2. INSPIRING GREAT LEADERS

 2. INSPIRING GREAT LEADERS

(To motivate and encourage taking up good role models in life)

1. Greatness

Humbling down to earth:

A great leader is the one who keeps on learning and developing the self. A leader gets to know different things and different people but never boasts about the things he has. A leader humbles him a lot in the things he knew a lot as well as in the things he is exposed to, that there would be learning even from the least of the people, and teaching the best to even those who are proud. 

Receiving even the least:

A leader doesn’t get influenced by the discriminations that were made by human beings based on their belonging, possessions, and practices. A leader looks at everyone the same and helps everyone to find real meaning and purpose in everything they do, by supporting them in their needs. A leader accepts even a slanderer and one who is imperfect or less privileged and helps them to know their potential and worth.

Laying the Life for Others:

A leader is selfless and lives his life by having a greater place for the people around him physically and mentally. In times of trouble, the leader takes his front and protects his people even willing to give his own life for others. A leader’s action is from the emotions balanced by the commitment of the mind and his genuineness enables him to serve the people around him with completeness.

 

2. Unseen Attributes

Being united in Spirit:

The greatness of the leader is because the leader understands others by empathizing with the people around him, without compromising the standards and the values of life. The Leader tries their best to accommodate and accompany his crew, but always resists what is wrong and tries his best to correct it.

Having the unchanging love:

The leader doesn’t carry hatred in his heart, though there could be situations and circumstances in which he would have been annoyed and got angry with people around. The Leader covers the mistake of his people with compensation for the loss and corrects the people further by helping them not to make the mistake again. The Leader’s love and concern for his people is not changing as it is not based on their love towards him and just because he loves them.

Lowliness in mind:

The Leader knows many things and has expertise in certain things in which he is personally interested but still the Leader doesn’t show off and always uses his skills and talents only when the people need it. The Leader humbles himself not to escape the fear of being criticized but to give space for the people around him.

Esteeming others better:

The Leader respects others irrespective of their differences and their limitations. The leader understands the potential in every human being and taps the resources out of him or her so that they can be beneficial. The Leader empathizes with the person who has low esteem and helps them to feel special with the unique qualities they have.

Considering others:

The Leader is not authoritative but always considers the opinion of others, by directing the people around him in the right way with the right values and virtues. The Leader considers others not just by hearing their views but also in every decision or the process of something productive and constructive so that no one gets affected negatively in any way.

 

2. Differentiating Good Attributes and Unlikely Attributes of Leader

GOOD ATTRIBUTES OF LEADER	UNLIKELY ATTRIBUTES OF LEADER
Love and affection	Authority and Bossiness
Fellowship	Formal Relationship
Merciful	Rigid
Being one accord	Being separated
Considering others	Self-oriented
Peace and Harmony	Strife and vainglory
Lowliness of mind	Boasting about self
Esteeming others	Putting down others
Fulfilling purpose	Acting for reputation
Obedience to good	Exalted by self

 

3. Examples

Life of Aram:

Mr. Aram owns a big firm and he is well settled with all the needed things, possessing greater wealth and prosperity, and being in a comfortable place. He was a big landlord, the wealthiest and most respectful person of his time. There was an instinct from a superior being calling him to move out of his comfort zone and go to another nation for a bigger purpose and greater good. Mr. Aram didn’t think much but got up, obeying the call, and started to another nation along with his wife and some possessions, at their old age. One of the dependents and close friends of Aram also had some possessions and they couldn’t continue to be together at some point in time and they had to decide to go in two different directions. Mr. Aram doesn’t mind choosing first, though he is a superior and older person, instead, he gives the power to decide to the dependent. The close friend of Aram chose the fertile and prosperous land to the eyes and Aram chose the leftover.

Life of Jose:

Mr. Jose was an ordinary man doing the work of rearing the cattle. But he had big visions and goals for his future and firmly believed that he would become a big administrator of his age. Mr. Jose used to share his visions with his friends and family but all of them neglected and made fun of him. Even they rejected him because of his bigger plans. After many thrusts, failures, hatred, jealousy, and betrayal for many years, Mr. Jose had the opportunity to use his skills and talents. Mr. Jose used the opportunity and utilized his skills and providence before the ruler of the country and became the second-highest official of the country. He served the people wholeheartedly even those who had rejected him.

Life of Dave:

Mr. Dave has a simple appearance and he is handsome but mighty in strength and confidence. He used to protect his dependents with his fullest strength. He was liked by all the people because of his concern and care for the people and the efforts he put into the welfare of the people around him. Mr. Dave had become the ruler of the country at some point in time and all the authority and power were in his hands. Mr. Dave committed the biggest mistake of abusing a woman and killing his husband. But no one dared to talk about it as he held all the power in his hands. Finally, one of the bravest men who stand for truth and righteousness came to Mr. Dave and conveyed the mistake he had made through an illustration. Mr. Dave was convicted of his mistake, acknowledged it, and with much bitterness of heart, he tried his best to cover his mistake and gain the people’s confidence again.

Life of Dani:

Mr. Dani had migrated from one country to another country for his work. He had a good education and status in his country but he didn’t enjoy the privileges in the other country. He has to follow the set of procedures and laws appropriate to the country and he found it very challenging to adapt to it. Mr. Dani had slowly learned to adapt to different things but he didn’t compromise on the standards and values he had. Mr. Dani was open-minded to accept even the people in the other country through their culture, language, and practices were different. He learned everything and became a great interpreter of hidden things. Mr. Dani was rewarded by the ruler and he had been given the position of administrator. He was accused by other leaders and even he was sentenced to death though he didn’t make any mistakes, Mr. Dani held firm to the standards and values, and in everything, Mr. Dani proved himself right and no one could ever overtake him.

Life of Chris:

Mr. Chris was a special person with wide wisdom, knowledge, skills, gifts, and talents from childhood. Though he knew many things, he never boasted about all that he had but used it during appropriate and needed circumstances of life. Mr. Chris was very humble in doing the household work and helping with his father’s manual work when he was young. He was obedient and nice, but at the same time, he stood for what was right and strongly opposed what was not right. In his adulthood, Chris was very independent and he used to help a lot of people emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Many people appreciated and welcomed Chris, but at the same time, some people were jealous of the fear that he would become great and they would lose their position. They had made false accusations against Chris, but he didn’t rebuke them, in return he defended his right cause. They had sentenced him to death and even while Chris was dying, he forgave the people responsible for it.

Activity:

Let the participants be divided into groups. At first, 5 minutes is given to list down the leaders they know. Next, they have to pick 10 leaders from the list and Relate the Leader with the Attribute he is known for, with a reason. 

 

4. Inferences from Life

Being Faithful and Useful:

A person needs to be faithful in all things, even the little things that he had been entrusted with, and encounter with, and putting best efforts to fulfill the responsibilities given/taken, as well as keeping the words that were committed to be an effective leader. Then the person would also be able to be useful to many people, to the best.

Helping others to express themselves:

It’s always very difficult to bring out the actual thoughts of the people around us because everyone has the fear of being judged and wants to feel good before others. It’s also very difficult to gain the confidence of others because it needs a lot of trust towards them and hope of building their self by traveling along. A good leader always gives chances for others to express themselves without accusing or demotivating them for something that is not right but always encourages them to be better. 

Having Vision and Goals:

Everyone makes their living day by day in some way with their lifestyle. Life could be interesting or boring based on the things we do. It would be exhausting if a person follows a series of things that would be repetitive without any positive change or focus on moving towards something. A leader has a vision and goals accompanied by it and he helps and inspires others to have the vision and set goals for accomplishing the same.

Utilizing the Opportunities: 

There could be always a lot of things to do, but it can be done only if it is seen as something to do. A lot of people don’t perceive the opportunities around them and think that it is something that they can explore and use if needed. A leader makes use of the different opportunities that are around, according to his needs or the needs of the people around him. A leader also helps people to explore and use the opportunities around them without any restrictions that would hinder their positive growth.

Being Confident with what is at hand:

Most of the time people are obsessed with what they don’t have because of others' opinions and traditions that make them blind to what they have. It is important to be confident with what is in hand to use it and learn/ earn the other things, the leader does it. The leader is not just confident about the things he has but also helps the people to use what they know and what they have, by giving confidence and guidance.

Accepting the mistakes and correcting them:

When someone points out and says that a person did something by directly pointing to someone, the person would respond mostly by trying to defend himself, by not thinking much then. But a leader is one who cautiously listens to others' voices and responds appropriately, not to defend the self but to acknowledge the facts. The leader accepts mistakes and brings out a solution or hears the best solution from others. The leader also accepts other mistakes, does not accuse but always tries to correct them.

Adapting to different situations:

The different situations around us play a vital role in the way we think and act. Usually, many people don’t want to change something they had inherited through their forefathers because of the fear of going wrong, and they never grow or grow just a little. The leader adapted to different situations to help out the people around them without compromising their convictions and standards. The leader also helps his people to adapt to different situations in life while standing on the truth.

Holding on the Standards and Values: 

Always it would be very difficult to be genuine and keep up the standards and values in life. The price of being truthful and just is very high. Most of the people around are corrupt and they want all others to be corrupt for they have the fear of being caught if someone is genuine. The leader never compromises the Standards he keeps for himself and the values that are worthy to be carried. The leader helps the people around them to hold on to the higher standards and virtues of life.

Being Abundant and Humble:

With the fullness of things, there would be always pride. It’s always difficult to be humble when the person has appreciable wealth or wisdom, as the people around would boast about the person or the person would like to showcase the wealth or wisdom. The leader is the one who is abundant in wisdom or expertise in something but never boasts about it. The leader uses his abundant things to nurture and help the people around him. Also, he guides the abundant people to be stewards of that and be humble.

Forgiving the mistakes of others:

Whether it is out of anger or preserving the ego of the self, many people don’t forgive others' mistakes. It’s much more difficult to accept the mistake of another person when the person has breached the great trust and confidence that is put upon. The leader does forgive the mistakes of others as he understands others' situations and positions and has concern for them, rather than looking at the effects upon the self. The leader also helps others to forgive one another so that they can be free from it and be better. 

Activity:

Let the participants be divided into groups. They shall take the case studies from the above Life stories and do a Role-play, Or else they can choose their leader and do a role-play.

 

5. Getting Inspired

Know a person deeply:

It’s always interesting and inspiring when someone’s eloquent and provoking speech is heard. It’s good to get inspired with the right values and thoughts when someone speaks something good. But it’s always not right to acknowledge or follow even if the person who inspires does not do an appropriate action or say something mischievous. No one should follow another person blindly just because he is approaching, but needs to know the person deeply to check whether his words and actions go together and it is rightly aligned, to be followed.

Analyze the Positive and Negative Actions:

The person who is admired the most will not be perfect, as no one is perfect. Everyone has their limitations and setbacks in their lives due to various reasons based on their own physical or mental aspects or the social or environmental cause. It’s always necessary to analyze every action of an individual by comparing it with the absolute higher standards of life to follow what is acceptable that furnishes joy to the self as well as associates without any feeling of guilt.

Build on Positive aspects and neglect negatives:

Everyone has some good things to follow and certain people who are well-versed and inspiring in one area of life would have committed some serious mistake that would make him a stench. It’s always realizable when even the self is reflected, there are always good things within and there are certain undesirable things also, existing within. It’s necessary to do something constructive with the positive things by developing it day by day and diminishing the negative things by leaving it slowly day by day.

Look at the Character and the intention:

Always it is easier to perceive very explicit actions, but all the actions need not be genuine and in the way, it is perceived. There could be always some agenda that is hidden, crooked, and selfish. It’s always good to acknowledge and admonish the good works and actions of someone, but at the same time, it’s necessary to test and know the intention of the action. The intention of the actions helps to define the character. The character of the person gets the complete nature of the person and predicts future actions.

Not be fault-finding but be learning:

Pointing out the mistakes of someone is very easy and being without mistakes is a very difficult task. Not willing to accept mistakes is an unconscious task by everyone to defend themselves. The matter of fault-finding is constructive when it is made for correction and improvement of the person whereas fault-finding is destructive when it is made for putting down someone in something. The person who finds there is something should also try to know why it is a fault and give out suggestions on how it could be corrected or done right.

Get inspired for what is good:

There are always favorites everyone according to their interests. It’s good to get inspired by someone in something according to their interests when it is right. But it would be deviating and elusive to get inspired towards some favorite completely, as everyone has some good and at the same time, something that is not right.