate, resolute or very
commanding in everything they do.
The nature of the leader will determine if he has the ability to see the overall
picture in matters before decisions are taken. Some also do not realize that the
capacity to have an overall view; a broad view is what may help the organisation
to move forward and achieve.
In a world where many people blame strategy, the leaders, the followership,
the system etc. little attention is often given to the fact that failure comes when
the big picture is not clear to everyone, and is not universally understood by those
who are participants in making a vision or a goal happen.
It is important that a leader recognizes that it is their obligation to ensure that
the management teams, who work with him, first have a clear understanding of
what the strategy is and what the big picture or the vision of the organisation is.
Before the leader goes to the management team he needs to first look at
himself in the mirror and ensure that he has endeavoured to take a view that is
beyond his own personal desires, impressions and ambition. Once this is done
there are practical steps that can help to paint a broad picture and carry
everyone along.
First it is important for the leader to test the team’s ability to discuss the broad
picture. This could start by setting a standard and sharing with the people what
the big picture truly is.
In order to take people from the known to the unknown it might be wise for
the leader to give the management team and their immediate subordinate
questions, that when answered reveal how much they understand the vision.
If the management are able to give correct answers to five or six out of ten
questions; it shows that there is a high degree of understanding and appreciation
of the broad picture, and that people know where the leader is going. However, if
they are sounding like they are singing from different hymn sheets then they are
out of sync with the leadership.
The leader should ask the management the following questions: Who are the
target audience? This answer should feature a list of the target audiences in
order of priority.

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 What are the services this organisation stands to provide and which one needs
to be changed, if there is need for it? Which one needs to be changed in the light
of the strategies we are pursuing?
What value are you proposing to our market or customers? Your business is
not the only one in town therefore people need to know what value you are
proposing to them and why they should forsake all others and cling to yours.
How does your value proposition set you apart in the market place; what
makes your company unique?
What are the forces; environmental, economic, societal, political etc. that are
important to the strategy of your organisation?
If leading a division, an irrepressible leader should be able to ask the people
about what their division is doing to support the overall vision of the
organisation. How does the head of marketing see his division in the light of the
bigger picture? However, it is not just a department that is important, everyone
has a part to play and is responsible for making the vision happen.
It is possible for people who work in an organisation to have little or a
superficial understanding of what the organisation is all about and what it stands
for. Good people have been known to be working hard, doing the wrong thing
and having a myopic understanding of what the organisation stands for.
An irrepressible leader will make it his vision to encourage everyone to have a
deeper understanding of the big picture just as he does. This will enable the vision
of the organisation to go forward, for the organization to employ the right staff
and put staff in the appropriate places. It also means that certain departments
can be retuned and re-engineered for the better.
When a leader finds that people cannot answer these questions in a manner
that is consistent with his or her expectation, and that they are not willing to
make adjustments; they must realize that the consequence of this upon the
organisation is major.
While the approach suggested is formal, a leader may use other methods;
going around and asking questions in an informal way in other to make people
conscious that there is a need to change and see the big picture.

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5. LEAD MORE FROM THE HEART AND SOUL, NOT THE HEAD
A leader who will be irrepressible reads with the heart more than with the
head. With today’s emphasis on the need for knowledge, information and the
right skill set, one aspect that has been neglected is emotional intelligence. This is
the ability to read your own feelings as a leader and understand what they are
telling you about yourself, so that it can help you understand how to react to
other people and situations.
Intellectual ability is not enough, it is important to develop emotional
intelligence. It helps to predict why you behave towards people based on certain
perceptions and feelings you have about them. Acquiring this trait and using it to
work on your person will make you a people person because of your ability to
read others and adapt yourself towards them for effective relationship or
service.
Emotional intelligence creates a two-way win; that is, the person who
possesses the ability succeeds because they know how to make others want and
need them, and they also know how to read people and respond to their needs.
Daniel Goleman, the American psychologist who propounded the insight on
emotional intelligence theory argues that there are five elements to it.
Self-awareness – that people with emotional intelligence are aware of their
abilities and use it to control their emotional reaction at any given moment. It is
about knowing your area of strength and using the information to enhance your
performance.
Self-awareness is probably the most important part of emotional intelligence.
It is a good indication of when your emotional bank account is overdrawn and
need to pull back before acting in a way that could hurt other people.
Self-regulation is the ability to control one’s emotions. Once the knowledge of
emotional bankruptcy becomes obvious to the leader, this trait will not allow
them to be controlled by their emotions. They refuse to be drawn into anger, or
to make decisions that are based on how they feel emotionally.
Irrepressible leaders with this trait are confident with change; they are full of
integrity and have the ability to say NO either to themselves or to people
demanding a decision.
Motivation – Emotional intelligence helps to make one highly motivated. It is
very difficult to give quality leadership if you are easily de-motivated. Motivation
enables leaders to delay their gratification. Delayed gratification is a sign of
maturity. The highly motivated are productive, love a challenge and are very
effective with what they do. They are constantly on top of their game.
Empathy – empathy is probably the most important aspect of emotional
intelligence. It helps one to understand the wants and needs of those around and
respond to them. Emotional intelligence aids in reading people’s feelings, even

15
when they are not immediately obvious. It aids managing relationships in an
excellent way.
Emotionally intelligent people are not quick to judge others because often
times they are able to process what the truth is behind the actions of the
persons.
Social skills – people with high social skills are easy to talk to, they are team
players who do not focus on their own ambition or desire but focus on how to
build others and make winners out of them. High social skills is a product of
emotional intelligence. This ability aids them in managing disputes and
relationship issues; as a matter of fact they are excellent communicators and
masters of building and maintaining relationships.
An irrepressible leader goes beyond how he feels in his mind and leads from
the heart. He does not judge people without having all the facts. When judging a
matter he does not stereotype but rather looks honestly at the facts presented
and sometimes goes beyond the facts to try and understand the mitigating
circumstances that may even emanate from beyond the workplace of the
persons involved. It helps them to become more open and accepting of other
people’s perspectives.
Humility is a virtue that does not belittle the leader but shows a person with
the heart and ability to rise above accolades or a constant need for affirmation.
In fact, this type of leader sincerely gives others the chance to shine by
deliberately putting the spotlight on their achievements or contributions.
Emotional intelligence also includes the ability to manage negative emotions;
managing personal stress or people’s failed expectations. This helps a leader to
know whether to blame others or take the fall.
The ability to stay calm in troubled times is a sign of maturity. If the leader
gets it wrong he is able to apologize to others, particularly to those who have
been affected by his actions. It is easy to forgive a leader who readily accepts and
admits his own imperfections.
In a nutshell, this approach makes leadership irrepressible when it comes from
the heart; when the leadership is real. It is an awareness of your action and how
they affect other people. It is the proof that you value other people and are
willing to lead from the heart and not the head.

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6. PASSIONATE MOTIVATORS
Motivating others is a characteristic of irrepressible leaders because they see
it as their ultimate goal to raise performance, productivity and to produce future
leaders.
A motivational leader knows that his team is a reflection of his skill; no leader
is powerful enough to overcome a team that doesn’t really believe in themselves
and want to be successful. Empowering people is a major necessity of leadership;
if a person is not ready for that, then they are not called to lead.
Leading is not about creating a group of robots and giving them instructions or
manipulating them to act. Man’s capacity to choose is relational gift and it is
what separates him from animals and inanimate things. A leader must recognize
this power of choice and not violate but help to motivate people to use it
effectively.
The recognition of a man’s right of choice will help the leader to develop the
right attitude towards his followers, and help him to realise that people are not
failures or a problem; they are just an opportunity for the leader to make
something out of them. A true motivating leader will make other people see
value in his position, where he is going, and what he is setting out to achieve.
So how do we recognize an irrepressible leader when we see them? What
makes their gift necessary?
Irrepressible leaders are necessary because they help people to adapt; having
already adapted their style of leadership to serving through motivation. This
leader knows that everyone in an organisation is different. Sometimes it is
tempting to make everyone feel like they are ‘one size fits all’ but the passionate
motivator recognizes individual traits and adapts styles accordingly. This leader
will create an atmosphere of trust and respect, which is mutual for both the
leader and the led. If you don’t develop this among people with whom you work,
then all is lost.
How does the leader set out to motivate?
It is important to create an environment where people are respected and
trusted. Once that is achieved, people will be willing to go the extra mile.
A motivating leader is one who is ready to accept if things go wrong. He
becomes the foreman for visions that were not executed. He takes the hit if the
initiative that was announced was not executed or properly achieved.
Organise around a purpose – it is easier to motivate people if there is a cause,
or a purpose; something to achieve.
Develop and communicate your convictions – it is possible to hear it in the
voice, see it in actions and just know when a leader is acting in the power of his
belief or just going with the flow because he too is an employee.
Set high standards; such as for a building, for something that will endure, or an

17
organisation that will stand out. A leader who will motivate other people must
raise the standard high and aim for it. It should not be about hype, spin or excuses
but a true desire to make something happen. This will break people free from
laziness because people can see the big picture.
Inspire the followers – one of the greatest visions of a leader is to make
leaders out of people; to make those who follow to see a reason to. None is
motivated when they are constantly being told that it is better elsewhere, neither
will the leader achieve if he does not see potential in the people right in front of
him.
Decisions – decisions – decisions; passionate motivators must put value on the
importance of their decisions. This will ensure that they do not arrive at
conclusions too quickly, but with due process considering the implications of
their decisions: i.e. the lives it might impact, how it will influence the
organisation, what limitations it could bring, or what progress it will encourage.
Set goals for long time results – quick fix leaders, leaders who are not
motivators always want to set goals that will bring them immediate recognition
and celebration. A passionate motivator sees himself as one who will set out to
achieve things that may not be obvious to the outside world for years. He does
this by teaching people to speak out, to grow up, to be heard, changing the
culture of an organisation and in the process raising great people. He motivates
people to reach levels they never thought they could reach.
They keep it real – there is a difference between Hitler and Gandhi; between
Benito Mussolini and Mother Theresa. All these people are motivators but one
group, including Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin are passionate
motivators who did it with a selfish motive. While the other group of passionate
motivators, including Mother Theresa and Gandhi, show us how to serve people;
they make greatness out of others while staying true to themselves.
They are great communicators – how can you passionately motivate others
and communicate with them, if you can’t paint a picture of the future which
people can believe in? The irrepressible leader helps people by communicating his
vision to them, transferring his belief in the vision and making stake holders buy
into it and followers serve it.
It is not always easy to motivate people passionately but it is important that
this be practiced in order to be an irrepressible leader. If you do not know how to
do it now, start with one action at a time. No one was born to be the best that
they could be; they only become better constant practice and as you become
committed and convinced that you are supposed to challenge others to also
maximize their gift, then you can set on to do it.
In the end you will be recognised and respected and you will reciprocate this
to those whom you are motivating.

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7. ADOPT A PERSONAL AND ACTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THEIR GOALS
The true essence of leadership is the ability to define a journey, or a
destination and move in that direction with others following. This is possible
through a clear definition of goals.
Why is goal setting important?
Goals help to describe success; without a clear description of what you are
setting out to achieve it is difficult to succeed. Goals provide the challenges to
attack, the mountains to climb, the directions to go in. Goals can become the
deal that brings an organisation together. If a goal is not set it is not achieved;
people tend to move in the direction of expectations but they never surpass
them. Therefore, irrepressible leaders know how to constantly renew the
organisation as they perpetually set goals and are active themselves to make the
goals achieved.
Leadership is not watching others do it while you supervise. The leader’s
attitude defines what happens; why the goals may be achieved and how they may
be carried out.
Why are goals important? - They are important for any organisation because
they help in defining people’s responsibilities and what area they may be
delegated to. Goals help in facilitating better communication within an
organisation. Goals define the parameters within which people can operate
freely.
Properly set goals bring with it job satisfaction. The best way to know the
strength of a person or the organisation is through the goals that are set.
Through goals one may fairly assess whether an individual or an organisation is
moving in the direction of its original intention.
Goals help you to provide a wider variety of programmes and give you insight
on which areas to improve and what new areas should evolve.
One of the most paramount reasons for goal setting is that it helps to clarify
what your organisation is out to do, achieve and become. That way it informs
what philosophy guides you and gives a sense of satisfaction once the goals are
achieved.
Where goals are not set, people could be doing well but they feel bad for not
achieving as much as they would have liked; not realising that they have done the
best they can in their situation.
How to Develop Goals
A primary question one needs to ask a leader is ‘where are you going’?
That question has to do with purpose; once an organisation knows what its
purpose is and what it’s setting out to achieve, then it is much easier for it to
progress. Goals can then be adjusted every year, as they continue to move in the
direction of their greater mission.

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 The work setting of the leader determines how the goals were arrived at in the
first place. Sometimes goals are defined solely by the leader and in other cases,
people are carried along and given the opportunity to suggest ideas.
The ultimate mission has to come from an individual and an irrepressible
leader must know how to show excitement about the goals, carry his team along,
and let every member take part, possibly in the brainstorming, so that their
morale and cooperation is high.
When team members suggest goals that are unrealistic it may be wise to leave
it until a method is brought in at the end to determine what goals should stand
and which ones are to be dropped.
Part of the method for arriving at the final goals should be to check if the goals
are S-M-A-R-T. Specific – Measureable – Achievable – Realistic and Time bound.
The next step in making goals happen is to prioritize the goals in their order of
importance to the organisation or what you want to achieve. Following this
should be a desire to ensure that people own the goal; a goal that is not owned
by people will end up being frustrated.
Once the goals are set, the next important step is to develop an action plan.
This action plan could start with you setting a deadline for each goal to be
achieved, then going ahead to evaluate the goals or the people who will carry
them out. It is important to determine who in the organisation will be involved in
the implementation of the plan so that there are people held responsible for
certain actions to be carried out.
The whole process of setting goals and developing plans to achieve the goals is
what takes you from concept to process and from process to action. Once it goes
beyond nice words to action; you and your organisation are on the road to
success.

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8. TAKE CHANCES, NOT JUST SOLVING PROBLEMS
“If it is a good idea go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is
to get permission” – Admiral Grace Hopper
The Chinese say “He who is afraid to throw the dice will never throw a six.”
How will a man know how far is too far if as a leader he is afraid to venture
outside of his own comfort zone? Taking chances is one of the greatest marks of
irrepressible leadership.
This trait is often restricted by organisational structure, culture and rules.
Oftentimes because of the fear of stepping out of line or exceeding one’s
contract or rules of engagement; people have been known to allow gifting,
abilities, dreams and ideas to die. It is great to bring balance, structure and
organisation but every institution needs to find a medium for encouraging gifts,
particularly those carried by leaders to manifest.
Battles however have been won and giant strides have been achieved when
the leader has acted like a rebel with a cause and taken chances. History has so
many generals who have sometimes defied the orders of their commander in
chief, obeyed their hunch and taken chances, and ended with tremendous
victories.
Taking chances means dreaming and pursuing the fulfilment of such dreams.
Boldness may look like risking it all but it has a touch of genius and magic.
The Greek philosopher Seneca said “It is not because things are difficult that
we dare not venture. It is because we dare not venture that they are difficult”.
Taking chances is doing what you are told you may not be able to do. How
many people live with regrets about new grounds they should have broken, or
ideas they should have initiated when someone comes along, takes the same
chance and makes it happen.
It is necessary to take chances in order to perfect what you want to achieve. It
is taking chances; the giant steps and not a few short steps, that helps us cross
the chasms that separate the ordinary follower or manager from the leader. This
is a cardinal indicator of an irrepressible leader; the ability to be a pathfinder, a
trail blazer.
The refusal to take chances is what the Old King Solomon was talking about
when he made reference to the lazy man who would not go for his dreams but
prefers to complain and when asked why he would not go out to work he said
“there is a lion outside”.
How does a leader show this outstanding trait?
Firstly, by taking chances with the people around him or her; how many
leaders have found themselves constrained or contained by the thought that
every follower, every manager, every subordinate needs to be at a certain level
or ability? Unknown to them that part of the function of leadership is to be able

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to spot talent even before the talent themselves know and to make their gift and
ability manifest.
The leader goes further by providing opportunities for the people they have
discovered; whether they are team members who work with them, or individuals
in the organisation. They go further by making their protégés believe they are
capable of achieving certain goals set for them.
Putting a lot of investment in hidden talents, or people who are yet to be
equipped for a certain position, may look like gambling in a casino. However, such
a step may end up being one of the best the leader ever took. Certainly, every
leader has had his fingers burnt by an improper judgement of somebody’s gift,
ability or talent but the leader’s confidence in the individual’s ability can be a
powerful source of motivation.
People tend to flourish in an atmosphere where someone else believes in
them and supports them by expressing their belief in the act of pushing them a
little more.
Some leaders are motivated by the fear of failure in the pursuit of their goals.
An irrepressible leader has success on his mind and he sees prospects that he can
make happen and he goes for it. He develops a team and a great organisation
without allowing his fear to hold him back.
Taking chances is not only in the discovery and development of talents. A
daring leader will take chances as he launches dreams, starts a business, or buys
out a failing business that has the potential to succeed.
Taking chances will make a man build in the hope that new customers will
come and rent. It will make a person cross boundaries, even countries, and
continents in the hope of taking his business from good to great. Taking chances
will help a person develop platforms of relationship because of the end result.
 

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9. CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR BEING INSPIRING LEADERS
One of the greatest marks of those who lead us and make themselves
irrepressible is the ability to inspire. Inspirational leaders do this in several ways:
Firstly they are willing to take risks, this earns our respect, particularly when
the risks they have taken result in progress, success and achievement. They also
inspire us through their ability to motivate.
The small island of Great Britain was able to resist the tyrannical march of
Hitler and his cohorts as they conquered the nations of Europe during the Second
World War because of the capacity among many other things, of the Prime
Minister at that time; Winston Churchill. Through his inspiring broadcasts, he
motivated the whole army and the nation to resist the movement of the Nazis.
Inspiring leaders are committed to making a significant difference. This ability
is channelled towards bringing a change, making a difference and causing things
to happen. There is this unusual ability to motivate through an inspiring attitude
which creates an atmosphere for resilience, doggedness and determination.
Without inspiration it will be very hard to keep being upbeat about leadership. If
you are going to be an irrepressible leader you will need an aspirin of inspiration
so that you are upbeat at all times.
Inspiring leaders express their feeling by their confident trust in their team and
their attempt to re-empower those who follow them. So many people claim to
be leaders, however we have difficulty finding people they have inspired or raised
to positions of leadership. As a matter of fact even as I write, when we look
around the world we still have nations where the president or leader has been in
that position for decades under the pretext that there is no one capable of
leading like they do. The onus of leadership should be to inspire other people to
lead.
Empowerment for inspiring leaders means speaking respectfully to those who
serve with him and under him. He raises the standard and strengthens his team
members and he is observed to be a truly inspiring leader by the way he relates to
those who are around him, even when it is on a temporary basis. If he is a
business man the way he treats his customers, suppliers and co-directors in the
business reflect the ability to inspire others.
If everyone slows down and does not know what to do, the inspiring leader
has a positive attitude and innate ability to maintain his focus, continuing to
inspire others until somebody else wakes up again and sees what the leader saw
in the first place.
Be focused on developing people. This is essentially what a leader is; a person
who raises other people, developing gifted people. Do you call yourself a leader
when no one is following you? You are on a long stroll. If you call yourself a
leader and we see no one behind you, then you are not qualified to use the word.

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 Leaders should be able to answer two salient questions (1) Where are your
men? (2) What do you want?
It is the ability to answer these questions that will cause you to perpetually
inspire, and pursue your dreams.
High energy and fun may be used to describe an inspiring leader. They are fun
to work with, to be with and they seem to be having fun while they are carrying
out the vision and dream of their life. They do this with high energy; they also
know that it is their responsibility to raise other people and teach them to flow in
the same vein. This means in effect that truly inspiring leaders are highly
motivated and this motivation comes from the vision they have. Their vision is
their life and it keeps them inspired. It keeps them going, so that when others
have given up an inspired leader keeps on keeping on.
The inspiration of this kind of leader is also seen in their self-belief. It is very
hard to follow a person who has self-doubt and talks about it all the time. Rather,
you find great inspiration in following those who seem to speak of the future as
something within their reach, particularly when such leaders do it with a balance
of humanity and humility. On one hand it is possible to observe confidence and
strength, and on the other hand it is clear that they know what they want and
how to talk about it.
Lastly, irrepressible leaders who are also inspired at what they do have the
capacity for lateral thinking. This is an ability to have innovative ideas, bring
solution to problems so that they are not bound by a ‘boxed-in’ mindset.
In conclusion, the inspirational capacity of the irrepressible leader is
necessary. It is part of what makes people want to follow such leaders; the way
they inspire others, their willingness to show vulnerability without being afraid,
their focus on the priorities of life, their pursuit of ethics and integrity and their
desire to continue to inspire others to not accept the regular.

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10. DRAW STRENGTH FROM THEIR NATURAL TRAITS AND ATTRIBUTES
“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be, be one” Marcus
Aurelius
The crux of irrepressible leadership is the quality of character traits and
attributes a man possesses.
Good character is a necessity for good leadership. There cannot be any
excellent delivery of service or leadership without an honourable character.
Character does develop over time however, there must be a pursuit of it.
How may we know a person’s character?
It is possible to know a person’s likely behaviour by what becomes observable.
In other words, it is very hard to hide who you truly are. It will eventually show in
your behaviour. A person with strong character will show drive, energy,
determination, self-discipline and willpower.
Good character as a natural trait is important because it is not enough to talk
about character, we must emphasise that it is good character that makes an
irrepressible leader. After all, gang leaders also have character; it is just that they
portray a bad one.
Organisations need leaders with both strong and good characteristics and
attributes in order to take their organisation to the next level; it is character that
helps the followership trust their leader and commit themselves to make the
vision of the leader happen.
Most people want to see a leader who portrays ethics and conveys strong
vision. When they find a person who wins their trust and loyalty they join hands
with him to ensure that the organisation’s continued vitality is achieved.
When the character of the leader is in doubt it will be very hard for him to take
the people along with him to make the vision happen.
What are the elements of good character traits?
In modern times it seems as if people judge character traits as acceptable and
celebrated on the basis of four or five indicators.
Beliefs – people’s character is influenced by what they believe. In the long run
they reflect their beliefs by their attitude to life, death, religion; what is good and
what is bad.
It is very difficult to show good character in a vacuum. The whole concept of
democracy as is known today, was born out of the Christian values which the
West held before it evolved its method of government.
For example, the sanctity of life is entrenched in the Christian bible and
therefore is respected in any democratic system.
Values – Values reveal character; they show the quality of a person. People’s
values are reflected by the importance they ascribe to material things, the home,
friendship, personal comfort, family relationships etc.

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 These values influence a person’s behaviour and reflect what they consider as
more important.
Traits – a third indicator of leadership character is traits. This reveals the inner
qualities of the leader. If he displays positive traits it makes it easier for the
followers to believe and to trust him.
Skills – the knowledge he brings to his work, the ability he has, what he has
learnt throughout his life. Some of these skills come naturally, while others come
through education, devotion and continuous application.
In more detail, some of the character traits that people love to see in their
leader include –
Inspiration; that is the ability to display confidence and show endurance,
physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. The leader’s ability to inspire people is
also seen in his readiness to take charge when necessary. While people do not
want a dictator, they do want a person who can quickly step in and get things
done.
Honesty; these traits are not written in order of their priority. Honesty is
sincerity, candour, integrity. It is the ability to be open to others so that they can
trust the leader. Honesty is void of deceptive behaviour. A true leader will
sometimes even make himself vulnerable by exposing his weakness so that his
followership knows that he is just as human as they are.
Intelligence is acquired through study, observation, reading and stretching of
one’s mind through challenging engagement. When a leader speaks, people want
to hear through the speech of the leader that he knows what he is doing and is
able to give them direction.
Innovation is the ability to bring fresh ideas, creative solutions. It is that skill
that makes inventors, leaders, directors and world changers stand out. This is the
ability to show creative thinking and bring fresh new solutions to problems. A
leader with this skill is irrepressible. He is able to make changes on his feet.
Broadminded – irrepressible leaders do not feel that they are the only source
of knowledge, neither do they insist that there is only one way of doing things.
They seek diverse opinions and, views and encourage people’s input. They
celebrate those who have contributed, knowing that in the end it never reduces
their leadership. As a matter of fact, a true indicator of leadership is the ability to
bring out the best in people.
Visionary – they set goals and have a vision of the future. This is actually a real
challenge of leaders. They are often in the future, while the people they lead are
still trying to make sense of today. They envision how things could be and go all
out to get there.
Examples – this means that a leader is a standard bearer. He leads and
defends the kind of lifestyle that should permeate the whole of the organisation.
Setting an example is different from merely imparting of knowledge. It reflects a

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kind of behaviour that others can learn from.
Coach – this suggests that the leader cares and mentors other people. An
irrepressible leader never misses an opportunity to occupy this role. When people
make mistakes, he does not rub it in, or just throw the rule book at them but
seeks to use it as an opportunity for training and re-orientation.
There are several other attributes that make a truly irrepressible leader will
demonstrate. For example, technical proficiency, making sound and timely
judgements and decisions, justice, judgement, endurance, loyalty, knowledge,
unselfishness, enthusiasm, integrity, diplomacy, tact, initiative, dependability and
perpetually seeking self-improvement.

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 11. INFLUENCERS
Dictionary.com defines influencers as “the capacity of power of persons or
things to be a compelling force on or produce effect on the actions, behaviour,
opinion etc. of others”.
It conveys the meaning of exercising power over, to exercise authority over, to
influence is to affect, to have leverage over.
When a person is an influencer; he has a hold upon, he magnetizes,
predominates, overweighs or plays a leading part in. “The key to successful
leadership today is influence not authority”. Kenneth Blanchard
With such definition, it becomes obvious that many leaders underestimate the
power of their influence over other people. Not many people can influence, not
everyone has developed to the level to do so.
Many become leaders because they acquired a certain qualification. However
leadership that influences require a high level of emotional intelligence and this
cannot be divorced from experience, maturity and improving with age, time and
exposure. It is difficult to influence people if your flaw as a leader is standing
between you and your ability to connect properly with others.
In the work of B. George and A. McLean (2007) titled Strategy and Leadership;
they listed certain kinds of people who may not find it easy to be influential
leaders.
It is not possible to be an influential leader –
If you are an imposter; that is someone elevated to the position of leadership
and influence without the ability to use that power for the organisation’s good.
If you rationalise – this person always has excuses for every challenge or is
unable to admit mistakes, or take responsibility for the failures they have
experienced.
If you are a glory seeker – this is someone who takes the lead or seeks
positions of leadership for their own gains e.g. money, fame, glory and position.
If you are a loner – this kind of leader is saddled with the inability to form
strong relationships with seniors, juniors and peers and is therefore unable to
influence anyone.
If you are a shooting star – there are some people who have such tunnel-
vision in the pursuit of their career, that they have not made time to connect with
friends, families or their communities.
The aforementioned people are unable to influence others because of certain
mistakes they make in their approach to leadership. These mistakes make it very
difficult for them to be able to connect, build and raise people to a point where
they actually believe in and support their leadership.
The first mistake is over-generalization – certain leaders who are promoted to
the position because of their technical skill, or the performance they exhibited,

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later get to the position and find out that while they may have been able to
manage themselves and do well in their chosen field, they do not have the skills
for managing other people. This becomes obvious with new leaders, who have
not been prepared by time and life often become set up for failure.
The second mistake is neglect – it is very difficult for a leader to influence the
followership if much of their time is spent in crisis management. A fire brigade
approach does not give time or leave room for effective influencing. A leader
who would influence others must have adequate time to give direction, feedback,
delegation and coaching. However, if the leader is always exhausted after
quenching fires, it becomes very difficult to be an influential leader.
The third mistake is style alignment – some leaders are under the notion that if
a particular method has worked for them, it should work in their new
environment. They set out to communicate this new method, delegate people
and expect good results. However, this leader may be left stranded because a
different method is required to achieve real success.
The fourth is the ‘spotlight mistake’ – the life of the leader is in the spotlight in
and out of office hours. Everything the leader does is magnified, scrutinized and
interpreted in certain ways. A wise leader who would influence others must
realize that even statements made on the spur of the moment can be used for, or
against him.
The fifth is the ‘focus mistake’ – when a leader comes to the table the
followership expect that he has a clearly thought out plan, well-intentioned
direction and an inroad for the followers to make their contribution to the vision.
When a leader shows an approach that is scattered without focus and unclear; he
will not be able to influence anyone.
The sixth is the ‘frequency mistake’ – a touch and go, hit and run style of
leadership will hurt and limit the ability to influence. Influencing people requires
that contact be constant when it is too little it will be ineffective and result in
failure.
Next is the ‘influence mistake’ – followership appreciates a leader who
acknowledges the contributions they make to the organisation. They appreciate
the leader who celebrates the unique skill they bring to the table. When a leader
fails to take the time to recognize and reward; when a leader underestimates the
power of appreciation, he misses the chance to truly influence. Followers who
get such acknowledgement feel respected and give the same back to the leader.
The solution therefore is that in other to influence people, leaders need to
improve their terms of engagement and their ability to lead the followership
accurately.
Organisations, nations, institutions need more good leaders who have high
emotional intelligence and can apply it in every setting. Great leadership is not
about barking out orders; it sometimes evolves from leading without coercion or

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the use of power.
Rather the influential leader uses the ability to affirm behaviours to get better
results and help the protégé make better changes to their lives.

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12. OPERATE WITH INSIGHT, FORESIGHT AND FAR SIGHT
“One can lead a nation only by helping it see a bright outlook. A leader is a
dealer in hope.” Napoleon of France
Irrepressible leadership is futuristic in its world view. It acts on the basis of far
sight and foresight.
There is a big difference between routine, regular, run of the mill leadership
and that which is futuristic. A futuristic leader literally sees and lives in the future.
They move forward by using their vision to enable others to see and motivate
them to move into that future. They are known for wanting to only celebrate
those who share in that world view, as they motivate one another for a collective
success.
Foresighted leadership helps those who exercise it to be effective in their
present by combining the lessons they have learned from the past, with the
aspirations they have for the future.
What exactly is foresighted leadership?
Foresighted leadership is that ability to be able to look effectively into the
future and not get trapped in the past or the present. Rather, they have a vision
of a preferred future and begin to move in that direction.
Some people view this trait as some mystical gift that only fortunate people
possess. However, this is not so; foresight is a practiced effort that is required in
order to make progress and be an outstanding leader. Foresight is the ability to
look and approach the future with anticipation. It is discerning what would
happen in the future and moving in that direction.
Foresighted leadership may best be described as having forethought,
foreknowledge, perception or far sight. It is the ability to reflect on the past and
the present, which helps to form an actionable future. Those who are unable to
learn from the mistakes or successes of the past and present may not be able to
anticipate and therefore predict and act in relation to the future.
Foresighted leadership is so important; it includes sorting through long -term
implications of the current trends and expected challenges and untapped
opportunities.
Foresighted leadership is like using binoculars to bring a distant image nearer
and in light of that see several possibilities and begin to move in that direction. It
is this kind of action that distinguishes irrepressible leaders.
Irrepressible leaders live in the future while in the present.
Irrepressible leaders use the advantage of the executive positions they occupy
to challenge the organisations, countries and institutions they lead to attain fresh
success in a changing world, by predicting the future and working towards it.
Futuristic leaders stay ahead of the trend and simply make the future happen.
Those who have seen the future and anticipated it have often taken advantage.

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 Take Steve Jobs, he took advantage of modern technology and created
futuristic tools for living in the latter part of the 21st century. His company has
since redefined how business is done.
Twenty-eight year old Mark Zuckerberg, one of the co-founders of Facebook,
created a social community through Facebook. Following the floating of
Facebook shares on the stock market, it became the third largest company, even
though it never sold any physical product. It sold a concept. Facebook raised a
hundred billion dollars at its initial public offering.
When times are good, these kinds of leaders also anticipate the downturn and
when times are hard they know that life is in cycles; the cycle of good, great and
the beautiful will still come. They anticipate this and work towards riding on the
wave of that change. In other words, they see the possibilities and lead others to
seize that opportunity.
Embracing leadership with foresight is important because it makes you stand
above the rest and gives you a reason to motivate people to make a difference. It
is, as a matter of fact, an integral part of quality leadership and marks people out
as irrepressible as they lead other people to see the future before the future
comes and they make it happen.
It is a necessity because the discovery, development and retention of future
leaders is key to any organisation and it takes a man who sees the future to be
able to also predict those who can lead others into it.
Foresightedness is a necessity because it’s like a road that takes a person into
the future ahead of their competition. Once the leader visualizes that future, he is
able to take his organisation there, while the competition is still trying to grapple
with the challenges of the present.
Envisioning makes you look beyond the actions of your current competitors
and makes you even predict the market, control the market and change how the
business is done. Where foresight is missing there might be a challenge.
The leader becomes monocular, resists anything fresh or new and holds the
people as slaves of the past. The challenges of monocular leadership are many.
They are often hindered by the difficulties of the past or held down by the great
successes they have achieved. They end up over celebrating until somebody else
comes and overtakes them.
Foresighted leadership may also be hindered by small thinking; that is the
leadership finds it difficult to envision something great in the future and take the
step towards it irrespective of the cost. This kind of quality is not for the
conservative, cautious and unimaginative.
There is also the rare challenge of over forecasting and being fixated with the
future, to the extent that the leader misses the chance to make the present
change.
Foresighted leadership is not setting one’s mind on a utopian future to the

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point of missing the realities of the present. It is about anticipating the future;
seeing the possibilities of success and creating the pathway that will lead there.
In the long run, the organisation and the individual who desire to see
irrepressible leadership that is underwritten by foresight, must observe and adjust
in certain areas:
Decision making – foresight helps one to make decisions using multiple options
because the future has not yet arrived. A lack of foresight means that some
things will be done as a reaction to a future which has already arrived.
Visioning – foresight helps you as a leader to distil the vision of the future; the
vision of possibilities. Where that future has already arrived it would be unlikely
to challenge the followership to success because it would be a knee jerk reaction.
Strategic planning – with foresighted leadership you can strategically plan
what is to be done. Imagine a nation that marries its demographic growth with its
town planning ambitions? It anticipates the emergence of young families and
upgrades the transportation, accommodation, health and other relevant systems.
With foresight, there could be an accurate construction of success scenarios
which can be validated in advance. Where there is no foresight, such a
hypothetical city could miss the opportunity to plan ahead, project and cater for
the coming growth.
Enacting change – foresightedness helps a leader anticipate resistance from
the organisation, or even the market. He is able to minimise negative opinions of
the proposed product, possibility or methods.
Once change has been anticipated and a method put in place to achieve it, the
next action would be to grow the business or organisation into the vision and
future dreamt about. A leader then engages others who are with him through
foresight, far sight and insight to help them see and run with the vision of the
future.
Once you discern the future opportunities you need to consider the
implications and meaning so that you can gauge the effort, resource and time
required to achieve the vision and that which was perceived by foresight.
Strategy includes formulating a detailed or workable plan, model or strategy
that would bring the leader’s perception into reality. Following the grafting of a
strategy, is the grooming of the leaders who will help to execute it.
Developing this potential as an aspect of your leadership style is very
beneficial because you will be seen as a resourceful visionary, an inspiring and
transformational leader. It puts you shoulders high above others because you live
beyond current assumptions and trends and see the possible future opportunities.
It enables you to guide the organisation with a forward leaning posture, rather
than reacting to every new thing in town.
Irrepressible leadership is foresighted leadership. Businesses and organisations
are going global and globalization demands a new brand of leadership that is

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dynamically networked throughout the company and in league with a future that
is anticipated.

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 13. EFFECTIVE MANAGERS
Our world is changing. There is a rapid advancement in the world of
technology and the management of the environment. The challenges posed by
the global competitive environment are unprecedented. In this kind of
atmosphere the leaders who make a difference are the ones who are effective
managers.
Effective management styles are a necessity in order to determine the culture
of organisations, institutions and countries, and to maximise productivity and
ultimately bring success. These kinds of managers develop the qualities not only
in themselves but in the people around them.
They rise to the intense competition in their world and ensure that their
company or organisation is not left behind. The leader/manager is one who has
developed skills in these areas.
Communication skills – this is an ability to be able to listen effectively, present
arguments, projects, opinions; being able to handle feedback and report the
projects of the organisation effectively to other people i.e. a board.
Problem solving skills – this entails a clear description and analysis of
problems, identifying the causes, the challenges it poses and developing a
creative approach to finding solutions, or the best course of action.
Negotiation skills – effective leaders come to the table with skills that involve
integrative negotiations. They would identify the challenges that are common to
all negotiations, avoid them and develop the best approach for the case at hand.
They effectively negotiate what works for all persons involved, ensuring that
everyone benefits.
Conflict management skills – an effective manager or leader is not always
known in times of peace but by how they manage functional and dysfunctional
conflicts, different kinds of personalities and how they come up with solutions
that bring about effective team work.
The leader as a manager must be several things to several men including:
A planner – this brings out the administrative skill of the leader as he leads the
architectural frame of the organisation on which to build, ensuring that problems
are not tackled late and resources are properly allocated where they are needed.
A provider – he occupies this position as one who ensures effective
productivity by making sure that the team has all it needs to make the vision
work.
A Protector – the role of a protector makes the leader manager watch over all
those who work in his team, to ensure a fair hearing, fair dealing and that people
are not swayed by the problem and end up missing the purpose of the
organisation. In this role he serves as a safeguard, a shield for the average worker
with him.

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 Communicator – it is often said that the communication skills of the leader are
necessary for competent management. Through this skill the leader is able to
create guidelines, project the vision of the organisation and ensure the team
accomplishes the task.
Other qualities of the competent leader manager include enthusiasm. That is
the ability to keep everyone optimistic and excited about the goals of the
organisation.
Competence – the leader manager is the model everyone looks up to. His
skills, ability and competence should challenge, inspire, enable and encourage
others to go for gold.
Personal emotional management – Challenging situations in an organisation
reveal the character of the individual. Some may become stressed out, while
others enjoy the challenge. Irrepressible leaders see challenges as interesting and
consider it an opportunity to prove themselves.
An effective leader does not see the management of the organisation as the
only role he is to perform. He helps those who work with him because he has the
skills to recognize problems and deal with them.
He confronts poor performances by getting to the root of the problem.
Sometimes the employee may simply be disorganized or sloppy. Where it is
sloppy work, a competent leader challenges the employee and ensures they are
closely monitored.
Competent management is a major task; it is a discipline that people need to
subject themselves to before they can be effective at it. It is the management of
people. Every achievement of management is the achievement of the leader but
the leader himself must be committed to making things happen.
He helps his people to set objectives and achieve them. He organizes the
activities, decisions and structure of his organisation. He provides motivation for
those who work with him. He develops people on a continuous basis and helps to
achieve the target of the individuals and the organisation. When he has done this
as a leader, he can then be said to be an effective manager.

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 14. GOOD FOLLOWERS WHO BECAME LEADERS
“He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander” – Aristotle
To be a good leader a man must have first learned how to follow. This
experience gives him the sense of being a servant leader when it is his time to be
in front. When a man has first served before he leads; he tends to be a listener,
empathetic, a person who promotes healing relationships, awareness,
possession, foresight and stewardship. Such a person is committed to human
resource development, building the community, conceptualizing what people
could be and helping them to reach there.
A leader combines tangible skills and personality to motivate people to
accomplish goals but it is very difficult for a leader who has never been led to do
this himself. It is possibly the reason why we said earlier that a leader must be an
influence. The focus of leadership is to get people to sometimes do the things
they do not want to do. However, a leader who has himself learnt under
somebody else, finds it easy to carry others along.
Irrepressible leaders who were once exemplary followers have certain
characteristics that mark them out.
They marry their job with the greater enterprise. A good follower does not
isolate what he is paid to do from the whole organisation, rather he finds a way
to synchronize it and commit to its fulfilment.

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 15. RESULTS ORIENTATED
It is common for organisations and societies to equate busyness with action.
Some even assume that positions and titles are what make up leadership. This is
not so. Rather, true leadership is known by its productivity – the results it
achieves.
Results based leadership is a proven process which has been designed to
create the atmosphere for productivity, profitability and effectiveness in an
organisation.
In the long-term it creates the platform for various levels in an organisation –
managers, supervisors, leaders; executives develop their skills and improve their
performance.
An organisation will grind itself to a halt if it rewards mediocrity, seniority and
longevity instead of productivity. Results orientated leadership pays particular
attention to team members to see their contribution, rather than how they fit
into the broader vision or goal.
When an organisation makes this its priority, it helps its employees to exceed
their expectation by defining what is expected of them and by encouraging good
work habits for the individual and for the team.
It is important for the leader to change his style and take on certain actions:
There is a need for the leader to determine what should be done to improve
his and the organisation’s result by re-assessing and engaging in what increases
productivity.
The leader who is successful must constantly take responsibility for the results
achieved.
After all, most leaders tend to want the success and accolades for
achievement, therefore responsibility for results must rest on the leader and with
that taken on, he will need to focus on the desired result. Results are not possible
unless an atmosphere is created where employees and team members see
themselves as part of making it happen.
To achieve this, there is a need to encourage behavioural change and see
people take on an attitude that will encourage better performance. There must
be a pursuit of improvement in the area of quality and quantity.
To make this happen people need to be coached and taught. The vision needs
to be explained. Moreover, people need to be encouraged to understand that
they need to own the vision in order for it to truly become a success.
Result oriented leadership will also take stock of the company’s strength and
work with it. A company continues to exist because it has certain functions it
performs to meet some needs. Results follow when you find your area of
strength and enhance it.
A leader who wants to see results must constantly take action by surveying

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and seeing what has worked for the organisation and what has not worked and
then re-position himself and his organisation or institution for success. If results
are the orientation and focus, then a sustained accountability and sense of
purpose becomes necessary.
Accountability involves carrying everyone on board and asking for their honest
feedback, input and taking their feedback in good faith - even when it appears to
be a criticism. A leader who wants to see results cannot put ego or personal gain
first.
Three major elements must be present in result - oriented leadership for
people to participate and make the leader:
Firstly, he must be trustworthy and this is demonstrated as people see in the
leader examples of honesty, reliability and loyalty
Trust includes honesty – being honest enough to let workers or stakeholders
know why a decision may not be workable, or a method may not be the best
approach. The ability to be open will create a learning environment for others
and teach them to trust the leader as there is no attempt to cover up.
The second cornerstone is credibility. It is what the leader brings to the table
when his method and approach makes the workers or co-workers feel that in the
process of working with him, they will become better people, gain confidence,
gain experience and feel actualised.
The result-oriented leader will increase the learning capability of his team. In
that way he creates credibility because people want to follow a person who adds
value to them
Thirdly, respect – respect here is mutual. However result-oriented leadership
means that a leader does not persistently demand to be respected. It would go
without saying that a leader would be respected if he is trustworthy and credible.
However, in this context, it means that he, as a leader, also gives the people
who serve under him the feeling that they are valued, recognised, accepted and
treated with dignity.
In this context leadership will achieve and will exceed even the results it has
seen.
In conclusion, developing people is a result that should be seen as part of
business success. The ownership of the organisations’ dream and vision by the
workers should be seen as part of the results achieved.

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16. PROVOKE A FOLLOWING
“We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me or get
out of my way” George S. Patton
The concept of leadership provokes a picture of followership.
What kind of leader do people follow? What kind of leader naturally makes
people want to respect, honour and flow with them without making unnecessary
demands?
There are leaders who have made what they do attractive to their followers;
however there are leaders also who have to demand respect before it is given to
them.
Irrepressible leaders are those who have provoked respect and have deserved
a following from those they serve because of certain characteristics.
It is difficult for people to follow demanding leaders. You would rather follow
an attractive one. Demanding leaders use their title to get what they want. They
throw their title around so that people know how important they are and why
they must be respected. When all the while they don’t walk the talk, and they
refuse to learn or develop those who work with them.
This subject is so important to be dealt with because if we fix the leaders, we
have fixed the world.
A demanding leader commands the people who serve under him to obey him
and respect him, even when he has not earned it.
Out of a sense of obedience to a higher authority like God there are people
who follow a leader who they feel has been delegated by God. They feel that this
leader must be obeyed.
People are wary to follow a leader who does not validate, value or celebrate
them but rather continues to rebuke them. They are unable to find comfort in
following a leader who, though he gets things done, creates a lot of casualties on
the way to completion.
For a demanding leader, leadership is not about serving. It is about being
served. They have a hard time serving their peers or those who are under them.
The leaders who provoke a following have a certain attractiveness to them.
The first truth about them is that they have a lifelong commitment to
continuous learning. They do not have an air around them that suggests that they
know everything. They get things done and in the process they make people
grow. Everyone who works with them ends up maturing, growing or even
specializing in certain areas without it being defined as so for them.
Irrepressible leaders who are easy to follow are listeners. They listen to
everyone who will contribute to the success of the organisation; the team, the
customers, their peers, the competitors.
They are abreast of facts.

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 Leaders who provoke a following have such a charismatic presence that
people around them feel that a deposit has been made into their lives when they
leave the presence of the leader, they feel encouraged, envisioned, empowered
and prepared to handle the challenges ahead without any sense of fear.
When you follow an attractive leader, they accept and validate any input you
make. They don’t operate in a vacuum, or assume they know everything neither
do they announce to the world that they are the best.
They may have the final say on matters yet before they take a decision they
want robust input and do not seek input out of a sense of just ticking the boxes
but in the belief that such contribution are valuable.
Leaders who are worthy of following have learnt to serve leaders, peers and
disciples with the same level of attention and commitment. They model
everything they want others to learn and do.
The leaders worthy of following have studied people under them and those
who are his colleagues. He knows that leadership is not a one size fits all and that
different styles may need to be applied in different settings. In one situation, it
may be situational leadership; in another charismatic while another will require a
servant-hearted leadership approach.
A leader who is worth following and is irrepressible creates opportunities for
others. They are concerned that everybody around them is learning, growing or
moving on so they treat people in light of how they would want to see them in
the future, not on the basis of how they are now.
A leader worth following has a helicopter view - with this he is able to look at
the past, take a view of the present and in light of that predict the future. He is
not just concerned about what is to be achieved in the future, instead he takes an
approach that brings balance in order not to repeat the failures of the past or be
stuck in the present.
Leadership is not a walk through the park; sometimes decisions have to be
made that are not comfortable for everyone. When people are in a situation they
tend to look for a leader who is the opposite of what they are. This kind of skill is
developed over a period of time; it makes the leader an influencer and being able
to influence people does not come with mere education but experience, time and
patience.
Vintage wine only tastes better because it has gone through the timely process
of fermentation and is now of greater quality than a new wine.
If any role makes a leader worth following it is the fact that they stand by
those whom they lead, particularly when it becomes necessary for someone to
back the integrity of a lone worker, associate, or stakeholder who has taken the
heat for making the right decision.
At such times the leader shows the quality by not automatically backing the
organisation but out of integrity backing the lonesome worker who needs

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someone to help him in order not to be misunderstood.
Leaders worth following know that the buck stops with them and if they see
anything negative about anyone they do not discuss it in front of those who
cannot bring a change. This is because a matter becomes gossip when it is shared
with someone who is neither part of the solution, nor the original problem. A
leader knows this and will only raise it in the appropriate place where there is a
certain degree of confidentiality; e.g. with boardroom members, the mastermind
team or other confidants.
Over the years an observation of leaders and the people who follow them
shows that the leaders who are able to remain stable in rough and easy times are
easier to follow because they have proven that they do not change with every
challenge on the horizon. They can be relied upon.
A leader who is worth following is like the mountain during strong winds and
storms. After the tornadoes and even the tsunamis, the mountain still remains
standing.
Its stability is sometimes a reassurance that certain things may shake the boat
but we need constancy and that is what makes these leaders worth following.
They have a sense of being constant in different situations.

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 17. USE CHARISMA TO PROVOKE GROWTH
Charismatic leadership style is one of the most popular, particularly with
political party leaders, builders of major businesses and leaders of great
organisations.
Certain mannerisms and actions distinguish the charismatic leader. Some of
their behavioural attributes include:
(1) Vision and articulation of that vision (2) Sensitivity to the environment (3)
Sensitivity to members’ needs (4) Personal risk taking (5) Performing
unconventional behaviour.
Charisma is certainly not the only way to demonstrate leadership ability and to
end up a success. However a leader’s charisma goes a long way to help him or her
to success.
They are known to inspire lots of enthusiasm in those who are working with
them. Inspired followership is more likely to devote all they have and all they can
to follow a charismatic leader.
Charismatic leaders are persuasive using their body language, verbal language
and every natural gift they have to carry people along. People love the feeling of
belonging. That is where the charismatic leader takes the advantage.
They tend to make people feel that they are, for that time, the most important
person in the world. To achieve this they know how to adapt their words and
actions to suit the situation. Throughout history they have been known to
engender trust through their own visible self-sacrifice and the risks they take to
make things happen.
This enables the followership to commit because they can see the charismatic
leader giving all that he has and all that he is. If that is not enough, the charm and
grace demonstrated by such leaders also aids them in getting people to walk
alongside with them.
A charismatic leader doesn’t use much force. They use personality along with
commitment and passion to convince people to follow them.
A further observation of this type of leader and why they succeed shows that
they pay attention to you when you are talking to them. People tend to feel
important when they are given undivided attention. A charismatic leader knows
this and therefore gives everything he has.
To keep this image acceptable and respected by the followership, these
leaders use a wide range of methods to manage how they relate to others and
develop their own skills in a way that makes those who serve under them
continue to respect them.
However, while the values and approach of the charismatic leader may be well
intentioned, they tend to put people under pressure to the point where the
followership begin to create a feeling of worship.

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 The charismatic leader can create a cult or following and effectively make
people put aside their independent decision or judgement. While it may look as if
it is to the credit of the charismatic leader to have strong self-belief, yet
sometimes their self-belief may be so high that they feel infallible and are often
in danger of creating a big problem when a mistake occurs. This self-belief can tip
over into psychotic narcissism.
When a charismatic leader begins to believe too much in his own resume and
drifts into self-admiration or self-absorption, it makes some of their followers to
question their ability to continue to lead.
The result is that sometimes this type of leader becomes intolerant of the
followers who challenge him and he begins to think of replacing them.

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8. INNOVATIVE
“Great leaders have had one thing in common. It was the willingness to
confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This and
not much else is the essence of leadership.” John Kenneth Galbraith
Innovation is the ability to come up with something new and different. It is the
capacity to think and operate outside of the box without being stuck in the old
way of doing things.
Innovation breaks you away from the regular and encourages you to operate
on the cutting edge. It is that step which leads and gives the capacity for diversity,
difference and metamorphosis.
This particular tendency of leaders makes them take what is regular and
transform it. They look at the unchangeable and modify or totally turn it around.
In the words of Winston Churchill “Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep
without a shepherd; without innovation it is a corpse.”
Innovation makes leaders break away from tradition to leave an indelible
mark of change and transformation.
What is known today as the city of Dubai existed from as far as 200-300BC as
a port which stood between the Indus Valley and the Mediterranean. Several
tribes settled their in the 19th century. However, the Al Maktoum family, which
was to later rule the city, arrived there in 1833 to live by the coast along with
other tribes in this harsh desert and arid land. That little emirate began to
produce oil and its economy changed.
However, the Al Maktoum family, who were the ruling dynasty realised that oil
will not flow forever. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum saw the mega project of
turning the desert into an attractive city; a playground for the world. The vision
eventually grew in the hand of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum into the birthing
of several products and adventures.
Today, the city of Dubai boasts the Emirate Airlines and real estate that has
impacted the world of travel and business. The unusual 7 star Burj Al Arab hotel,
world class shopping malls, and new off shore islands created freshly in the sea.
Until Dubai took this major innovative step such development had never been
seen in the world that a first class city would rise out of the sand dunes. Many
have since tried to copy the vision of Dubai, but have never really been able to
capture or replicate what has made Dubai every man’s dream tourist location and
it all began with an innovative leader. The United Arab Emirates has a goal to
attract 15million visitors each year. This goal was already achieved by the year
2010.
Stretching nature and creating an island certainly is the quality which makes
innovative leaders. Quality of leadership that builds a city like Dubai is not the
regular `run off the mill`.

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 What are the things a leader might do?
In what ways may he move out of the regular and become innovative?
Let us start by saying that a winning innovative approach has no guiding
principles or fixed rules, rather it is the ability to look for things that are
entrenched in tradition and culture and try to move them away from that and
into the realms of the creative and visionary.
The enemy of innovation is fear. The human heart is always reluctant to go
into the realms of the unexplored; to try what has never been done before. It is
that attempt that has distinguished inventors, explorers and achievers. If a leader
must become innovative he must declare war on fear.
As a leader you must deliberately break away from the tendency of being held
back because of your fear of the consequences of failure. If there are no
attempts that might lead to failure, then no one would achieve at all.
Thomas Edison was said to have tried close to 10,000 times before he
achieved the appropriate and right way to conduct electricity.
Next you must question everything. Questioning authority; long standing
beliefs and methods of operation. Questioning the results you have always had,
the mistakes and the reasons why the mistakes have occurred, could be an
attempt or a reflection that there is a desire to be innovative and therefore
achieving.
You could be reading this book electronically - on your iPad, Kindle or other
mobile electronic device, only because several attempts were made to get to the
finished product. And if you are reading a paperback version of this book, the
machine that printed this did not start after the first prototype was invented.
There must have been several attempts that failed before the final one was
achieved. Failure need not hold an innovative leader back. Rather it should be
one of his teachers.
An innovative leader will need to be imaginative. As far as the future is
concerned your capacity to imagine is what will help you to move away from
speculation and mere talk on what might have been preferable. Imagination is
creating, achieving and making happen in your mind the things you want to see in
reality.
If you can see it in your mind it can become a reality; it can be tangible or seen
with the natural eye.
If there is anything else which encourages innovative leadership it would be
the vital point of creating space, an atmosphere for visionary and visual stimuli.
This may be achieved by shutting down the television or the internet in order
for you to have room to think or dream. The challenge we have with the increase
ease of access to social media, other forms of media and the internet in general
is that it has eroded peoples’ capacity to take time out to be imaginative and
creative.

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 The atmosphere in which you work should be a place that has beautiful
colours to stimulate your mind and make you think. The human brain responds to
a potpourri of colours that are well arranged.
Your cognitive skills and ability to envisage help your innovative ability.
Innovation should not be the work of a leader alone. You should move it further
by creating an innovation team. This team could be trained to question
everything-dismantle in order to re-build.
A team is not just a gathering of people around yourself, particularly those
who will not question or challenge what the leader is doing. It is of no use being a
leader who is merely surrounded by people who do your bidding and carry out
your orders, and are unable to participate in the process of thinking and creating
the future. Provide time and space for the people in your team who are a part of
the process of innovation and the pursuit of ideas. Ensure that they are working
on the right issues.
Innovation and creation time should not be spent on things that will not be
useful in the future. It is rather to deal with the challenges that when cracked will
move your organisation many steps forward.
Innovation is beautiful. It helps you to live in the future before your
competition gets there. It is necessary to create an atmosphere in which
members of this team can actively contribute. Everyone should be heard, not just
the dominant and vociferous who are always heard.
The Good Book says that God has ordained wisdom in the mouth of babes.
The beauty of teamwork in the creation and pursuit of innovation is that people
buy into what innovation creates if they were part of the process. When only a
few people create an idea and try to ‘ram it down other people’s throats’; it is
usually resisted.
Innovation also requires long-term thinking:
What are you innovative about?
Will it be useful or fruitful for the future?
Will it cause a revolution?
Will it be available in many years to come?
Will it be a necessary tool that people will be willing to pay a price for, in order
to make their own lives more comfortable?
If there is any place where innovation has been more apparent, it is within the
borders of electronic media, the internet and communication. This has been
stretched so much that almost every week there is an improvement and an
upgrade in every field.
Innovation also means that you take risks. However, do not focus on the risk
you are taking. Let the risk come out of the big and bold ideas you are initiating.
This is what you will be remembered for.
Innovative leaders are often criticised by those who love tradition; those who

47
like to stay in the limitations of the past. History however has often been on the
side of the innovators. They see what others do not see and perceive the impact
of their achievement in years to come before others wake up and attempt to
copy.
This leads me to conclude by saying that you need to create the business
model that will lead you into innovative thinking. See how the process can work
and create the system that will back the model you have launched and avoid
`analysis paralysis`.
If you keep analysing what may or may not go wrong, and never take a step or
create a prototype for what you want to achieve, you will be discouraged.
Rather, work at the problem, find a solution, create the system to back it, launch
your innovation and let it produce.

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19. INSPIRE TRUST
“I repeat that all power is a trust; that we are accountable for its exercise.
That from the people and for the people, offspring and all must exist” Benjamin
Disraeli
Trust is an essential part of the development of relationships with individuals.
It is a necessity for leadership to be successful. People only follow those whom
they trust. Without it there would be no followership.
Trust is one of those universal qualities that successful leaders share. It is
necessary to move a company forward, create the atmosphere for employees to
work together and to follow a leader. Moving a nation or organisation forward
requires that the leader at the helm is a trustworthy individual. The reasons are
not far-fetched, if people do not trust they simply do not follow.
Therefore inspiring trust is critical to the success of the leader and in the end
the success of the people he leads. The limits of trust are not just intellectual, but
ethical and moral. Once trust in leadership is lost it is very difficult for success to
be achieved.
The content of trustworthy leadership would be credibility, reliability, intimacy
and clarity of direction. Credible leadership portrays competence. The way to
measure competence would be the ability to deliver results, to make things
better, confront reality and practice accountability.
Competent leadership comes from those who clarify expectations so that the
followership knows what to expect.
Reliable leadership has to do with personal behaviour - how the leader
conducts himself. The tendency for the followership is to view the leader on how
dependable he/she seems to appear.
People listen to the leader with a second ear to decipher if he communicates:
(1) Communicates clearly and truthfully (2) Creates an atmosphere of
transparency (3) Demonstrates respect for the followership (4) Shows loyalty to
the dream, vision, product or organisation and rights wrongs.
This type of leader also wants to ensure that they have the right kind of people
with them in the journey to success. It may mean having to:
(1) Take tough actions (2) Listen to people (3) Make corrections (4) Keep
commitments (5) Extends trust; believe in people who can deliver (6) Raise new
leaders
What may a leader who wants to be deemed successful and trustworthy do?
He needs to keep honesty and integrity. In other words do what he says he will
do. This may be achieved by creating a win-win situation, where you are not the
only one to win, you allow others the opportunity to win also
Stay in the trust zone always. There will always be a tendency to be drawn
away from what is good, ethical and acceptable. A commitment to stay in the

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trust zone will help one to be a successful trustworthy leader
Be a person of honour. In other words your yes should mean yes. The means
by which things are done must be noble. The means must promote the
organisation, achieve the vision and make things happen.
You need to be collaborative. Work with those who are in positions of
responsibility with you. This will occur when you engage others, celebrate their
victory and the mutual achievements of the organisation. This will empower
them to achieve even greater things and give a sense of credibility for what they
have done and what they deserve.
Furthermore, having zero tolerance for unethical and distrustful behaviour
makes it easy for those who want the advancement of the organisation to trust
the leader.
The leader who clearly shows that he cannot tolerate distrust and that it will
have consequences; will ensure that it does not re-occur.
Ironically, people will respect this type of trust worthy leader except in
systems, societies and organisations where there is an atmosphere of disorder.
Certain people work to perpetuate disorder because it helps the advancement of
their own petty goals.

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 20. DO NOT ASK “WHAT IF”, BUT, “WHY NOT”
The expression why not suggests that successful leaders have a positive
outlook on life and work.
Being optimistic as a leader is not a refusal to face realities. It is, on the other
hand, the way to handle the realities of life without allowing what might have
been negative to stop you achieving.
Such leaders express why not because they know that only the positive
attracts.
Positive is productive – Positive determinism will impact the work culture and
the environment the leader finds himself in. It will help him to set the tone of
how his organisation, institution or people he represents respond to the vision
and run with the ideas before them. It affects organisational success. Nothing
thrives in a negative atmosphere.
The why not attitude will influence others and make them want to see the
vision fulfilled. Society immediately makes the leader responsible for those whom
they lead. Therefore a leader who is able to ask the why not questions will do
more good than harm.
If his mind is full of the what if’s his soul will be bogged down in the negative
and in effect he will not be successful in supporting the people to achieve positive
results. On the other hand, he can maximise his effectiveness by understanding
and embracing to a large extent, the components of a positive psychology or
approach.
Making this happen requires that the leader first acquires some degree of
wisdom and knowledge. This will enhance his cognitive strength and will help him
to be more effective.
Wisdom and knowledge as it applies to cognitive strength has to do with
creativity, curiosity, open mindedness, love of learning and developing different
perspectives.
He needs to develop courage so that along with wisdom and knowledge there
is the boldness, bravery, persistence, integrity and vitality in order to make the
vision possible.
This must be ameliorated and combined with the human side of the leader.
That is, above wisdom, knowledge and above courage the human side of the
leader that shows love, kindness and social intelligence must be evident.
The fourth pillar of making why not's work will have to be justice. This has to
do with a commitment to see the participation of others and the effective
execution of vision in a way that is fair. It suggests fairness, leadership, citizenship
and camaraderie.
A leader who would be effective with the why not question will have to avoid
negative environments. In other words, seeking the company of positive

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individuals within the organisation or fraternizing with peers in other departments
who share in the dreams and aspirations of the leader. Hanging out with
professional complainers will never help the leader who wants to be successful.
Celebrate your strength – Then the leader must move ahead and celebrate
their strength. This is key to achieving and not focusing perpetually on what they
could not do. Many times, the weakness we observe is unseen by others. After
all, the strength of a leader can overshadow his weakness, so much so that the
weakness has no bearing on what he may, or may not achieve.
Manage what you cannot change – If a leader is going to handle the why not's
and be successful then they must realise that there are certain things he cannot
change. Rather, they must pro-actively try to find ways to do something about
the situation, but in the interim not allow it to stop him.
Adapt your language and outlook – Although President Barak Obama was
confronted with an insurmountable challenge, having never run a presidential
campaign, his statement “Yes, we can”, went a long way in turning opinions,
attitudes and perceptions. A shift in language can make a major difference.
Simply learning to use the Yes word can make a positive difference.
One of the ways to make this shift is to sit down and even count the
proportion of negative words we use for a whole day and then begin to look at
how we may reduce that.
Nurture a culture of optimism – Why not's cannot be possible if you are not
ready to say, “I know I’ll do better next time” but don’t just say it yourself,
encourage those who work with you to have the understanding that they too will
do better next time
Successful leaders have an independent mind – We live in a time and societies
where people are encouraged to think for themselves. However, in most cases
this is purely lip service. Oftentimes people want us to be in conformity with
regular thought, culture or acceptable beliefs.
From childhood parents tend to want to mould their children into having the
same perspectives or convictions they have. They demand obedience. Whilst this
is good in itself, it could be pushed too far, to the point where the parent may
make the child be obedient to what is obviously wrong.
Except for a few places, today’s schools fail to teach students to think
independently, critically and to develop the skills of a Socratic approach to
matters. That is, the ability to question the unquestionable. Government and
agencies and politicians immediately react to you if you hold a view that is
different to the government in power.
Television and the media are often biased in a way. Though they claim to be
independent in their thinking, the chances are that the content of their scripts are
heavily influenced by the owners.
Films, soap operas and musicals portray the convictions of the producers

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including stereotypes they may have of different genders, races, cultures, ethnic
groups etc. The term ‘Political Correctness’ today is an attempt by some people
to force and intimidate others into accepting what seems ‘ok’ to them. Where
one may view this as a form of back door censorship, E.E. Cummings said: “To be
nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you
like everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can
fight and never stop fighting.”
The kind of leadership that does not follow the crowd by making bad choices,
but decisions based on convictions and critical thinking is not common, but not
impossible.
This type of leadership is characterised by –
High self-esteem. It is so important that you have positive self-esteem;
otherwise the ability to think independently will be difficult. Such leaders have a
positive self-awareness of their gift, abilities, potential and what they can achieve
Positive self-expression. Leaders who have a mind of their own are not afraid
to express themselves. They do this without trying to fit into someone else’s
mould, or expectations of them. Leaders who have a mind of their own have an
understanding of their self-worth, the value they bring to the table, the person
they are and therefore they are not easily intimated into following the crowd or
popular opinion.
They know that many times posterity may judge them rightly or wrongly.
However, because of a conviction, they follow only what they are fully persuaded
about.
There are certain qualities that lead to independent thinking:
Drive – To have the determination to see success in a chosen venture. That
drive will cause the leader to be convinced that they must take their stand on
what seems right to them.
Persistence – The ability to hold on to a conviction or a belief even when it
seems as if one is swimming against the tide. The leader is able to challenge
himself in order to expand his range of intellect.
To reach this remit this person is the type of leader who is not afraid to make
an attempt even if it may appear that he is staring failure in the eye.
The attempt is what sets aside certain people. Some would not take a step
because they are afraid of failing. The development for the capacity for
successful thinking is critical for successful leadership.
Some of the practical steps that may lead to an independent mind may be:
Switch off from the sources of conventional thinking.
As you read this book you may realise how much television, computers, the
library, the organisation you work for and the culture of your upbringing has
influenced your perspective. Our worldview of other ethnic groups has been
shaped by certain assumptions and stereotypes that were passed on to us.

53
 Cultures resist women in positions of responsibility because over centuries
assumptions and belief systems have been built around a weaker vessel
syndrome, even though today’s women have proven the theory to the contrary.
Disconnecting from the regular source of information would help critical thinking.
By the time you go back to these various sources such as television, computers
and the library, you will have devised a new way of perceiving the world and as a
matter of fact, handling some information only with a pinch of salt.
Practice disbelief – This is not an attempt to teach one to be cynical. However,
anything that is not open to critical examination, even in some matters of faith,
may in themselves not help quality leadership
Relying on conventional wisdom is not adequate for effective and successful
leadership. Some degree of fact, investigated fact, is necessary.
Explore the structure– in any organisation, institution or place that you work
in. The examination of structures in place may cause governments to make
certain departments, that were probably created to handle certain necessities at
a particular time, redundant.
A whole War Department in a nation may have been necessary when there
was a battle to fight, but in peace time a simple Department of Defence maybe a
wiser use of resources.
Deliberately seek out experiences that challenge your views –
Once in a while it is good to be confronted with what conflicts with your
current perspective. That way, your current perspective may be put to the test. It
is not an attempt to adopt a new train of thought, but to disrupt what is gradually
becoming conventional, traditional and binding.
Exercise creativity. Come up with ‘what ifs’ –
What if your dressing is not conventional?
What if there is no tie to the suit?
What if?
Randomize your approach instead of following the same route –
Driving the same car, eating the same food and carrying out the same regular
actions you are known for. This kind of action takes you outside your comfort
zone and makes you think independently of what is regular. It is so easy to stay
glued to the familiar and simplify our decisions.
However, this is the reason why many organisations are unable to achieve
greatness or do anything major. The ability to think independently helps one to
create a world of limitless opportunity. It is like a ticket with unlimited flight
travel. Your thoughts will be your own and not a recycled one picked out from
Google, the media and television. It would immediately give you an advantage, a
competitive advantage over those who think less and steal information from
around them.
Being a leader with your own mind is beneficial in several ways. For example,

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it opens up a wealth of knowledge hitherto un-mined and unexplored.
Independent thinking enables discernment to be able to see ahead. Dream
dreams that may only be fulfilled in five years’ time. It increases the confidence
to stand for what you believe in.
Part of the benefit of independent thinking is that it tilts you towards being
able to increase your contribution to the world and attracts a certain flow of
people who appreciate the personal quality of independent thinking. You will end
up becoming a role model for them.
Successful leaders are providers of vision –
In their book Breakthrough Management, Soji Shiba and David Walden,
defined the eight principles of visionary leadership as:
Principle 1: Visionary leaders must do on sight observation leading to personal
perception of change in societal values.
Principle 2: Never giving up; squeeze the resistance between outside-in
pressures in combination with top down inside instruction.
Principle 3: Transformation has begun with the symbolic destruction of the old
or traditional system through top down efforts. They recognise the fact that an
organisation cannot change unless leaders with vision are ready to turn what is
accepted as traditional and normal upside down.
Principle 4: The direction of transformation is influenced by a symbolic visible
image and the visionary leaders’ symbolic behaviour. What people observe and
see the leader portray and do influences what happens.
Principle 5: Establishing new organisational behavioural systems is essential
for successful transformation.
Principle 6: There have to be change leaders before there can be real
transformation.
Principle 7: Visionary leaders must create a system that provides feed-back
from the results they are achieving.
Principle 8: Visionary leaders are such who create a new approach to human
capabilities and improvement activities.
Vision is the bedrock of leadership and it is what defines the leader’s success in
taking his organisation ahead of the competition. With vision leadership becomes
big, reaching and a great concept. Vision is one of the important things that
define who a leader really is.
This chapter is not an attempt to go through a whole teaching on vision that
will require a book in itself. It is not difficult to spot a leader without vision.
Neither is it difficult to know a leader who is a visionary because they make every
effort to communicate where they are going to their followers.
Every value system that illustrates how to get to that vision combines several
things to make this happen.
They use passion as the artistry, vision as the template and values as the

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thread that binds everything together. Over the years it is the vision which leaders
cast that makes us remember them.
Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s “I have a dream” speech left an indelible mark in
the minds of many over the years because of the values which it portrays;
equality and fairness and endeared it to so many people. His vision was also
communicated with passion and was backed up by the values he held.
A concept of vision in this book, as it relates to the leader, is how he carries his
people along in order to make a vision happen. A successful leader therefore, is
one who creates a team atmosphere around a dream and helps everyone to
grow towards the fulfilment of that dream.
Several questions may need to be asked of such a person before we arrive at
the conclusion that we have found a successful leader who is raising a successful
team to arrive at good results:
What does your team do?
Why do you do it?
Why do you exist?
What do you want your team to do?
Why?
How does your team change lives?
Does it? Can it? Should it?
What characteristics make your team unique and special?
How does your team fit into the picture of your organisation?
Leadership requires a vision; by a vision we mean something more than an
image or a photograph, but a destination that a leader begins to journey towards
and carry his team along with it.
Such a vision needs to be clearly communicated to the team so that they get
the picture and run with it. The vision initially belongs to the leader, but as the
followers tap into it, it becomes the corporate vision.
A good and great visionary leader uses a symbiotic relationship between him
and the followership to foster collaboration, innovation and camaraderie, and to
drive towards a common goal.
In another book which I have written entitled “100% Life Improvement -
Defining The Future”, I listed a few outlined steps to take with a good vision:
(1) We need to write our vision because it is the key towards authentic
leadership.
(2) Read the vision because it is not enough for it to be written. It is important
for it to be read.
(3) Rate the vision so that it is big enough to challenge you and big enough to
shock your peers.
(4) Run with the vision
(5) Reading, writing and rating is not enough. There must be action to back the

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vision.
(6) Be rooted in your vision
Twisted visions make you want to be somebody else. When you are rooted in
your vision you must remain in it until it, becomes reality.
Reach the vision
Once it is written, rated, read and run with, get rooted in it and finally you
reach where you are going
Another way of describing and summarising leadership and what to do with
vision is:
(1) Visioning (2) Having a vivid mental image by which you can inspire yourself,
organisations and institutions in order to sustain something valuable (3) Mapping
(4) Create thinking and road maps that will bring that image into reality (5)
Journeying (6) Creating a team, who along with you, will discover a way to make
the vision an enjoyable implementation (7) Learning.
A good vision brought by a good leader will create an atmosphere of change
and transformation for the organisation and those participating in the process of
implementing the vision
The knock on effect is that those who are external stakeholders benefit from
visionary leadership because it brings value to what the organisation delivers to
them
Mentoring
The beauty of visionary leadership, as it is being shared with the team and
implemented, is that direct and indirect mentoring takes place.
 

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21. PROVIDERS OF VISION AND INFLUENCE
The bedrock of the success of any organisation is the vision cast for it.
Without a vision, there is no going, there is no knowing and there cannot be a
yardstick for achievement.
The vision clearly stated is essential in leadership in order to gain support of
the followership and for the people to understand where such a leader is going.
Vision is a clear, distinctive and specific description of the future. In its full
breath, vision is connected with the advances such organisation may make.
Leadership is essential in the process of the communication of vision and the
achievement of it.
What distinguishes leaders from managers is the fact that while a manager
helps in the process of making it happen, a leader is the one who casts the vision
and when the organisation meets with challenges, a leader carves out strategic
advances, provides the essential components for the organisation to succeed and
creates the platform for the distribution of the vision to the various strata of the
organisation.
Leadership is also important for the communication of vision. Leaders have to
inspire the followership and create the atmosphere of trust. They have the
capacity to communicate even a difficult vision and in many cases they raise the
benchmark by being the first to set out to make such a vision happen.
How do Leaders who have provided such vision see their world?
They foresee the future
They place their people in strategic places
They build a future that would last for generations
They guide those with whom they lead to perform acts for the future
Visionary leaders are influential and are not just good with words but are also
good with the actions that will take them think outside the box.
There are several leaders who are providers of vision whom we may quote but
for the sake of time let us mention a few:
John F. Kennedy dreamt of putting a man on the moon and while it did not
happen in his lifetime because his life was cut short by the bullet of an assassin,
the seed of his vision became a reality.
Martin Luther King dreamt of the day when his children would be able to have
the same rights as other ethnicities and colours. He too did not see the fulfilment
of his vision, but today the office of the President of the United States is occupied
by a black man.
These were visionaries who saw the almost impossible before it became
possible. Compelling visions from a leader can change an organisation or world.
The vision a leader provides does not always mean it is easy. They also realize
that it can be quite daunting to make it happen but in order to make it realistic

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they set the vision before others, they set demanding goals and then go after it
relentlessly to make it happen. These kinds of leaders are irreplaceable.
The irony of leadership is that the urgent and immediate will not disappear.
The leader must carve out time for the urgent and the endless operational
matters. However, visionary leaders must know how to look ahead.

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22. INDEPENDENT IN THEIR THINKING
Independent thinking is the ability to think outside of the box. It is a major key
in quality leadership.
We live in societies where conformity is demanded. Truly, conformity is a
necessity for living together in the society. Parents demand unquestionable
obedience from their children, our churches must teach morality and conformity
to the truth of the Word of God. Government agencies, politicians and the media
make us understand the framework of how society works and what our
constitutional rights, responsibilities and boundaries are.
From playschool to universities, educational institutions use direct and indirect
ways to get us to accept political correctness. Independent thinking for a leader is
that ability to look, listen and decide after a lot of critical analysis.
It is the capacity to question belief systems, assumptions and even long held
values with the intent to discard the irrational, limiting and unnecessary that may
hinder the leader and his organisation from achieving their intended goals.
In every sphere of life there are boundaries that have been set unnecessarily
until someone questioned them. For a long time the world believed that our
planet was flat, it did not allow study to show that it is spherical.
Independent thinking for the leader encourages the capacity for rationality
and a critique of what may be held as untouchable, in order to find new horizons
and break into new levels that were hitherto unachieved.
Ironically, all humans start with independent thinking. Imagine our toddlers at
kindergarten. They do not know the world of limitations until we communicate to
them directly or indirectly. From then on, the world of the individual becomes
restricted, restrained and narrow.
Irrepressible leadership will only distinguish itself by this kind of thinking. Yes, it
is absolutely uncommon, priceless and rare. However many of the greatest
achievers, those who have pushed the boundaries of science, nature, modernity
and leadership, have been people who thought outside the box.
Independent thinking does not require nuclear science level intelligence, or
education from the highest institution for the leader to be able to expand more
on this ability. You may need to do the following:
Break free from the sources of conventional thinking. There must be days
when you turn off the television, iPad, PC or other sources of structured thinking
and information is relayed to us.
The reduction of media consumption might just help a leader better than it
hinders him. One of the lost arts of old is the capacity to ruminate and meditate.
The second thing to do is to get the mind to a frame of thinking that is
completely different or contrary to the current or acceptable perspective. This
does not require a new education but a disruption of your way of thinking.

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Searching for experiences that challenge our views may be a way to question
what we have held dear until we are able to move forward
Thirdly, play the devil’s advocate so to say; imagine yourself to be on the other
side of the consideration, it may be hard to see the weakness in your setting until
you imagine yourself as the end user of the business and not the owner of the
business. If you watch the world instead of swallowing everything it gives you, it
may help you to really think differently.
It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte would imagine how his enemies would
think before he goes to battle with them. Having played out in the arena of his
mind what he considers the thinking of the adversary, he comes out with a
counter move to handle the adversary.
The next thing is to get out of your comfort zone. It is interesting how we are
almost predictable. We drive on the same route, prefer the same restaurant, we
use the same cologne and most times have a preference of clothing and how we
want the world to perceive us. Independent thinking can be enhanced and
strengthened by the leader as he begins to deliberately break away from the
predictable.
Practice positive cynicism; being a cynic may be unhelpful but practical.
Positive cynicism is the ability to sometimes tell yourself “I don’t believe it until
you have tested it several times and it stands the test.
A leader who develops this capacity will increase his contribution to the world,
manage a greater number of people, and not fall for easy deception from the
followership. Independent leaders will have a competitive advantage over less
creative thinkers, they will ask a different question so that when other leaders are
asking “why”, an independent thinking leader is asking “why not”. The answer
that follows will create a world of limitless opportunity.

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 23. COURAGEOUS AND FEARLESS
The issues that confront organisations, institutions and nations at the turn of
the 21st century are of huge proportion. It takes leaders with courage to be able
to confront the issues of terrorism, global environmental changes, insecurity, the
collapse of global economy and issues that seem to divide society.
In the face of these major upheavals and earth shaking events, what people
look for are leaders of courage. Unfortunately, the truth is that they are in short
supply. Others want leaders who can be decisive and inclusive in their decisions,
leaders who are able to handle the challenges and formation with emotional
intelligence, humility and tremendous stamina.
Aristotle called Courage the first virtue in his opinion, because it made all the
other virtues possible. It is not possible to be innovative, to carry out an initiative,
to differ with other people or be of independent thinking if there is no courage. It
takes courage to face a battle and encourage your subordinates or co-workers
that against all odds the battle will be won.
Courage comes in shapes and sizes, there is the courage of initiative and
action, and there is the courage to have confidence in people, even when they do
not seem to show ability. There is the courage of voicing out a different opinion
and raise the difficult issues that others want to be silent about.
One of the most courageous leaders was Winston Churchill, who said that it is
courage that makes a man stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit
down and listen. It takes courage to follow your gut feelings when everyone else
thinks you must have lost your mind. This is where we find unusual leaders.
It is courage that will make a person step out in a business that does not seem
to have a safety net – only the gut feeling that it will still succeed. Courage is
required to deliver bad news to employees, investors, or customers when good
news is expected. It will take courage to face critics, listening to what they say
and yet choosing to humbly believe that you will come out better.
It takes courage to act in faith, knowing that it may cause pain or some
discomfort to those who work with you yet you have an end result in mind.
Courage is the only reason why you would go into the arena of battle against
people who seem to have everything in their favour; better funding, greater
personnel, smarter staff and the odds are against you.
How can you recognize a courageous leader when you find one?
They take the bull by the horn. It is this ability that will make a man lead his
team to victory and be in a better position.
Courageous leaders are not afraid of a different opinion so they seek
feedback. They realize that in the process what may be their own blind spots will
be exposed.
It takes courage to go and deliver difficult truths, and have crucial

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conversations without chasing rabbits.
Courageous leaders demand accountability. When an organisation has been
around for quite some time, it is so easy to allow people who are not delivering
to hang around the leader. A courageous leader will demand accountability
without worrying whose ox is gored.
Courageous leaders desire change, they do not sit down and keep celebrating,
rather they envision a better way, better solution, better product, greater
outcome. They do not justify the things that are slipping into shoddy performance
or becoming a poor product.
Courageous leaders encourage debate. They allow a healthy disagreement in
order to agree. They know in the process the strength of the team will be
reinforced. A diverse opinion does not always mean destructive criticism but an
attempt to become a better people. Courageous leaders will allow debate within
the framework of respect and honour.
A courageous leader is not afraid to give credit to other people.

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24. PROBLEM SOLVERS
People are remembered for either the problem they caused or the problem
they solved. Problems are the realities of any living person or organisation.
Finding solutions for them, particularly for the place where a man gives
leadership, is what will distinguish unusual leadership. Those who are not
irreplaceable leaders will fret in the face of challenges or wish things were
different.
Sometimes real great leaders love the challenge and prefer the opportunity it
gives them. They know how to turn a six foot situation into sixteen feet solution.
Solving problems as a leader will start with finding the problem itself but certain
things are not problematic; it is a matter of definition.
Avoidance in itself is a solution, in other words not allowing it to start in the
first place. There are issues and challenges that can be pre-empted by the
appropriate actions, thereby cutting the problems down in size.
Sometimes the best way to manage a problem is to approach it at different
levels. How do you eat an elephant? Bit by bit. Then address the underlining
issues. Problems have their settings; the key thing is to get to the root of it, to
know why the problem surfaced.
Organisational challenges may be because of the systems that have grown
weak. Third world nations have not been able to move forward not only because
of leadership issues but because of institutional weaknesses. If the organisation
or corporation is a large one or a small one; whatever size it is, the leader must
realize that you are not a leader until your people are following you. Therefore
when problems come up, a leader’s communication to the followership must be
transparent.
The flow of an organisation is enhanced by the quality of its communication.
Where there is no communication; there will be problems and misunderstanding.
People will exceed their boundaries, wrong signals will be read and just like in all
situations where wrong signals have been read, there will be derailment.
No one likes to be picked on so the leader should not resolve challenges by
poking and pointing accusing fingers. People do not mind if in the process of the
problem being solved, leaders get their hands dirty too. They feel they are in it
together and find the solutions together.
For a leader to be able to bring quality solutions to the challenges of an
organisation he must be open-minded. Things are not always the way they first
appear. Some employees look impossible but when you get to the root of it, you
may find out that they have issues outside the office and once they are helped
with those issues, they may even be the best hands the leader has.
To pre-empt continuous problems, quality leadership requires that the leader
put a problem solving mechanism in place where all the right people have the

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right resources. Create a budgetary system, and garner knowledge from the past
to inform decisions of the future. He needs to inspire the people around him so
that they can raise the standard of what they are doing and have a plan of action
in place for when issues arise so that a fire brigade approach is not used.
Finally, any organisation that when faced with a major challenge discover that
a process was already in place that enabled them to tackle the problem and
come out better, must realize that it has a great leader.
Great leaders who are problem solvers turn failures to the platform for
success.

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25. HAVE HIGH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Whilst quickly brushed upon in the previous chapter, emotional intelligence
deserves, among problem solving capabilities, a dedicated section.
Until recently most of the measure of people’s capacity was based on their
intelligence quotient. In recent times, it has become obvious that a new
dimension needed to be observed in order to really take note of those who stand
out. Irreplaceable leaders have very high emotional intelligence.
Wikipedia defines emotional intelligence as the ability to identify, assess and
control the emotion of oneself, of others and of groups. Some have tried to
make it a part of intelligence quotient. However, several intelligent people have
not quite shown emotional maturity.
It is not difficult to tell when you meet people with high emotional
intelligence; they are good listeners, no matter what kind of situation they are in,
they always seem to know what to say, how to say it and when to say it without
offending people, or even being upset when the other person is unable to accept
what they say. They demonstrate such care and consideration.
Different words are sometimes used to define emotional intelligence. Some
would call it emotional maturity. However there are certain pointers to its
presence:
A personal self-awareness – This aspect of emotional intelligence enables the
leader to try and ensure that his personal feeling does not rule him or her. They
trust their intuition, and do not allow their emotions to get out of control. This is
good for leadership, particularly those who will have to decide the fate of other
workers or those who report to them. Its absence can make a leader find
justifications behind policies and regulations and yet carry out a personal opinion
and vendetta.
The ability to control oneself – this sounds very similar to the first point but it
is a little different. The ability to control oneself helps in the management of
making impulsive decisions to buy something, or even be jealous of other
people’s success. This particular trait helps a person to be thoughtful, careful in
going through a process and making a decision. Irreplaceable leaders manifest
high emotional intelligence by being self-motivated. In the face of the greatest
difficulties and discouragement, high emotional intelligence manifesting itself as
inner motivation is a necessity. After all, the leader, sometimes or most times
sets the pace for the organisation in the times when things don’t seem to be
faring well.
The capacity for empathy – when this is present, the leader knows that being
profit driven is not enough, corporate social responsibility of the organisation
must not be overlooked; neither should the leader forget the need to be
empathetic and recognize the feelings of others, even when those feelings may

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not be obvious. These traits mean the leader will not stereotypically judge others
but try to understand and handle their issues in a more honest and responsible
way.
High emotional intelligence as a social skill is a necessity in order to be able to
handle disputes and manage issues as a leader. Sometimes, this might even be
what distinguishes leaders from managers.
A manager may throw the book at their staff when they have not towed the
line of the organisation but a leader with emotional intelligence knows when to
put aside corporate policy and turn a bad situation around. There are several
other manifestations of high emotional intelligence. These would include the
ability to be adaptable, flexible and willing to help turn conditions around.
In the face of what looks like disregard for the system, or the organisation, this
type of leader is assertive and knows when to be frank forthright and is willing to
stand for what is right. With this frame of mind, a highly emotionally intelligent
leader is able to influence other people’s emotions; that is calm people down
who are upset, and influence them with a sense of care and respect without
manipulating their emotion.
Our changing world makes it necessary for leaders to pursue their
responsibility from this angle. This way, they will be able to do things without
being impulsive or controlled by their emotions. They will; not be carried away
when other people try to manipulate them externally and when challenges and
trouble come to the organisation they remain optimistic, motivated.

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26. AMBITIOUS AND ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTED
Being achievement oriented is demonstrated by a disposition and a hunger to
achieve. Such people have an orientation to primarily concern themselves with
improving their ability and demonstrating their strength to perform. They are
more concerned with being positively evaluated as someone who is breaking
grounds and doing well, instead of someone who is marking time, celebrating
their position or is only interested in the perks that come with their office.
This sense of wanting to achieve has a significant impact on their cultivation of
skills and it will make them arrive at their intended purpose.
How do you know or recognise an achievement oriented leader?
They are usually motivated by success with a strong desire to improve their
performance. This leads them taking moderate to high levels of risks because it is
almost impossible to achieve anything worth noticing if risk avoidance is the
watch word.
They also display persistence in the pursuit of their achievement and when
they meet resistance or frustration they take their stand.
Irreplaceable leaders in this category always seek immediate and objective
feedback so that they are going in the direction of achieving their vision.
The way achievement oriented leaders make it happen is firstly by setting
goals. They set goals that are challenging and realistic; challenging on one hand,
yet realistic on the other.
Secondly, they have mental focus; a resolution to achieve. This mental focus is
demonstrated by a desire to make things happen, rather than avoiding challenges.
Thirdly, they always answer questions. Somebody has said the quality of the
questions you answer determines the quality of decisions you make. Some
people raise questions to make them avoid what they should be doing.
Achievement oriented leaders raise questions that are empowering and solution
oriented.
Fourthly, irrepressible leaders who are achievement oriented demonstrate a
sense of responsibility in the course of the pursuit of what they want to achieve.
This responsibilities show at home and at work.
Lastly, they demonstrate initiative. This is demonstrated in their ability to step
outside of the regular box, make a decision and get stuck into it.

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27. AUTHENTIC
Dictionary.com defines being authentic as entitled to acceptance or belief
because of agreement with known facts or experience. It goes further to say
authentic is genuine, real, veritable, in sharing the sense of actuality and lack of
falsehood or misrepresentation.
When you think “authenticity”, it would mean having the origin supported by
unquestionable evidence: “Authenticated, Verified.” It would be entitled to
acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience.
Other words which convey the sense of authenticity would be actual,
accurate, authoritative, original, reliable, pure, trustworthy, being for real,
convincing, credible and legitimate.
When you think of a person as being authentic, the certain evidences will be
accuracy, certainty, credibility, dependability and faithfulness.
Many leaders tend to be a shadow of somebody else’s leadership style, ability
and disposition. However Shakespeare said “to thyself be true” in his book
Hamlet.
Certain characteristics are manifested by leaders who are authentic:
Courage – this probably rates high among the things that characterize an
authentic leader because it takes courage to stand against a popular opinion. It
takes courage to have a vision, painting a picture of a desired end that only a
fraction of your people have seen. Authentic leadership is certainly going the way
other people have never been.
Strong values – the strength of a person’s character is often a good source of
power. When you have good character and you draw from it, people can feel
you. Authentic leaders work on their character, they learn to walk the talk and
talk the walk. That way they gain people’s respect, trust and ears.
Depth – they are visionaries.
It was Einstein who said “imagination is more important than knowledge”.
Imagination births unusual things.
Imagine the sky scrapers around the world; I remember being on the one
hundred and fourteenth floor of the CN Towers in Toronto, Canada. It was
almost unimaginable that man would conquer his world and tower so high. This
must have come from the heart of people who dreamt and created the
impossible in blueprints. Blueprints became products, products became services
and services became what other people now enjoy and admire.
Truth – Authentic leaders have deep roots in the truth. It is very difficult to be
an authentic leader and build everything on falsehood because things will fall
apart like a house of cards. The truth here is about being clear, being honest, and
being authentic.
Action – we may call it action or initiative but one truth about authentic

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leaders is that they go first. They don’t sit on the side lines, they know how tough
it is ahead but they commit to set their foot on the battlefield until it is won.
Influential – Authentic leaders are influential. People tend to catch the spirit of
an authentic leader. Sometimes they are misunderstood but they are able to
gather a following and move people to act. In effect, they create a ripple effect
wherever they go.
Integrity – this part of authentic leadership needs to be qualified. Certain
people show a high degree of leadership but it is difficult to call them authentic
leaders. These include Adolph Hitler, Mao Zedong, Benito Mussolini, Muammar
Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein etc. However, in spite of the fact that these people had
great insights, influence and impact on their people; their life was not integrated
with the best of values.
Irrepressible leadership goes beyond functionality to expressing itself in
certain characteristics. For leadership to be authentic and not synthetic, it must
embrace and demonstrate clarity of vision. This will help determine a course. For
it to be authentic there has to be a capacity to initiate and express initiative. This
makes a leader truly independent in their thinking and capacity.
Exercising a degree of boldness accompanies authenticity and helps a leader
to:
Speak the truth – in today’s world, where the desire to look good in front of
everyone is rampant. Authentic leaders are different; they consistently speak the
truth, irrespective of being popular or accepted. On the other hand, speaking the
truth does not mean to say things in a way that is injurious to the people one
leads or works with. It is a strong characteristic of authentic leaders.
Have a rich moral fibre –Benito Mussolini and Muammar Gaddafi all claim
fame of leadership but their style was not underwritten by good character.
Authentic leaders on the other hand constantly work on their character. They like
to walk the talk and in doing so they are respected by those they lead.
Authenticity births courage – Going against the crowd is not popular but
authentic leaders do so although the majority refuse to follow it. Authentic
leadership is a road less travelled but the courageous do because they know what
they do today is the legacy of the future.
The authentic leader is a dreamer – they imagine what can be achieved and
with that imagination they conquer the future. They see what everyone else has
not been able to comprehend and spend a lot of time with their eyes closed
creating blueprints of the future in their minds. Eventually they revolutionise,
redefine and reengineer the future for all of us.
They care for themselves – Authentic leaders are not self-abusing. They take
care of themselves, sharpening their minds, their vision, their physic, and their
spirit because it takes a robust and healthy person to lead others in a healthy
way. They do not burn themselves out in an attempt to please everyone. They

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know when to stop and when to start. They know when to call it a day and that
adds to authenticity.
They come into perfection – every human being is a work in progress so is the
work they do. Authentic leaders know that they are not yet there but they are
constantly pushing, raising the bar and never seeking for perfection. It just
happens that what they do looks perfect. They always want to make a
difference.
They make impact – what really makes a leader look authentic is the result,
not the position occupied or title. The measure of a leader cannot be found just
in their title; it is found in the impact they make on their followers, organisation
and community.
In conclusion, no one can become an authentic leader by trying to imitate
somebody else. One could draw from their experience and use it as leverage for
higher heights and a learning curve. Keeping your genuineness is important to
people. People do not want a replica of someone else, even if they speak as if
they miss a leader they used to know.
“Leadership has many voices. You need to be who you are, not try to emulate
somebody else” Kevin Sharer, CEO and President of Amgen

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28. CONCERNED WITH EFFECTIVENESS
An irrepressible leader concerns themselves with effectiveness. For the leader
to lead his people into effectiveness, he must himself have demonstrated abilities
like good knowledge, skills, and values.
A leader who will take people into effectiveness has traits that will impact
leadership effectiveness.
The leaders are bold – boldness is an essential quality for taking people
beyond the boundaries. Effectiveness is hardly ever present when the leader sits
on the fence and just wishes for things to happen.
This kind of boldness has been described by Karen Borsher, Head of stores for
the Mothercare Groups serving UK. She said “Courage fuelled by a high degree of
integrity and a dose of good knowledge should give you the confidence to stand.”
Leadership effectiveness also requires strength – there must be something
that makes an irrepressible leader stand out. He is either visionary or a coaching
leader, democratic or directive, pacesetting or free rein.
No one leadership style is better than the other, as long as it fits like a glove
for the person who is expressing it, and in the setting in which they find
themselves.
The situation the leader finds himself; the context determines what traits and
behaviours should be effective. A free rein leader will be out of place, in an
environment where strong directive leadership is needed, or where coaching and
mentoring is required.
Having said that, almost all situations require some kind of leadership styles to
be applied. Sometimes an organisation may be even too complex to be fully
tested for only one leadership style. A leader who has to be effective must
therefore know what cap to wear each time in order to move his people forward
and achieve the greatest result that they desire.
Effective leadership also requires a stretching – stretching your gift, your
abilities, your horizons. Stretching in leadership means that even if a person finds
themselves to be a democratic or directive leader, sometimes they will need to
stretch in order to authentically blend with the people they are leading and for
what they are doing to look natural and effective.
They give the impression that they are goal oriented, or shall we say going
somewhere. They have clear direction and until they get there they are not
settled. When a leader gives the impression that they know where they are going,
they inspire confidence right through their team and even make an impact on
their bosses too.
Effectiveness requires balance – part of balance is to have golden times in
your calendar that cannot be touched. Times for yourself, times of rest, times for
reading, focus, family, spiritual things.

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 Effectiveness also requires that a leader be genuine – Be true to yourself, the
real you. If you are not authentic, people will see straight through you. Genuine
passion and pride will achieve results. The greatest thing any leader has to offer
in order to be effective is themselves. If you lose your confidence, your trust,
your ability; all other signs of effectiveness will be invalid.
To be effective, a leader also needs to know that their work is a service not a
destination. Too many people pursue leadership for the position, upon assuming
it, they lack understanding on what to do next. They desire the power but do not
have the ability that goes with the position.
A good leader seeks to serve, rather than be served. They will always be more
effective. To be effective, a leader always does what needs to be done and is
willing to do what needs to be done in order to move the organisation forward.
Sometimes, this may mean the hard, challenging act of confronting a staff
member or being the cover for a colleague who is ill. Sometimes it may be
employing emotional intelligence to read the situation where an employee may
be going through a lot of turmoil and requires help to get through it.
These are some of the elements that make up effectiveness in leadership.
Many more could be added to leadership effectiveness.
In summary, let it be said that some of the attributes of an effective leader is
that they are visionary, authentic, purposeful, self-aware and have an ability to
motivate. The end result of their leadership is to create purpose and vision for
the organisations and institutions they lead. To identify values and pursue them;
values that are either peculiar to the organisation or necessary for fulfilling their
vision. To create meaning, vision and values for the organisation and to motivate
others to embrace a corporate identity for the organisation. When this is done,
leadership can be said to be effective.

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29. BORN NEGOTIATORS, MARKETERS AND PERSUADERS
Is there a correlation between leadership and negotiation?
Can you negotiate if you do not possess leadership skills?
Is it possible to have leadership skills and be a poor negotiator?
The truth is, not every leader is a great negotiator, neither will every
negotiator be a great leader or have leadership skills. However, to succeed in
business negotiations, it is important to possess key leadership traits.
If a person is the leader of a negotiating team he will need to have leadership
characteristics like vision, passion, decisiveness, team building and integrity.
To negotiate, many of these leadership traits are helpful and some are
necessary. However, a leader who will be a good negotiator or persuader must
be decisive, and must have initiative, knowledge, the capacity to endure and be
tactful.
In general, negotiation as a skill is for use outside your firm. For instance, in
cutting deals with partners, customers, suppliers and getting business for the
organisation.
To be effective you will need to leverage and increase your capacity by
practicing interest-based leadership; that is never compelling people to follow but
be interested in what they do and in the end they take an interest in what you do.
Firstly, Wise negotiators always focus on the other side’s interest. Effective
leaders seek to understand and satisfy the interest of those they lead. In that
way, you eventually achieve your goal, you get everyone on your side and you
fully comprehend the interest of those you are leading. If you don’t there will be
disastrous result.
Take people’s interest to heart; carry them along with you; let them know that
you have the end result of their winning on your mind, so that you can persuade
them. .
Secondly, find the right voice – the voice that is persuasive, the voice of an
effective marketer that can truly be used for negotiation. People follow the right
voice; people follow the right modulation of sound. Sometimes persuasion may
mean setting aside individuals and talking to them one on one. Getting them on
your side, making them see what you want to do. Market effectively and
persuade others.
The leader will need to adopt certain principles in the field of marketing. Some
of them are reciprocity; that is learning to do to people what you expect them to
do to you. An employee who does good should be commended, appreciated and
given recognition beyond the verbal.
The second thing about effective marketing and persuasion as a leader is
scarcity. If you are going to reward employees with tangible items, give them
something that is rare, something that is uncommon, something they would value

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and appreciate.
Thirdly, persuasion must be with a sense of authority. A leader must not on
one hand, not over emphasize authority, but his presence, tactics, method,
dressing and outlook should command presence. This is followed by a sense of
commitment. People find comfort in a committed leader who makes public
commitment. When a leader is committed and consistent, they will persuade
others.
When we find out more about the people we lead and connect to them to
form common bonds; it makes it easier to negotiate with them.

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30. EXERCISE DIPLOMACY AND TACT
Tact is the ability to deal with people without causing friction or giving any
reason to take offence. It is the management of actions and words in a way that
is courteous when given and provokes the same kind of reaction. Tact is what is
needed when a leader needs to properly give an instruction, issue an order, or
demand a rapid response without being discourteous. Tact is the action that
makes a leader remain calm, courteous and firm and use a language and tone in
their speech that gets the best result. This is also the best tool for dealing with
difficult decisions where a subordinate may need to be criticized without tearing
him apart and making him feel as if he is not valued.
Where there is a lack of tact, it can crush the spirit of the people the leader
leads and deny them of their ability to take the initiative; particularly when they
need to do something. This is an essential part of leadership which affords the
ability to say what needs to be said without offending the one to whom it is said.
When men of great strength and will combine the gift of tact with sound
judgement, it will always lead to great success in life. It is difficult to govern,
manage, influence others, adjust a situation, harmonize people, manage
antagonisms, interest and prejudices without it. It is difficult to carry out difficult
tasks among differing interests without the gift of tact.
Where leaders use it very well, it is essentially a natural gift. It is not a product
of education, or it would have been perfectly demonstrated in the life of
educated men. It can be cultivated and improved on and in this respect,
education and good society could be a valuable means of developing it.
Dr. John Maxwell uses the acronym T.A.C.T. to stand for Think – Apply –
Change – Transform. When tact and diplomacy is absent, what one sees is
insensitivity.
Subsequent to the death of the biblical King Solomon, his son was asked how
he intends to rule; if it will be with the same iron hand as his father. He lacked
tact by announcing that he would be even harder. The result was a divided
kingdom from the first day.
Tact is not the sign that one is weak or a people pleaser. Tact is the effective
management of what we say and do, considering the content of what you say
and the timing of what is said. Tact is particularly how it is said.
The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary describes tact as “Sensitive mental
perception; a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations
with others or avoid offence”.
Skill or grace in dealing with others implies the delicate and considerate
perception of what is appropriate. It stresses dexterity and grace in dealing with
new and trying situations and may imply successes in attaining one’s goal.
Tact is what informs two salesmen’s approach in an attempt to sell a pair of

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shoes. One says “your foot is too big for the shoes”, the other said “let me look
for an appropriate size that will suit you.”
“Cultivate tact for, it is the mark of culture; the lubricant of human
relationships softening contacts and minimizing friction.” Baltasar Gracian, The
Philosopher
Diplomatic leadership on the other hand is the ability to interact with a sense
of relaxed disposition and make others feel assured in your presence. It is the use
of tact in dealing with sensitive matters of people, relating in a diplomatic way.
This trait will make a leader negotiate peace instead of harkening to the voice
that screams for battle. It is a strong benefit that exceptional leaders possess. It
helps them to excel in talking people out of taking steps that may have dire
consequences for themselves or for the people involved with them.
A diplomatic leader would rather strike a deal than fight, even if it is with his
enemies. They would rather allow a handful of people fight the battle and win in
order to avoid a massacre. A diplomatic leader succeeds in persuading the enemy
to agree with him. This kind of leader is the kind of whom even his enemies will
end up saying “he may not be the best of men but he is a good person”.
In leadership this characteristic is a necessity to protect the leader from seeing
monsters in every encounter and trying to capture everyone or making effort to
use every weapon. A diplomatic leader is always negotiating and maximizing
success without shooting a bullet.
Certain characteristics can be seen in a diplomatic leader:
They think before they act – in today’s pressure cooker world, it is possible to
want to react immediately. It is important to learn to hold back and process what
has happened before reacting.
Diplomacy requires that you focus on the facts of the situation. It is not being
the person in action. A diplomatic leader will not try to be an archaeologist,
digging up the past or a psychologist that reads people’s minds; he faces the
facts.
Diplomacy requires the use of appropriate and decisive language that
effectively communicates what needs to be heard. Diplomatic leadership must be
non-confrontational. It could be assertive but not aggressive. NO is better than
saying NO WAY.
A diplomatic leader will also learn not to allow themselves to be interrupted in
order to have a good flow of thought and yet communicate effectively.
One of the most effective ways to show diplomacy is actually through body
language. The people who communicate with a leader are reading if whether
they are neutral, against or for them. It is important for the leader to not make
themselves be seen as weak. They should stand their ground; but should not be
seen as if they are opposed or against the person with whom they have to deal.
Diplomacy certainly is not a one size fits all. There are few things one could do

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that show that quality leadership is at hand. For example:
Giving others the benefit of the doubt. An insensitive generalization and
conclusion is a lack of diplomacy.
Diplomacy will require that you learn and truly understand why people hold
certain beliefs and respect their belief, even if you differ from them.
Personalising communication may reduce tension instead. Instead of
continuously saying ‘You’, ’You’, using the personal pronoun ‘I’ may make the
person feel that you are part of what they are doing.
Remember again, that diplomacy requires that a leader does not play the
psychologist who tries to read people’s minds. A view or an opinion must only be
presented with relevant facts or evidence and if all this does not work, diplomacy
can be expressed by very simple questions that would make people have to
respond.
You could ask them:
What do you think about this?
What evidence do you have about this?
What example do you have on this matter?
In conclusion, quality leadership has a way of avoiding offence and yet
achieves its purpose. Diplomacy and tact will help in this direction. It is what
makes irrepressible leaders stand out; when they bring smoothness and skill in
handling what could be volatile and manage unpleasant and opposing views and
yet arrive at the needed conclusion.

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31. SET DIRECTION FOR THE ORGANISATION AND GIVE THE ENTHUSIASM FOR
ACHIEVING IT
In pursuance of this firstly, they optimize strategy and leadership. They do this
by creating a compelling vision and presenting a strategy that would work.
Without clear strategic direction, leadership will be unable to arrive at good
decisions and good results.
Secondly, they understand the organisation’s vision. To set direction for the
organisation, it is important for everybody to understand the organisation’s
vision. To build a dream organisation, there will be a reference point and
everybody has to have an understanding of where the organisation is going.
Thirdly, they implement strategic planning – this is a requirement for survival.
Leaders who look ahead and anticipate change, innovate to handle the future.
They know the future may be turbulent; they create an atmosphere that caters
that change. Without strategic planning, the business will drift and competition
will overtake them. To set direction for their organisation, they develop values
and principles.
Values and principles are what the organisation stands for the culture upon
which the business is founded and helps them to arrive at their intended desires.
Employees will need to understand this in order to make it successful. However, it
is the irrepressible leader that helps to develop such values and principles.
Leaders then create strategic change management plans. Change cannot be a
hasty action, it requires careful implementation. When it is effective it will be
obvious to everyone. To get the required desire, staff needs to understand why
change is necessary, when it is and how to make it happen. Those who have been
chosen as leaders for such an organisation should then be coached to manage
performance.
Five major areas need to be looked into by an irrepressible leader to get the
organisation going with great enthusiasm.
Firstly, a clearly developed vision, mission and value are needed to point the
organisation in the direction of where it should be going. It will help to clarify its
aspirations for the future, so that those who come on board in later years will
know where the ship is being steered.
Secondly, clarify the objectives – what are you out to achieve and when will
you feel that you have achieved it?
The third step in setting direction for the organisation and keeping the
enthusiasm of everyone, is crafting the strategy. These two things take you to the
fulfilment of these objectives; they are the pathway along which the organisation
will travel with ease.
The fourth stage will be the Executive Strategy – this is how to gain advantage
for managing all the businesses related to the organisation.

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 The fifth and last stage is to be continuously monitoring developments,
evaluating the performance of the organisation and its employees, initiating
corrective adjustments, creating employee incentives, like training programmes,
that would raise future quality staff at all levels.

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32. DIPLOMATIC WARRIORS
Terence Hardy (Terry) Waite was born in 1939. He grew in his career to
become a special envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury during the service of
Archbishop Robert Runcie. As an envoy of the Archbishop, his responsibility
included being the diplomatic person to handle matters whenever the church
intervened in helping to resolve social or global issues. During the period when
terrorists were taking journalists and other nationals hostage, Terry Waite was
involved in hostage negotiation in Iran with Colonel Gadhafi and in Lebanon.
He succeeded on several occasions in bringing back many of these people who
were held in captivity against their will. He too was kidnapped and kept in
captivity between 1987 and 1991 when Islamic Jihad organisations felt that he
had broken their trust by travelling in a US military helicopter with Colonel Oliver
North.
However, his diplomatic work meant that he was able to enter places where
any military attempt would have resulted in casualties.
Another man I will consider to be a diplomatic warrior is Reverend Jesse
Jackson. Born on October 8th 1941, the American civil rights activist and the
Baptist minister once served under Martin Luther King. He became more
prominent for his successful ability to negotiate the release of hostages that
were taken around the world. He is known for saying, “Humanitarian appeals
always help. They penetrate deeper than political trade-offs.”
Reverend Jackson succeeded in persuading Syria to release a captured
American air man. Years later, he succeeded in obtaining the release of 26 Cuban
political prisoners. On the eve of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Jackson made a trip
to Iraq to plead for the release of foreign nationals there, who were being used
as human shields because of the imminent Gulf war. He succeeded in securing the
release of several British and twenty American individuals. Jackson also brokered
a deal with Columbia’s largest guerrilla group to release US Marines that were
held hostage.
This kind of service took him to various countries including the old Yugoslavia
and Syria. The end result was the ability to get people in the most difficult places
of captivity released without firing a single bullet.
The acts of Terry Waite and Jessy Jackson in this context are what may be
considered to be diplomatic warfare.
The 21st century becomes more complicated. Leadership is confronted with
issues requiring tact, diplomacy and a sense of victory.
Combining these two words, diplomacy and warfare, may be essential for a
leader who is to break new grounds and take new territories because the horizon
has changed.
Looking in more detail at this subject, let us first of all establish what

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diplomacy is and how it becomes necessary.
Diplomacy is the method used to aid effective communication and to improve
relationships, particularly in a place where one wrong step could either be
misconstrued, misunderstood and or create a reverberating effect that will
damage all the good works previously done.
Diplomacy reduces stress in communication. It does so because it is centred
on an attempt to understand other people; how they think, act, operate and
meet with them at the point of their need. Diplomacy expresses sensitivity to
people’s beliefs, opinions, ideas and feelings. Where it is lacking, the challenge is
that when one problem is resolved, a thousand other ones could rise.
In the attempt to establish democracy in certain nations, an alliance of nations
have invaded and removed what was perceived to be the hindrance or dictatorial
leadership; only to discover that it has rather unearthed a thousand other issues.
It becomes clear that diplomatic warfare may be an answer for the future. It is
not common for people to easily oppose an idea that is communicated in a non-
obtrusive, delicate and well-meaning manner. People do not only openly receive
such communication; they become better at receiving it with time.
“Tact is making a point without making an enemy.” Isaac Newton
Diplomacy allows people to practice and to show good judgement. When it is
absent, you are likely to misunderstand the other side. People feel offended
when their religion, way of life and cultural mores are held in derogatory manner
by those who do not seem to understand them.
In cultural anthropology, it is said that every culture is adequate to itself and
must not be looked down on by another one. When we look around our world
today and see the consequences of these military invasions, tactless actions of
certain governments, systems and businesses, diplomatic warfare becomes
certainly inevitable. It is inevitable because it is a way to prevent resistance and
rejection. Diplomatic warfare stops you from being careless and reckless in your
actions towards others. A truth can be spoken in a way that becomes offensive.
On another hand, diplomatic warfare is the answer when we do not want to
become overly fearful and timid and then walk away from matters that require
our attention.
In any setting in which a leader is, the handling of personnel, congregations,
communities, industrial disputes and national problems will require diplomatic
warfare.
Some leaders have become so overly sensitive to their own reputation that
they are afraid of walking in dishonour if they confront a matter. Some young
leaders may not even want to deal with an issue because they feel that it may
affect their career path. There are settings where leaders have allowed a
seething problem to fester and grow because they worry for the organisation to
the point of having a troubled mind; while on the other hand, they fail to realise

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that anything you permit, grows. Allowing a disruptive, disrespectful, rebellious
member of an organisation to continue will mean that the problem will only grow
and create bigger challenges in the future. Looking at this issue from another
perspective, some leaders are so prone to anger and are so easily provoked by
insult. They lack the tact, the capacity and the ability to manage opinions and
worldviews that differ, from their own.
The leader’s ability to act in diplomacy will be enhanced by the following:
(1) Attentive listening
Giving the other side undivided attention, whatever may be said or done until
their own part is exhausted.
(2) Emotional intelligence
As discussed, this is the ability to be able to read a people or person in more
detail, including the things that are unsaid.
(3) Showing empathy
Learning to express concern, feelings and compassion for a people even while
they are expressing their heart’s desire may be a process that helps one to begin
to discern.
(4) Rapport
Creating a little bridge to cull new relationships, connections and harmony to
exist between them and you.
(5) Politeness
Politeness is not a sign of weakness, neither is it a sign of surrender. Rather, it
is the ability to show civility and humanity without complicity.
(6) Honesty
Honesty is essentially, ‘speaking the truth’; even if it is hard to taste or take. It
is an honourable action which shows intentions, uprightness and fairness,
sincerity of speech and in the end, makes a diplomatic warrior credible.
Diplomacy will mean that a person should focus on what they want to
achieve, write down their potential objections and prepare answers explaining
why they feel the way they feel.
The purpose of diplomatic warfare is ‘winning a battle with mediation,
focusing on the interests of the two sides without emphasising the rights of any
side’. Where rights are emphasised, it makes for the warfare to perpetuate
because each person would be defending their own turf.
Diplomatic warfare is a negotiating tool for bringing victory where there could
have been stalemate. It is a method that will result in disarmament and yet,
victory on every side.
How should diplomatic warfare really be carried out?
There is a need to read the other side before sitting down to talk. Knowing the
person with whom you deal with is so important; probably knowing them more
than they expect you to.

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 Once the two sides sit down, there is a need for apt attention to be given to
one another. Imagine yourself as a television director. In order to get a good
picture, you must focus 100 per cent on the other side with your words and your
actions, otherwise the images you record and the conclusions you reach, will be
distorted.
A good diplomatic warrior will probably play the devil’s advocate by stepping
back, collecting his wits and seeing the situation objectively before delving into it.
Playing the devil’s advocate may even mean learning to imagine if you were on
the other side. How would you react? What would you do? What would you say?
Then coming back into reality, have small talks with the other side before the big
ones. Sometimes the small side talks, the unofficial discussions with one person
or the other may work better as steps towards reconciliation; unlike the big
official talks where everyone is aiming to hold their own corner. In the course of
the unofficial talks, have something to auction to them, something with which
you are willing to negotiate, something you are willing to let go.
Many times, when rescuing hostages around the world, governments officially
announce that no monies were paid but later the news leaks out that some slush
funds may have been released.
Diplomatic warfare, as much as possible, should preclude or exclude experts
and technical people. They do not make things easy. Rather, they want to prove
their point and show their strength. It is not the easiest of warfare. It requires a
lot of patience but it makes opportunities yield their dividend.
Preparation will make you maximise opportunities that come, so that before
there is any sign that the other side are willing to negotiate, you are ready and
prepared. Tactical warfare will make two things your aim: protecting your own
turf and possessing new grounds; so that in the end, you did not lose. However,
even in the process of protecting your turf and possessing new grounds, the other
side must feel that they too gained something.
Plundering them is not the aim of diplomatic warriors.
“There is no greatness in the sight that beheld the sun or moon or the ear that
hears the noise of thunder.” Anon
If a diplomatic warrior is simply looking to boast in their efforts, then he is not
qualified to occupy the position. Completing victory requires that you measure
the opposition, estimate their quantity, calculate the effort needed to resolve the
matter and balance your chances with the war at hand. If from all indication it
requires a lot of time, remove haste from your dictionary, give the issue the
required time and look for those who can help to accelerate the matter.
Get information. Nothing is as powerful in winning a war as foreknowledge.
The knowledge you have ahead of the people you have to deal with will
strengthen your capacity and diplomacy. Foreknowledge should come from
gathered facts, what you know about the other side, who you know among them

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and what you can achieve with the information. Do not act on fiction, hearsays,
suppositions or imaginations. Foreknowledge may require the use of internal foot
soldiers, people in their own system that may be willing to pass information that
will strengthen the hand of the diplomatic warrior. Such persons will give
information that will help you know who is hardest to negotiate with, who is the
real decision-maker.
A diplomatic warrior who is not willing to shoot any bullet may find that he will
need his information to come from various quarters: spies, enemies, friends and
close associates.
At the end of the day, it is warfare. What makes it different is that it is
diplomatic. Diplomatic warfare requires that you also have certain incendiaries.
These will include creating small traps, smart traps that are carefully positioned
and poised to strike. This will make the victory certain before the battle begins.

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33. ENFORCERS OF CHANGE
Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, used to be a desert, covered with sand
dunes. Its seaport, having been in operation from the days of the Arabian tales,
was limited in its scope, capacity and output. Kings came and left. Kingdoms
conquered and changed the horizon several times. The British too were involved.
However, the greatest change to Dubai was with the advent of Sheik Maktoum
who saw the possibilities of this desert island becoming the playground of the
world, the greatest trade zone of the Middle East, a place where architectural
feats would meet with a global display of wealth. The rest is history. Not only did
Sheik Maktoum see this vision, he enforced it and challenged those who followed
after him to see the same and make it happen.
The second enforcer of change who comes to mind is Margaret Thatcher,
Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1979 to 1990. Margaret Thatcher did not
allow her femininity to stop her from advancing strong policy changes that were
to change the trajectory of the whole country. Firstly, she took on the labour
union who, until she became Prime Minister, had great powers which brought
most governments to their knees. However, having picked on the miners during a
major and long strike, she enforced policies that turned the country around. Mrs
Thatcher also redirected the focus of the country to become more Eurocentric
than its previous involvement with the various nations that constituted what was
known as the British Common Wealth of Nations. She felt that it was more
beneficial to the country she ruled, to focus on Europe than those nations.
The third person who comes to mind is Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola,
Governor of Lagos State from 2007 to 2015. Various sections of this great city,
which is predicted to become the largest city on earth by 2015, appeared to be
ungovernable and difficult to change. Of note is an area of Lagos known as
Oshodi, which was rowdy, a den of thieves and uncontrollable traffic – both
human and vehicular. The Governor achieved the feat of turning the chaos to
total order, along with many other great achievements that are clearly obvious in
his time as Governor.
What marks enforcers of change? How will they be recognised?
From the aforementioned stories, they are people who impact those who are
around them by the decisions they make and by the methods they use to achieve
the dreams of their heart. Enforcers of change also operate with uncommon
initiative, not allowing opposition and disagreement to hinder them. They pursue
until they make a difference.
Making a difference is major to change enforcers. Their motive is not
necessarily personal achievement, appreciation or endorsement but ensuring that
a difference is seen where they operate. Enforcers of change also anticipate and
prepare for change. They act with the mind that: “It is possible”, “It can be

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done.”
They are highly motivated. You might say that they are out to change the
impossible and turn the unturnable.
Enforcers of change are really extraordinary people doing extraordinary things
in extraordinary ways. They do not just do it by barking orders, they are role
leaders and they are also role makers. They create positions that never existed in
order to ensure there is a turnaround. They are a great inspiration to those who
work with them until the turnaround is seen.
How can you be an enforcer of change?
John P. Kotter, the Harvard Business School Professor and leading thinker in
the area of organisational change and management, proposes certain steps that
can truly help the enforcement of change. These include:
(1) Increasing the sense of urgency (2) In other words, making people see the
need to be objective, real, relevant and fast moving. (3) Building a guiding team.
That is having the right people around you in order to enforce change. People
who have emotional commitment to the vision, not just because they draw a
remuneration. (4) Present the right vision. The enforcement of change is not
possible if the vision is not clear, concise and achievable. (5) Communicate the
vision. Kotter suggests that people cannot run with a vision that is cluttered and
unclear. (6) Empower action.
Sheik Maktoum of Dubai tells the story of how, in order to encourage people
to be achievers, he set up people who secretly enlisted those who went out of
their way to make things happen and eventually, they were rewarded. Most times
they were taken by surprise by the reward because it was totally unexpected.
Change must be made to stick. This will happen if the values expected are
reinforced through recruitment and promotion; and changing leaders to promote
the ones who appreciate this change and celebrate it. Let us add to this by saying
that:
An enforcer of change must lead the way. He must anticipate and prepare for
the change by keeping abreast of facts, gathering adequate information,
appointing the right kind of people and leading the way. Some changes are very
difficult, particularly where a tradition, a habit, behaviour or belief system has to
give way. People tend to resist this. Leaders who will make a difference in the
21st century will have to be enforcers of change.
Think big. Fortune only favours the bold. Enforcers of change must think big,
without fear and with the confidence that the new thing introduced will work.
Ignore conventional ways of doing things. Ignoring conventional ways will
require changing the way the game is played, stepping out of the box and possibly
destroying and throwing away the box.
Believe in yourself. If you do not, no one will. It is very easy to know when
people do not have confidence in themselves. Self-doubt is a disease that is easily

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manifest and it makes other people immediately react the same way towards
such a person.
Work with other people to create connections where there were none.
It is interesting that once an enforcer of change shows up, people begin to see
the possibilities. Ideas flow once the channels are clear. The key thing is to be
able to recognise those who can work effectively with the leader to make the
vision happen.
Design new models by combining players and resources in new ways.
To get out of the regular, predictable and known, the old model will have to be
done away with.
Persevere with the idea until you see success.
Resistance is no proof that it is not going to work and initial teething problems
are also no proof that it is not going to work.
Make efforts to raise other enforcers.
It is important that an enforcer of change also makes efforts to raise other
enforcers; not looking at credentials of those who want to be, or their creative
skills. That way, enforcers of change perpetuate their ability by raising other
gifted enforcers of change.
 

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34. SERVANT LEADERS
Robert Greenleaf is credited with coining the phrase “servant leadership” in
modern times. However, Asian philosophies have always reflected the spirit,
attitude and actions thus called.
Servant leadership reflects the reality that leaders will need more than
solutions to fix the complex problems they face. They will need to find a way to
carry themselves as they serve with others, in order to be successful in their
career.
It is a style of leadership which concentrates more on serving rather than
leading, whether serving customers, investors, stakeholders and anyone who has
a vested interest in the organisation. Robert Greenleaf observed that servant
leadership is characterised by its focus on making other people’s needs and
aspirations its highest priority.
With this in mind, he emphasised the need for the leader to empower those
whom he leads. The spirit of this style is captured in the words of Mahatma
Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
And in more recent times, the words of Nelson Mandela resonate, “I stand here
before you, not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.”
A servant leader seeks to influence, not to assert authority.
Every style of leadership has its unique attributes. The elements found in
servant leadership include the capability to transform an organisation, the ability
to provide empowerment for employees, the creation of an enabling
environment and the establishment of lasting changes - but not just lasting
change, but engaging the people to manage the change themselves.
Over 40 years ago, when Robert Greenleaf propounded this particular style of
leadership, he used ten words to summarise what it characterised:
(1) Listening. Unlike most leadership styles, which traditionally carry out its
decisions, servant leadership engages in listening. This listening has to do with
listening to one’s own inner voice, coupled with periods of reflection.
(2) Empathy. This is an attempt to understand and empathise with others. A
servant leader learns to accept and recognise people with their special and
unique gifts and the way they do things.
(3) Healing. Servant leaders understand the search for wholeness by those
who are being lead. This style of leading brings that mutual understanding to the
table.
(4) Awareness. Awareness in servant leadership is a sense of awakening that
makes the leader actually disturb people who would naturally have rested. He
awakens them to responsibility and participation.
(5) Persuasion. Robert Greenleaf was said to be a member of the religious
Society of Friends who were known as Quakers. His understanding of persuasion

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has its roots from the setting in which his religious body belongs and therefore, he
argues that the servant leader seeks to convince and not to coerce.
(6) Conceptualise. This is one of the most challenging parts of leadership,
particularly for servant leaders. They have to traverse between and they must
seek a balance between being one of those who conceptualise the ideas of the
organisation and the day-to-day operational approach. A servant leader is not
only involved in the ideas that run the system. He also is part of the day-to-day
running.
(7) Foresight. This is a characteristic that enables the servant leader to
understand the lessons from the past, the realities of the present and how to
formulate the likely decisions of the future.
(8) Stewardship. Stewardship is holding something in trust for another. A
servant leader considers that their position is as a trustee, either on behalf of the
organisation, or the people they lead. This gives them the understanding of
serving the needs of other people.
(9) Commitment to the growth of other people. Servant leaders commit
themselves and see the tremendous responsibility of nurturing other people. They
commit to the personal and professional growth of everyone around them.
Sometimes this action could include the making funds for training available, or
taking a personal interest in them and giving people ideas and concepts that will
make them better persons.
(10) Building community. Servant leaders believe that a true community can be
created among those who work in a business or other institutions. Their aim is
not just the end result, the product to be sold, or the vision of the organisation
achieved. Servant leaders also create the atmosphere where community
emerges. In a lot of ways, servant leadership therefore is almost like swimming in
the opposite direction of other characteristics of leadership. However, those who
are called and carry this ability tend to achieve more than those who are
assertive for assertion sake.
“The servant leader has learned to be: strong enough to be weak, successful
enough to fail, busy enough to make time, wise enough to say, “I don’t know,”
serious enough to laugh, rich enough to be poor, right enough to say, “I am
wrong,” compassionate enough to discipline, mature enough to be childlike,
important enough to be last, planned enough to be spontaneous, controlled
enough to be flexible, free enough to endure captivity, knowledgeable enough to
ask questions, loving enough to be angry, great enough to be anonymous,
responsible enough to play, assured enough to be rejected, victorious enough to
lose, industrious enough to relax, leading enough to serve.” Poem written by
Brewer, cited by Hansel in Holy Sweat, Dallas, Texas, Word 1987In conclusion, it is
not difficult to recognise a servant leader. When they show up, they tend to value
different, diverse opinions, not just their own. They cultivate a culture of trust so

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that those around them don’t just meet to gossip but to further expand what the
leader has shared. Servant leaders develop other leaders. They are not afraid to
depart. They are always leading but instead of giving up power and deputising
others to lead, they get people involved and eventually they replicate their own
ability.
A servant leader is not interested in you just carrying out what assignment has
been given; he helps people with life issues, not just work. Life beyond work
matters to the servant leader. He wants to know what is happening to the people
around him. He may bring suggestions on how to get out of debt, how to manage
a family and still respects the employee the following day.
A servant leader would encourage or rather use the language that
accommodates him, “Let’s go do it, let’s achieve it together.”
When a servant leader comes on the scene, he is busy selling the concept
rather than pushing and telling everyone what to do. They sell, they do not tell.

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35. FUTURISTIC IN THEIR PURSUIT
Leaders are people who know that of all the time zones only the future is
manageable. You cannot manage the past because it is over and gone. You can
only change certain prior decisions or make new ones to erase what you have
done in the past. You cannot necessarily manage the present because it is a
second per second experience. However, you can manage what is yet to happen
in the future.
Leadership is about steering your organisation or the people you lead into that
new future that you see in your mind and hope to make manifest. Sometimes the
people will say the future cannot be known. While this may sound logical,
however sometimes through some degree of intuition, it is possible to see the
future. A linear mind may not but intuition will make one predict what is likely to
happen in the future.
The ability to see the big picture helps a leader move away from the unknown
to the known, when it comes to the future. They are able to see how things in the
future will fit together and how trends interact. With this in mind, the leader then
maps how they desire that future to be.
This is not like gazing into some crystal ball. It is predicting the future and pre-
empting the future. Predicting what is likely to happen and pre-empting what you
do not want to happen.
In order to effectively manage the future and achieve a goal, a leader must ask
themselves certain questions regarding the future of his organisation.
What is your map to your new world, to the future?
How can you make things happen differently from your current position?
Based on where you are now, what do you think the future will look like
What are you doing about the plan for that future?
What is the organisation doing about it?
In order to assess and achieve a future, a leader needs to begin to assemble
bits and pieces about the future. Tiny pictures of what the future will be may not
be complete at once but as the jigsaw is brought together gradually it can paint a
picture that will help the leader take a position that will be beneficial.
Many of the scientific breakthroughs of our days are products of predicting
how the future will be, what people will want in the future. That picture helps a
leader make minute by minute decisions. It may be considered speculation,
however it is better to speculate about the future, step out of the box and do
something, than to stay in the same place and the future comes and overtakes
you.
A jigsaw puzzle of the future helps to navigate uncharted territories that you
and your organisation are likely to find yourself in. Many times the future is not
about what will happen. It is about what you do to make that future happen.

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Sometimes a very futuristic leader will realize that they can be part of making
that future and shaping it the way they want it to be.
As a futuristic leader, in order to enhance your achievement it is important to
learn to develop the ability to look past current events and today’s achievements,
with a view to seeing the possibilities of tomorrow. It is important to visualize
compulsory new ideas about your services, customers, product strategies and
businesses that will do well in the future.
Futuristic leadership means planning to implement ideas in a timely manner
and remain competitive in a world that is constantly changing almost at the speed
of light.
Futuristic thinking and leadership requires:
Being vision minded and this entails a dramatic breaking away from whatever
past practice has limited the success of the organisation, and adopting
sustainable strategies that look beyond today’s method.
Establish values – this will keep your business and organisation out of scandal
in the future.
Head hunt for future successors – it should be more than a formal succession
planning process, rather the development of potential as an essential attribute of
great leaders. Create the space for others to grow, to show their gift, to be a part
of the decision making processes, rather than being just decision endorsers. This
is a good action of a futuristic leader.
Establishing a continuity culture is very futuristic. Many have died and gone to
the grave with the knowledge they had. They never shared the information or
ideas. They excluded other executives and the people around them. A futuristic
leader empties themselves of all their ideas.
Do not announce that the vision has already been accomplished. It should
always be that the vision is never accomplished. It is important for the work to
continue to break new grounds and still see new horizons to be covered. A
futuristic leader who does this will not only be remembered for what they have
done but how they did it.

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CONCLUSION - HAVE A SUCCESSION PLAN
“Organizational survival is the ultimate indicator of success.” Hannan and
Freeman
No one seems to want to leave their position of leadership. From Presidents
who seek a change of constitution in order to perpetuate their term; to founders
of organisations who believe it is their right to found it and stay there until their
death. There are also suppressive CEOs, Heads of organisations, who consider it a
thing of celebration that no one could do the job like they do.
A Succession Plan – What is it?
It is actually planning for the future and preparing the organisation in readiness
for somebody else to progress it further from where the leader stops. Actually,
success without a Successor is failure.
A Succession Plan is learning to focus on the future of the organisation,
knowing full well that you might not be there at a time when that future arrives.
Why is a succession plan necessary?
For the sake of continuity. The organisation which dies with the current leader
has failed; not because it does not have the potential to expand but because the
leader has failed to realise that true leadership is raising the future generation. A
good leader should be able to ask himself ‘who will replace me someday’ and
such a thought should excite him to pave way for them to begin to come up.
A succession plan also is necessary because it gives room for creativity.
Generations change and people have different perspectives. One generation is
fading away, another is rising. The generation that was born almost 40 years ago
is different to the ones who were born after the 2nd World War.
The new generation long for a sense of belonging.
They value authenticity, transparency and humility.
They desire a change in the world, environmentally and geographically.
They find meaning in things that are mysterious, metaphoric, paradoxical and
artistic.
This generation is the ‘Facebook’ generation, the ‘MySpace’ generation, the
generation who has had an opportunity to rub minds with the computer; the
micros and the mobile phone. They prefer the practical and the immediate to the
dogmatic and bureaucratic. They bring creativity that is fluid and continuous.
A succession plan is also necessary because it helps an organisation, nation,
people, places to experience capacity building. Today’s success may be great for
now but the capacity of the future would obviously be much better. At the wake
of the 80s, new information and discoveries was every ten years. In the 90s, it
was every year. In 2000 and beyond, it was every month. Nowadays, there is a
fresh and new breakthrough in almost every remit, every day.
A leader who therefore fails to prepare his organisation, nation, and people

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for succession will find that it won’t be long before they’re caught up with
obsolescence.
The next reason which makes a Succession Plan a necessity is the creation of
the future. However, succession plans often are more saddled with challenges
than possibilities. Oftentimes because of the current leadership which tends to
resist it. Leaders often never like to let go. However, like our children who must
at one time move away from us and sail away into their own destiny, it is
important that a leader realises that a succession plan is rather part of his
success.
The challenges of succession are complex. There is the organisation which
may not like the new person but prefers the stability, the old brings; or the new
person who may not like the new organisation because he observes there are
things that require change.
Succession is sometimes difficult because the family of the new Leader is
having challenges adjusting to the current place; corporate culture is not friendly
but rather adversarial. The new leader may fail because he is unable to win a
following since his style and interpersonal skills have not been developed; which
also means that his values and belief system do not match with the organisation.
Sometimes there is a failure of succession because the new leader truly is
dynamic and the ability to make the organisation succeed but the old guard along
with the old leader are sabotaging his efforts.
And yet all these may not be as difficult as the old leader who fails to totally
disappear over the horizon but keeps making excuses and has reasons for
perpetually being around the organisation and making it look as if someone is
trying to abort his baby.
The only thing which makes succession very difficult is the departing leader.
Why? Well, they may have a fear of retirement, a resistance to change; there is
also a possibility of him not making adequate financial preparation for the future.
Several people have moved on and allowed a successor only to find that they did
not have enough to keep them busy and engaged in a profitable way.
A succession plan is not a walk through the park. There may also be challenges
particularly if the leader who is departing seems to draw his sense of worth and
confidence from the position and title. This possibly accounts for the reason why
many Third World Presidents and Heads of States have difficulty in transition into
regular civilian life and handing over to someone else.
On the contrary, they perpetuate their position and make it look as if no one is
adequate in a nation of teeming millions; no one is able to replace them; which in
itself is a sure sign of failure.
When leadership fails to prepare and produce a Succession Plan, it could not
be described as a success. Within that context the leader has failed.
Correcting this situation may be by developing a mentoring system from day

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one. No one ever arrives fully ready to take on a major responsibility. The onus
rests on a true leader to see potential in people, develop the ability to tolerate
mistakes and abrasiveness and challenge such potential people to become the
best that they can be. In raising future leaders, of course, the leader is risking his
own reputation because he may have made the mistake of choosing the wrong
protégé.
However, it is better to impart Leadership skills in other people than to do
nothing at all and feel that in this way the organisation will always need him.
Leadership is truly a major investment. Those who are at the higher echelon in
any organisation invest emotionally, psychologically, musically and otherwise.
Sometimes the dividends may have not been fully grown, when it may be time to
depart.
However, a leader may look at it in a different way and realise that he has
made a contribution in his lifetime and truly prepares the coming generation to
succeed him, whether he is remembered or not.

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