The reward for leading

Sacrifice comes with the leadership terrain. Nobody who is unwilling to make personal sacrifices can lead well. Leaders spur on others even when they themselves feel discouraged. Leaders cede the praise and take the blame. They mind, mend and mold just as they empower, encourage and equip. Leaders often have to spend and be spent. Thus, the weight of leadership is so huge that it could sometimes be burdensome.

But that is just one side of the coin. The flip side is that no one ever loses by leading right. The joy of leading outweighs its burden. The reward for leading right is by far better, greater and more enduring than its downside.

Here are some of the benefits that accrue to leaders.

The joy of making heroes out of ordinary people

Great leaders identify talents and provide opportunities for them to grow and optimize their talents. Leaders open doors for others to advance; they give others wings to fly and actualize their dreams. A leader’s joy is full only when he is able to help others live their dreams. Every good leader feels fulfilled when his protégé grows and attains heights that are even higher than those of the mentor. A leader’s joy knows no bounds when his mentees become successful.

Nelson Mandela is regarded as one of the most honoured political leaders in history. Honours were bestowed on him across the globe. He was courted by royalty and sought after by presidents. Businessmen, sports people and politicians flocked around him; everyone wanted to identify with him. Mandela wrote his name in gold not just because he was in prison for 27 years or because he fought for the emancipation of his people but principally because as President of South Africa, he resisted the temptation to pay back the champions of apartheid in their own coin. Rather than build walls, he built bridges and used his presidency to heal the wounds of the past in his country. This endeared him to the world and he became a global icon.

But Mandela would probably have been an inconsequential South African if not for his encounter with Walter Sisulu, the South African anti-apartheid activist, who inducted him into freedom fighting and molded him into becoming a great leader. Sisulu did not have much of formal education, he left school after Standard 4 but he was able to inspire and challenge those with university education, helping them to find purpose in life.

According to Mandela himself, in the tribute he paid to Sisulu after his demise in 2003, “By ancestry, I was born to rule. Xhamela (Sisulu) helped me understand that my real vocation was to be a servant of the people.” He added, “His home was the centre of our being together. He held his own; he interacted with ease and without a trace of inferiority. He was attracted to each of us, yet he was the magnet that drew us all together. That was his hallmark: an ability to attract and work together with highly competent and talented young men, a ready sounding board for ideas. He was a powerful influence who exuded respect for their talents and a born diplomat. He was courageous and his quiet self-confidence and clarity of vision marked him out as a leader among us.”

Sisulu never became the South African President, neither did he win the Nobel Prize nor enjoy as much accolade and prestige as Nelson Mandela. But Sisulu had a prize more desirable than the Nobel; he had riches that were more precious than diamonds; he mentored Mandela, he gave the world one of its best men. There are not many honours higher than that. It takes a great mind to nurture another. That is the joy of a leader.

Joy of changing the course of history

Leaders are change agents; they change the course of history as a result of their actions. Like salt, they change the ambience of their environment by doing things differently or bringing hope where disillusionment reigns.

Before 1952 when Chief Obafemi Awolowo emerged as the leader of Government Business in Western Nigeria, primary education in the region was for the rich and those who were fortunate enough to win a scholarship. But with the coming into government of Awolowo’s party, the Action Group, the government decided to make primary education free for all children of school age in the region starting from 1955. This was unprecedented. It was a major shift in governance which changed the course of history. With that decision, hope was rekindled in the region’s poor. What was hitherto considered the preserve of the well-heeled became accessible even to the children of the hoi polloi. With the successful implementation of the policy in the region, it became a challenge for others to do the same. Eventually, the Federal Government had to introduce the Universal Primary Education programme in 1976. The impact of the Western Region policy became evident about two decades later as the region could boast of many university graduates, a stock of well educated and competent workforce, and a hike in tax revenue to the government.

While the beneficiaries of the policy were (and still are) grateful to the government of the region for the introduction of that policy, the benefit to Chief Awolowo and his colleagues would be the joy of knowing that through their action, the course of history was changed, those who had no hope of becoming lettered actually became university professors, inventors, economists, engineers, etc. Knowing that one’s decision can change a life for the better permanently is one of the factors that make leading an enthralling experience.

Joy of influencing people

Leadership is hinged on influence, according to John Maxwell. Trusted leaders wield great influence. Their followers believe them to the extent that they are willing to do anything for them. Some leaders are so influential that their words are regarded as law by their followers. Religious leaders, political figures, footballers, musicians, actors, writers and others wield so much influence that sometimes they determine the lifestyle adopted by their followers. While some of these leaders misuse this opportunity and wrongly influence their followers, quite a number of them have made good use of it by leading their followers aright.

Leaders influence their followers by inspiring them. Leaders influence others by challenging them. Leaders also influence their followers by stretching them. All of these boil down to wanting the followers to get better and become greater. The most common desire among men is to get more out of life. Leadership influence is really about how to get more out of life. When leaders make the end of their influence the improvement of their followers, they become their followers’ idols. But that is not the real benefit to the leader. The leader’s joy is seeing that through his leadership others are able to get more out of life.

Ronaldo and Neymar

In 1997, the Brazilian international, Ronaldo, was signed for 20 million pounds by Inter Milan. This made him the most expensive player ever at that time. That feat inspired a young boy who decided to pursue a career in football. The young boy was Neymar. Twenty years later, Neymar’s dream came true as he was signed at a record fee of 222 million pounds, which was 11 times higher than his hero’s sign on fee. The joy that Ronaldo must have experienced by the accomplishment of Neymar would be higher than the one he experienced when he achieved his feat.

Joy of personal growth

Leadership is a two-way affair, both the leader and the led leave an impact on the other party. In addition, leading does not only improve the led, it also impacts on the leader. As a leader empowers his followers, he also gets empowered. As he improves the capacity of others, his also gets better. As he inspires others, he also gets inspired. There is no good thing that a leader does for his people that he does not get his share. Leaders are like water pipe, there is no way a water pipe which channels water to others can experience dryness.

What a leader becomes in the course of leading is far greater than what he gets as remuneration or entitlement.

Joy of bequeathing legacy 

Leadership positions provide the opportunity to bequeath a legacy. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe is remembered for the establishment of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Alhaji Ahmadu Bello is remembered for founding the university named after him. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo will be remembered as the person whose administration gave Nigeria mobile telephony. The late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is remembered as the first Nigerian leader to reduce the cost of premium motor spirit (petrol). Dr Goodluck Jonathan will be remembered as the leader whose administration gave the country six new universities.

Leaders have ample opportunities to leave their footprints on the sands of time by what they do. When leaders provide the right leadership the benefit to them goes beyond the immediate accolades.

Last line

He profits the most who leads the best.

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