Leader Doesn’t Live In His Mind Alone

By: Pangeran Arsyad Ihsanul-Haq

Can we live without a leader? Of course we can, as long as we choose to live alone, in the woods or in a remote places that no other human being there except us. Because then, everything we do, will cause no harm or benefit to others. But if we aren’t able to do so and select to recognize our identity as a social creature. Then existance of  leaders is something that must be accepted.

Why, because we as a human being, in addition equipped with a mind that could make us always evolving, given also the lusts or passions that often we are powerless to restrain it alone. Lust is the one who will bring destruction if detached without control, so then we need to take strength or pressure from the outside that this rebellious lust could back under control. And the strength and pressure come from society with it’s leader.

In any social structure there are leaders. Even In the family just as the smallest structures of social life, there are husband as leader. The prophet also encourages us to choose a leader if we are going to travel and there are three people or more on the trip. Just to show the importance of leader’s existance in our live.

Good leader

Knowing the importance of a leader, we must manage that someone who are in that position must be the right one. Cause a good leader can take advantage of all the potential of human rescources andnatural rescources he belong for a goodness.But otherwise bad leaders can actually cause all the potential that exists to be a disaster or at least futility. Look at how many generals in the battle which equipped with fewer troops than his opponent was able to win the battle. It was all because of the foresight of the strategy and and capability to organize what they have, to become so tough so he can grasp the winning. As well as we can see in sports, football for example. A good coach, although just stengthened by standard players,could be a champion defeating the other team with high level players.

And yes, the history has said to us that the triumph of a people depends on the quality of it’s leader. So it must be a good leader to lead, otherwise he just became a parasite that inhibit or kill it’s people.

Then let us observe, what kind of leaders that are able to lead especially in this modern era. There are several character that must be owned by a leader, such are: initiative, responsible, trustworthy, honest, self-sacrificing, lovable, loving group, intelligent, brave, and resolute. But beyond that, there are some other things that should be given special attention to those who want to fulfill their duty as leaders well.

Open Minded.

This character is the most important one amongst those characters. An open-minded leader is able to hear the other party. He did not come with anything that has been designated. A person who has the flexibility and open thinking abilities in capturing new knowledge to solve new problems as well. They are realistic people in social life and can appreciate other people who are different. He will not spend the energy to force others to be like himself. That means he is someone who is tolerant. They appreciate the values ​​of humanity. They prove in his actions, respect minorities and protect those who are weaker. They use the power of moral rather than coercion in making changes. The leaders have the inner strength or aura that is able to come independent in front of the crowd.

Leaders who consider only their thoughts are correct, thinking others aren’t able to achieve like what they achieved, or could be succeed only if others do like he does or think like he thinksare not suitable for this 21 century. It’s just and old school way of thinking. Cause now, there are just too many experts in every sector. And they spent their life in that circumstance so then, they could see better than those leader.

As well as those leader could not understand every problem in society. So they must hear, look, and learn on how other solve the problem. Because becoming a leader, that doesn’t mean they’re the best in everything. Theyjust the one that are expected to take the right decision, and this right decision based on a good information which they obtain by hearing, seeing from it’s expert and feeling it their selves. But it doesn’t mean they must accept or execute all what those expert said, but at least these leaders can refer to their knowledge and do what is necessary.

Communicative

A leader faces human beings with tendencies and different psychiatric. He does not lead robots which when he push their button they will move to follow the orders given. Whatever good ideas that in his head will be futile if it delivered with wrong way. So he need this ability cause it is no longer about what was said, but how it is delivered.

Delegate

The good leader is able to see the potentials that exist in his community then delegating tasks and responsibilities properly to each member so that it can move quickly and rapidly. So there is no idea sources which go. Good delegetion will create a synergy in the people he lead which at the end will make all goes as it was expected.

Inspiring and exemplary

And the most important is theleader  could manage himself to be role model of the community he leads.He should be able to inspire, not only inspiring by his thought or by his words, but inspiring by his actions and character, cause this two thing inspire better than thought or words. There is a really good proverb to describe it. The ear was already very full, but eyes still starving. Cause there just too many who could say but just too few who could  show.

And all of these must be exist in a person who want to lead, otherwise he just will be a plague for his community.