LEADERSHIP LESSONS

As I keep growing in the leadership space, I keep equipping myself with certain principles that will take my leadership abilities forward.
These principles were formed by great men such as “Mahatma Ghandi”, “Martin Luther King Jr.”, “Brian Tracy”, and “John Maxwell”.
Here are some of them that I would love to share with you.


1) Lead by being led.

This involves taking the role of a follower such that you lead without a position to develop certain skills. That's why I have taken the opportunity to volunteer for programs and learn the act of followership. When you follow, you learn how to listen and handle situations.


You experience firsthand situations and that will help you to learn how to avert challenges when you eventually take a leadership position.


“To teach is to learn twice” Martin Luther King Jr. said, and you do that by being led before taking a leadership position.
In a similar fashion John Maxwell said, "It is hard to improve when you have no one but yourself to follow."



2) Embrace Zero Based Thinking.

Every great leaders learn from their experiences and do not make the same mistakes twice. We should learn how to use the “Kwink” (Knowing What I Now Know) Analysis.
We should always ask ourselves this question "If I was not now doing this, knowing what I now know, would I get involved in this area again?"



This has always helped me to come out of the dark periods.
There were days, when I had involved myself in unprofitable transactions.
Days when I had never learned how to save.
Mismanaging every money I got, but by knowing what I now know, I would never go back to such situations again.
I will cut my cost and save for future investment opportunities.



As a leader, you shouldn't continue to spend more money on unprofitable ventures. Instead of digging down deeper and causing more damage to yourself and circle of influence.
Instead, use the knowledge you have now based on what you now know to come up with sustainable solutions and dig somewhere else for profitability.



Brian Tracy recommends a simple indicator for detecting a zero based thinking situation.
It is when you experience stress.
Simply STRESS, whenever you experience chronic stress that does not go away!


3) Using the Non- Violence Strategy.

I have learned from “Ghandi” that we should always show love to our friends and enemies.
Show love to your enemy and he will be weakened.



Whenever we are faced with the situation to exchange fire, retrench or kick against an old systems.
We should do it calmly without force but through advocacy and education.


Educating your employees regularly and setting out systems that deal with abnormalities in the organization.



Martin Luther King confirmed that, "Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder Murder," he said, "Through violence you may murder a liar but you can't establish the truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that."



4) Encourage the Growth Strategy.

For you to reach your potential as a leader, you have to keep growing in knowledge.
By getting accustomed with the recent trends in your line of expertise.
By reading books and by attending trainings, conferences and seminars.



However, you should also encourage your followers to develop and organize as well programs that would help them improve.
Send them on trainings and give them the opportunity to lead by being led.


To complement this train of thought, John Maxwell said, "You must keep growing until you can grow no more."
Therefore, Leadership IS Persuasion, Influence, Improvement and Impact.


Thank you for reading!

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