People think that a leader is a person who can communicate and is a good debater. He is able to point
out faults in people and systems. But this is only a show of leadership. We can say this is artificial
leadership. To understand real leadership we have to go deeper into the question of who is a leader and
examine every aspect of personality.
Who is a leader?
A leader isn’t about leading others. It’s about finding your path and be willing to walk that path no
matter what comes before you, even if no one follows you
A real leader is a responsible person. He is a person
with a clean heart who does not possess any biases
towards other rather he/she accepts every person as
everyone has a right to exist.
In my view a leader possesses the following traits:
They speak what they believe is true. their actions show what they believe and speak. A leader
never lies. If there is a discrepancy between their words and actions they admit it that they have
still not reached this level of practice. Thus they do not hide anything or give in to the
transactional system of exchange. For example they remain true to what they believe and does
not show approval for something merely to have some gains whether material or status.
Example, 1 out of 4 children may decide to speak their mind regardless of any fear of
disapproval from parents. The other 3 may either succumb to fear of displeasure or indulge in
the greed of getting approval or love from parents.
Authenticity builds trust and people trust authentic leaders.
They believe in respect and equality for all. Their doors are open for anyone to walk in and talk
to them. They show respect to all, even to the one that disrespect them. They do not have
biases against other people regarding race, culture, financial class, age or beauty. They do not
believe in any class system or VIP culture. They believe themselves to be a common person and
not superior to anyone. This is seen with how they treat poor people. Some people make a show
of charity filming their charities and publicizing their acts of help. This is a facade and needs to
be seen as such.
His drives and motivations are internal not external. He does not see trends and makes decisions
according to what others are doing. He is instinctive and knows himself well enough to decide
for himself what he really wants.
He says, “I want this”. Others may copy him and say, “Me too!”
An empathetic leader thinks and understands all team players. He is a good listener and
understands situations and helps accordingly. He maintains respect and privacy.
He is able to think from all angles that is involved in a situation. For example, if it is a wedding he
thinks of his family, the side of the bride as well as the guests involved.
A leader is not only able to regulate their own emotions but also connect with people on a
higher level. They may have a good sense of humour. They will not get angry and even if they do
it will be brief. They will connect with people on an authentically emotional level and not merely
play with the feelings of people or dope them. They will be able to connect with children and
this is the real test of emotional intelligence.
Many people initiate conversations. They initiate projects or have ideas and execute them. But
many leave projects unfinished. Many such projects remain so at our homes and lives.
A leader has a habit of completing things they start.
And yes a leader is an effective communicator as popularly believed. He who is able to speak
clearly is able to get through to people with their visions and ideas and motivate them to
achieve the extraordinary. In Surah Rehman Allah talks about the gift of speech given to
humans. Effective communication is a sign of effective thought. The main test here is the
differentiation of speech between the higher mind that talks about ideas and small minds that
talk about events and other people.
A leader is always looking outwards to others to deligate tasks. He doesnot favour or need a title
to show that he is a leader. He starts to deligate to the rightful people to let them play a part in
the coming of an event. If no one is available he does not mind doing everything himself. In a
situation where you need a leader he may refer other people. He never refers himself or herself.
A leader never blames others when things go wrong. He takes ownership and responsibility.
Blaming others signifies that you are still not in full responsibility mode. The moment people
blame others even if it is a subtle response, it shows a lack of responsibility. Hence a leader
takes full ownership of his actions and never blames others. He would talk about all the things
he intends to do rather than blame so and so for not having done this and this. Blaming others is
serious flaw in personality and must be noted. When Yusuf (AS) asked someone to mention him
to the king he never expressed any displeasure when the person forgot.
A person who over exaggerates is actually an egoistic person. He mentions himself again and
again in order to show others how great he is. A leader never mentions his good deeds or
actions to illicit praise from others. He does not brag about himself. He does and forgets. His
actions has Allah as his witness. He does not look for the approval from people.
Conclusively a leader is a person who is clear on who he is and what he wants. They are
internally motivated and walk the path they want to walk. They do not have all the answers but
their authenticity shows in the actions they take. They are emotionally regulated and respect all.
They play active, take action and restore peace. They are an embodiment of love. An authentic
self-directed individual who walks the path he talks is a leader.
