We must speak of leadership

The act of leadership lives in the word. To lead. To go in front of. To take the first step before anyone else.

It requires courage, for taking the first step is fraught with danger. A leader often fails or falls short simply because the step they take as a leader has not been taken till now.

Therefore, to lead is to stand in failure and own it. To not be shamed, rather to see our commitment to lead as the commitment as well to own when things do not work.

In our current world, leadership often has nothing to do with leading. It has been replaced with posturing. Image making. Spell casting. Failure is hidden behind veils on veils. The spine of the leader is pliable, open to the highest bidder, be that money, status enhancement or some fundamentalist belief in the second coming.

We may not agree with the stand of a genuine leader, yet the least we can do is honour that they have taken the bold step, against all odds, to lead for something they believe is worthy of the sacrifice of their own privacy, their own safety. 

Genuine leadership is rare. The leader’s eyes are cast towards a horizon far greater than self. There is always a price to pay. Failure on the journey is a given. How the leader responds to failure and stays true to the commitment, leading by example as they adapt, adjust and speak of the learning, is the greater measure of the leader.

December 23rd 2019

Photo taken December 17th, 2017