In my professional career, I write often as a consultant and trainer – speeches, reports, proposals, white papers, essays, studies, data analysis, academic lesson plans, project plans, training course designs and more. I am also a published Author and the Editor of a AGM Brochure for an unnamed financial institution. Yet in my personal sphere, I have to be inspired to write and carve out the time to do so.
Therefore, I count it fortuitous that at this week’s Reception at the Japanese Ambassador’s Residence, I met a colleague Julian Henry, the Programme Manager at the UWI Centre for Export Entrepreneurship and Innovation who assured me that I should write and I would get a ‘like.’ It’s akin to an endorsement without having created the product. So thank you for the boost, Julian. I have been jostling with what passes for leadership, so your encouragement spurred me to produce something to contribute to the leadership discourse. Consider this – Why is leadership your most important skill and how can you cultivate it to build your legacy?
1. It concerns you
Firstly, leadership begins with you. In the world of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), how you lead is vital to how you live. If you lead with generosity, you tend to live generously. Conversely, if you lead with distrust and scarcity, you tend to function with a paucity mindset. Woe is me! Growing up in scarcity rewires your brain, but it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy — a pervasive feeling of not having enough — whether that be time, money or connection. A scarcity mindset may also cloud you with limiting beliefs that may make you feel stuck. Adopting an abundance mindset would not magically solve your problems, but it will help shift your perspective in a way that makes it easier to problem-solve or cope.
Do you need a title to lead? A common misconception is that a title automatically bestows leadership. It does not. It confers power. It exerts influence. It grants rights and privileges. It commands authority and dominion. For all the good that a title bestows on an office holder, it does not denote ability, talent, aptitude, wisdom or understanding. Hence the importance of selecting leaders and then granting them a title; rather than vice versa – granting titles and forcing office holders to function as leaders – national leaders, business leaders or world leaders (we see you). The private sector does a better (though not perfect) job of testing an individual’s mettle before elevating to company leadership (executive teams). However, C-Suite roles are not glamourous beacons of power. It involves a different type of “hardship” and a particular set of skills.
Want to become a leader? Start by being a doer – roll up your sleeves! Volunteer with organizations that serve others and it will build your skills; get a great leadership mentor and seek ways to add value; develop your mindset by developing your discipline – commit – say yes and do it; say no and mean it.
2. It impacts others
Leaders are not pigeonholed. They can effect change from any platform, from the prison cell to the pulpit, through public and private service, whether they are under resourced or without resources. It takes vision. While many may be content to follow the path ahead, never questioning, never thinking, just walking in line like everyone else, there are those who see things differently and are not afraid to break away from the crowd. The whole time, the spectator crowd may mock and openly jeer at what they do not understand.
It is a fallacy that people who commit crime are leaders (gang leaders?). They may be bosses (mob bosses), they may operate in organized crime (mafia) but they are not leaders. Their language is violence and they understand violence as a means of respect and strength. Violence that doesn’t care about morality or ethics. Violence that can potentially change victims of crime into villains of crime à la Hollywood style. People who commit violent crime are not leaders. Leaders inherently attract followers, but any path that can lead others to perdition if they follow you is not a path of true leadership. It’s leadership-adjacent. It can be subterfuge. Hence our conundrum of what passes for leadership has gained momentum and traction among vulnerable youth and impressionable adults.
Instead, leadership creates opportunities. It alters the course of others in positive ways both in times of peace and war zones. It is not performative. While some wait for their lives to change, others work to change their life. Want to impact others? Challenge the norm, dare to be different and make a different path even if it doesn’t yet make sense to others.
3. It encompasses everything
It is foundational. All other skills flow from leadership and are sharpened or dulled by the quality of your leadership. Communication skills, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, problem solving, agility, time management, teamwork, strategic thinking, resilience and grit — all flow from your foundation of leadership. If you are an entrepreneur, employee, professional, consultant, between jobs or unemployed, the perseverance required in any skill — whether in business, sports or art — flows from leadership resilience.
Over the years, I have interviewed, recruited and hired dozens of independent consultants and when discipline is tested, there are those who don’t show up to do the work or lie, deceive and pretend to do the work. Unfortunately, many people masquerade on social media and underperform in reality. Here are a few examples from my HR experience: (1) a social media manager stopped working and responding to communication while continuing to advertise her services, hoping to attract new clients. (2) A guidance counselor and trainer committed to a contractual agreement, did partial work, stopped all other work and sent an arbitrary email asking for more work. (3) A designer with a track record of completing assignments collected payment for a new project and never delivered the hired product despite ongoing communication. (4) A writer made specific guarantees about her work and network and was unable to produce the hired product. (5) A tax accountant who really should not venture beyond numbers and calculations and unfortunately cannot be recommended because of his exceptionally poor customer relations. Cuckoo? Motives? Who knows? The list goes on. Culturally, can we disagree without being disagreeable?
The truth is leadership is often confused with a title, volume, visibility, movement and expression or dissonance. It is none of those things. Leaders remain committed and composed under pressure, inspiring others to do the same. Want to develop your skills? Take on new tasks. Begin with small acts and execute to the finish line. Repeat over a period of time and your consistency will produce muscle memory. It’s very much like learning a new language. You will sound clumsy, you may feel uncomfortable, but your skills will improve over time. You never stop learning.
4. Appointed or anointed
Sometimes you choose leadership and sometimes it is thrust upon you. You are not born into it. You work, you say ‘yes’ to different opportunities, you execute, you work and eventually your track record gets noticed through timing and a bit of luck. It’s not solely about hard work and proactive outreach. All leaders are either appointed or anointed.
In family dynamics, there is one person who by default through their own values, talents, actions and consistency are given space to serve and lead in a particular role, and there may be several different roles to be filled by different persons within a family unit. In a similar vein, the workplace and politics are rife with examples of persons elevated to leadership roles and titles, through the dint of their body of work or preferential selection, and a sprinkle of luck and timing. Diplomats for example are both appointed and anointed, sometimes as a career foreign service professional, or as a gift for loyalty or a reward for betrayal. It is the price of politics. A former Prime Minister once told me that it is where you send ‘persons to pasture.’
The difference between an appointed leader and an anointed leader lies in the source of their authority and legitimacy. Whereas the former is often based on qualifications and experience, the latter often carries a sense of special purpose, blessing or prophecy (divinely ordained). An anointed leader may not need formal institutional approval but gain influence through belief and charisma and an appointed leader may be selected through an election, voting or consensus. One day you too will be selected, and until such time you must invest in your leadership toolbox. Whether you are selected by appointment or anointment, you need to be ready. Invest in continuous learning and be earnest in your efforts. Through a combination of self-reflection and a commitment to growth, surround yourself with peers who have a positive influence on your life, and choose practical ways to develop and sharpen your leadership skills. Sometimes the best way to deliver a punch is to step back (Million Dollar Baby).
Conclusion
Leadership is not just about managing others. It is about mastering oneself and setting a standard that others naturally follow. Whether you are developing technical expertise, interpersonal skills or creative talents, strong leadership qualities enhance and amplify all other skills. Leaders are readers and learning how to be a better leader doesn’t have an end point.
What passes for leadership is a sham (and a shame!) — an illusion of authority built on charisma, rhetoric and empty promises. Too many ill-named leaders prioritize optics over outcomes, focusing on self-promotion instead of genuine service. They master the art of sounding decisive while avoiding real accountability, giving the appearance of strength without the substance of wisdom. Leadership, in its most potent form, is about courage, responsibility and commitment to service. Figureheads and title holders do not equate to changemakers.
It is true that nothing I write may make a difference, because a man’s ways are right in his own eyes, and everybody is a hero in their own story.
The good news is, as you develop your leadership skills, you will get better at recognizing the decoy from the genuine, charm from substance and the showman from true visionary. You will create a path for others less able to do so for themselves. You will not be tied to superficial influence and the façade of leadership that is allowed to thrive, leaving real progress and purpose to suffer in its shadow. At the intersection of passion meets purpose, you will harness your leadership potential.
