10. SUCCESS OF A LEADER

 10. SUCCESS OF A LEADER

(To know that the success of a group as a whole is the success of the leader)

1. Complete Success

Flee Evil and Follow Righteousness:

Sometimes an individual can be seen as successful but at the cost of the suffering or the exploitation of many others. A good leader never becomes successful at the price of some unfair gain. A good leader should always flee evil and follow what is right, irrespective of whether it brings them wellness because it will surely affect someone or something, at some point in time in some way. 

Be without blame and immorality: 

It’s easier to spread false news to defame someone, as not everyone verifies the messages or information that they receive from others. A good leader will be careful to be blameless and moral, not to get a good name from others but to stand pure and integral and to build character. It's unavoidable to be blamed falsely, but the blame towards a good leader is unverifiable and unauthentic. A good leader always accepts mistakes and facts though it defames the self.

Dwell in the Light with Transparency:

The greatest life that a person could ever have is a life of transparency. When there is transparency, there is reality and the thoughts, actions, and words are mostly controlled by the right values and virtues. Also when there are the right values and virtues in life, there would be transparency for sure. A good leader shares his thoughts, words, and actions without hiding something else inside.

Excelling in everything for being useful:

Everyone has different abilities and interests. Not everyone could get the first mark in the university, nor everyone could come first in the track and field. A good leader is not an expert in some field or something but a good leader gives the best of the talents and knowledge towards something useful for others and that challenges the self.

Be Responsible with self-accountability:

There are a lot of tasks that will be coming up when we take leadership. A good leader thinks a lot about taking some task, but when some task is taken he would make sure that the task is completed by himself or others. A good leader doesn’t fear that someone would question if he fails to fulfill the responsibilities given or taken but has self-accountability.  

Activity:

Some pictures that express joy and peace shall be chosen. Each picture shall be cut off into 5-8 pieces, according to the total number of participants, and the number of groups that could be made. The pieces shall be shuffled and they shall be given to each participant. The participants should not give it to anyone or exchange it with someone. They shall fix the cut pieces to complete the picture to form groups, and when the group is formed, they shall frame a success story out of it.

2. Joyfulness and Peacefulness

Completion of the entrusted things:

It is a good quality for every one of us to complete something that is taken by us or some task that is given to us. It builds our confidence and enhances our self of being responsible. A good leader always strives hard to complete what has been entrusted, irrespective of the difficulties, challenges, and priorities that are around. It provides immense satisfaction which further provides joy and peace in the heart and mind.

Being Free without Compulsion:

Everyone has some habit or something that doesn’t enable us to be normal, acceptable, and social. It makes us be away from what is good and what is supportive to others. A good leader consciously avoids everything that takes away the stability and that makes him dumb from being himself. It is important to be free, without the bond of dependence on something or someone, for temporary gratification, to deliver others and serve others with joy and peace.

Rejoicing even in times of suffering: 

There will always be ups and downs in life with joyful moments and hurtful moments, with easier moments and difficult moments, with interesting moments and boring moments. Everything is not stable and as expected, but, surely, everything passes by and something can be changed by working hard and not worrying about it. A good leader accepts the sufferings and learns through them, though it may be disappointing and challenging, the joy is complete at the end.

Keeping up the noble things of life:

Finally, it is very important to keep up the higher standards and values in life, which are nobler and which build our character. It also helps a person not to be deviant and attracted to the vain desires of life, which steals happiness sometimes. A good leader always keeps up the greater virtues that help to be a role model and show the right path of life to others.

3. Building Independency

Giving the freedom to act for a purpose:

Everyone likes to be free without the stronghold of someone upon them, though some people expect some sort of guidance but not control. A good leader is not dominion and authoritative over others but considers others as equally important as well as allocates the responsibilities and helps them to act according to their interests for the welfare of one another or a good purpose. A good leader always makes many other leaders who are genuine and trustworthy.

Impart the standards and not actions:

Some people who act good, want others to follow their footsteps exactly as they had walked through, and when they see others who aren’t up to their expectations, they simply show hatred. A good leader never accuses a person but corrects the other person with genuine love, though his actions may be a little harder and words may be pointing at times. A good leader always imparts standards by setting their intentions right and doesn’t want others to imitate the self.

Not compromising towards fear or authorities:

It’s always challenging to stand for something when other people who are around threaten or criticize or the superior person orders or expects something. A good leader will be strong in the heart towards something right and good for others though everyone else is against it and everyone compromises for selfish gain or fear because of the authorities. A good leader will be willing to pay the cost of their own life but never compromise on the standards.

Learning from others without imitating:

All the human beings have personal knowledge and impersonal knowledge. Most of the personal knowledge of a person that the person alone knows is not used and required by others. But there are certain times, it is also significant for greater learning and solution for something in life. A good leader acknowledges everyone with their knowledge as well as their impersonal knowledge which is common. A good leader never copies another person's words and actions but quotes the good words and actions always.

Activity:

All the participants shall be divided into groups of 4-6 members. They have to stand in a circle. Each group has to complete the series of steps that are given in 10 sec.  When the facilitator says 1, they should stretch the right hand to the right side and left hand straight; when 2 is said, both hands should be up; when 3 is said, the right hand should be straight and the left hand on the left side; when 4 is said, both hand should be down. It can be added with the head and feet the next time.

4. Building Responsibility

Fulfilling the master’s instruction:

Every one of us has someone above us who may be physically present or not but exists and whose instructions are very valuable and worthy for us to follow. We need to also oblige and fulfill the instructions that are of higher value, though they might not be approachable to our finite minds. A good leader is not only one who leads from the front but who fulfills the instruction of his master, guide, or mentor, whenever it is perfect and valuable.

Taking care of the needs around:

It’s easier to do certain things repetitively, as it may not involve a lot of preparation and planning then and there, but it may get outdated and may not be relevant, applicable, and approachable. A good leader always has some checkpoints then and there, to analyze the needs and usefulness of the actions and thoughts. Also, a good leader is flexible to have a change continuously whenever there is a need and tries to take care of the needs around.  

Finding the successor to sustain:

All the things on the face of the earth can’t be taken care of effectively and used well when the person who is responsible for it doesn’t exist anymore. Thereby everything needs some successor to be continued and sustained. A good leader always identifies a successor for everything that he is involved in and places the right person for the right thing, by equipping and empowering with all the exposure and experience. A leader rejoices when the successor is more efficient than himself.

Sharing works with those who know it:

Though there are people who are versatile with more talents, a person can't do everything when it is demanded at the same time. Also, everything is not possible for everyone. A good leader will always know the self and welcomes the support and guidance from even a simpler person to utilize their exposure and experience whenever there is a need. A good leader shares and delegates the responsibilities to those who deserve it and who are able, for the sake of the better goodness of others.

5. Passing on the Passion

Share the core purpose:

Some people expect others to do what they say but without sharing the purpose of doing those things or saying the purpose positively though it is intended for something negative. But a good leader genuinely shares the actual purpose that is in the mind and heart, for others to be focused and be clear that they are contributing to a common good. It makes them self-motivated sometimes and a good leader wants others to take ownership.

Equip the successor:

It’s one of the most difficult tasks to discipline and teach someone, irrespective of whether the person is well-behaved or deviated because it involves knowledge and regular preparation for a person to teach others. A good leader is always learning, keeps the self updated, and tries the best to make things more interesting to the receivers, and makes it more valuable by helping them learn at least something new to them. Also, a good leader equips the successors and wants them to leap beyond what they had been.

Entrust and Leave the responsibilities:

Many people in leadership will not easily give up their power and position, very easily to others, to have authority and control over them. But a good leader always welcomes the contribution of others and entrusts the people who deserve to do something and who are of good expertise. Also, a good leader leaves the responsibilities to those who are capable and don’t interfere much, to be controlling and dominion over others.

Let the successors succeed:

Though a person trains another person and equips them towards something, it is very difficult to digest when another person is highlighted much, covering all the efforts put in by the trainer. A good leader doesn’t get jealous when the successor is successful more than the self but feels joyful and successful as the leader had mentored and trained not to be highlighted but for the common good.

Activity:

All the participants shall be divided into groups of 4-6 members. The members shall stand in a line by facing themselves in the opposite direction. One of the members in the groups shall volunteer. One concept/ principle will be told to the member of a group and the person has to act the same to pass on to others through the member before them and they should in turn pass to the member before and so on. How the concept/ principle is passed on to each other carefully without the loss of information is evaluated, and the best group shall be the winner.