Our leadership narrative has to change
Often when we think of and discuss leadership it is mostly in the context of positions people hold in society or in organisations. Unless someone holds a seemingly important position they aren’t considered as leaders, resulting in the failure to recognise the true leadership potential that exists within all
of us. Leadership occurs first and foremost at an individual level through knowing and accepting ourselves, which gives us the confidence to respond appropriately to personal as well as societal situations.
The idea that leadership is the preserve of a few, results in many people not developing leadership
behaviours and skills that would benefit themselves and their environments. They wait for someone to tell them what to do or not to do; they expect things to be equal before acting on anything. On the other hand,
confident people do not wait for someone to put a title on their foreheads before they act.
If we all understand that leadership potential exists within each one of us, we would accept the responsibility to take charge of deciding what we want, how to work towards achieving this and more importantly, how we could help others, thereby exercising leadership at a personal level.
Societal challenges are so huge it’ll be impossible to overcome them if we rely only on few individuals who are accorded leadership status based on position. Shared leadership will become a reality once
we encourage and promote leadership at an individual level.
If leadership is about taking accountability and responsibility for our actions and our destiny, which includes society or the environment at large, imagine if we all did this. What would a workplace, school, university, home, and public places look like?
There is a need for all to realize the unintended consequences of limiting leadership to one or few people, based on positions they hold, which is that it suppresses development of leadership capability of the majority with dire consequences. Often these few individuals end up being so thinly spread they are rendered ineffective and incapable of executing plans meant to bring about positive change. In the work context, understanding that leadership has nothing to do with position, creates an environment of
openness, trust and integrity in which the firm thrives on the creative talents of women and men working therein. Individuals so empowered are willing to take risks where others seek conformity and comfort.
Again in the work context,
taking risks would involve allowing other people to take charge without feeling threatened. Leaders would risk their careers by challenging the status quo whilst respecting all involved, they would make decisions without having all the pieces in place. Our leadership narrative has to change if we are to unleash the immense power that each individual possesses in our quest to turn around the fortunes of organisations we work for and societies we live in.
 
Musa Makhunga, Managing Director
Mobile: +27 83 2516704
Fax to email :+2786 6321426
musa@hrmatters.co.za,
www.hrmatters.co.za