subject: On Thinking Of Entering The Labyrinth Of Leadership [print this page] Entering the labyrinth of leadership roles takes a certain amount of determination, daring, and dedication. Although leadership is partly an inborn quality, it can be developed, deformed, or thwarted by how the opportunity to lead is handled.
It takes a lot of determination to forge to the front, whether in business or in other walks of life. Most of us will 'pay our dues' before we get to a point of leadership. Some will give up when victory is within sight. Others will throw it all away by a foolish decision or an unwise choice.
Leadership abilities are not always welcomed by others in authority, who may see these talents as threats to their own ambition and job security. That is why many leaders will choose to work for themselves, or to work alone with either private funding (as a research scientist, for example) or venture capital. Some leaders only emerge in times of crisis - Winston Churchill was viewed as a failure by most of his contemporaries until the world War thrust him into prominence.
Those who can keep the goal in sight, who can practice self-discipline, and can make sacrifices in other areas generally make it to the top, if they have chosen an arena fitted to their abilities. Even for those who succeed, the cost may be too great. There are many billionaires whose home life is in tatters.
If you are very good at your job, you may find it hard to delegate the work to others. Being a control freak is a handicap in management. It will pay great dividends if you can channel this desire for perfection into the art of training others to do the work well, Being able to assess the capabilities of your staff and raise the performance level over the entire department is one of the signs of a good manager.
Daring is required as well, for both the enlightened who wish to improve the lot of mankind and the greedy who wish only to exploit the more helpless. Many more would-be tyrants are killed or imprisoned than succeed in seizing power. More crooked politicians are exposed and prosecuted by law than continue to control national affairs.
Even those who sincerely desire to do good may face misunderstanding and ridicule, if not outright persecution. There are religious figures that have been ostracized or worse for their beliefs, which they try to communicate to others to lead them in the way of their doctrines. There have been many government officials ruined by unsubstantiated accusations, which are proved false too late to salvage the career of the innocent.
For the true leader, this will all sound exciting rather than scary. The thrill of getting to the top is half the battle for those driven to lead. Hopefully the motives are pure and the general good is prioritized. If not, then we must hope that another leader is in the wings to seize the helm.
Entering the labyrinth of leadership takes courage and self-knowledge, for the beast at the center may well be your own weaknesses, that you must face and overcome to succeed.
