LEADERSHIP

   Written by Yusuf Nasir Ahmad.
Email: Naseeryusuf07@gmail.com
Twitter: @Yusufnasir_Ahmd.

  "Being in power is like being a lady, if you say you are, you're not." -Magrete Thatcher.

     How do you measure the effectiveness of a leader? Can you put two different individuals side by side and tell which is the better leader? These are questions that have puzzled people for hundreds of years.
  Traditionally, people hold five (5) myths to be true as far as leadership is being put to question:
1-Management myth.
  2-Entrepreneur myth.
  3-Knowledge myth.
  4-Pioneer myth.
And 5-Position myth.
 
  The first myth come into existence whenever an individual is able to manage people, organisation or any phenomena. However, the two fundamental diffrence between the two is the fact that leadership is all about influencing people while management is about maintaing systems processes. As a leader, you must developed the ability to influence the lives of your subject positively.
  Secondly, the entrepreneur myth; people also assume that entrepreneurs are naturally leaders! Entrepreneurs only have the inherent ability to recognise opportunity and understand how to meet them in a way that produce a profit. However, not all entrepreneurs are leaders.
  Thirdly, the knowledge myth; knowledge is power as wildly said. Exceptional level of IQ doesn't amount to being a good leader. Neither IQ nor knowledge equals leadership.
Fourthly, the Pioneer myth: people also think that once an individual is responsible for the existence of a phenomena, then naturally he or she automatically assumes the position of leadership. Leadership is far from being that. We have seen a lot if pioneers in engineering, physics, chemistry or economics and yet we didn't see the ability to lead others in them.
  The last myth is about postion; Supposing you have some athletes running 400 meters, and surely someone must come first. Does that position makes him or her a leader? But natural no.,

  If all these don't amount to having a justify true belief of who a true leader is, then what is the yardstick to measuring who a true leader is?
  Well, everything about leadership is all about influencing people--and nothing more nothing less.
Do not listen to the claims of person claiming to be a leader. Jesttion it. Don't examine his credentials. Don't go after his position. Examine his influence.

   Influence is the fundamental pillar of leadership.