Exemplary leadership (1)

In life leadership is a critical issue. Far too many things depend on leadership. The consequences of leadership is always far reaching.

“Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” Harry S. Truman

There are many models of leadership but the exemplary leader is just about the best there is. There is the autocratic leader who bosses everybody around and whose word is law whether he is right or wrong. There is the democratic leader who is ruled by the majority – the majority always have their way and the minority just has their say. There is the despotic leader who rules and oppresses the followers. Exemplary leadership is the ideal leadership style though it seems to be the most challenging.

“According to leadership experts Kouzes & Posner, one of the key tenets of exemplary leadership is to ‘model the way’. That means consistently demonstrating a set of behaviours and skills that set an example for others to follow. As Gandhi put it: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him … We need not wait to see what others do.”

So as leaders, when we aren’t getting the behaviours and actions we desire, particularly when we have a set of written values to guide those behaviours and actions, then it’s time to look in the mirror and hold ourselves accountable.” Mark Grant

A leader who will be a leader indeed must be exemplary. Once one becomes a leader one cannot do whatever he likes. He becomes a special person. He becomes a model. He becomes the example to follow and standard setter. This is what every follower expects of their leaders… to be exemplary. When leaders are not exemplary, the result is the followers get disappointed and regret making or following the leader.

He must be a model of what he wants his followers to do and to be. The exemplary leader is a leader who is worthy of imitation. He serves as a model. He is an example. He is a model not just in his words, instructions and directives but in his motives, intentions, actions and private life.

“Titles are granted, but your behavior earns you respect. Exemplary leaders know that if they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, they must be models of the behavior they expect of others. To model the behavior they expect of others, leaders must first be clear about guiding principles. They must clarify values. Leaders must find their own voice, and then they must clearly and distinctively give voice to their values.”

Barry Z. PosnerJames M. Kouzes

An exemplary leader not only points the way but leads and live it out. He does not operate by the maxim do-as-I-say-and-not-as- I-do. He models what he wants done and motivates others to follow suit.

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

To be continued

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