The word ‘Leader’ draws a mental picture of a perfect individual with
all the virtuous traits which are embodiment of enviable human qualities that
any individual endeavor to attain throughout the lifetime.
The picture draws
someone who is charismatic, fearless, crowd puller, visionary, thinker,
innovator, consensus builder, etc. It is impossible on part of any individual
to have all these capabilities and skills. History had shown us great leaders with
quirks and twists like Gandhi, Churchill even Hitler and for that matter Henry
Ford and Steve Jobs.
There is no such thing as a ‘Perfect Leader’. Rather it should be read
as someone who is on a relentless pursuit to achieve perfection amidst
imperfect context with passion and a sense of purpose.
The leader is aware of the weaknesses of the environment including own foibles
and inadequacies. The leader goes all out to identify right individuals with
complementary strengths both within and outside the contextual boundary to work
as a team to fight with strength in achieving the stated vision or dream. And
the dream is often larger than self.
The true leader takes risks and does not shy away from admitting
mistakes when things go wrong, but brave enough to change the path for course
correction. This shows a sense of humility and continuous learning; thus
influencing others to follow.
We may not try to be ‘Perfect
Leader’ but definitely strive to be an ‘Effective Leader’.
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