In present era of 21st century
we hear two common words one is Leader and second one is leadership. These two
things are very important for any community or country, good leaders are very
important for a good leadership but it doesn’t mean that only good leaders guide
its masses towards success and progress, even normal leaders sometimes produce
outstanding results. In last two decades many communities and countries suffered
a lot due to the practices of bad and biased leadership like some of Asian and
African countries are live example of it. Pakistan is also facing many
challenges in the shape of community level leadership and country level as well.
So now a day’s many international, national and local NGOs are working to
prepare future leaders, community leaders or polish their hidden qualities. For
this purpose in Pakistan, British Council introduced Projects like Active
Citizens (ACP), Take a child to school (TAC), International Study Visits (ISV)
and Global Youth Conferences etc. Youth Impact introduced 1st Wilderness base
Youth Leadership Conference (Markhor) and G77, Paiman Trust working on it by the
project " Communities waging peace through youth and mothers", Channan
Development Association (CDA) organized a series of National Youth Festivals and
trainings, School of Leadership (SoL) doing Youth Leadership Conferences (YLC),
Mashal Society launched a volunteer project for leadership and social reforms by
the title of ' Stand Up'. Beside of this many other organizations like NDI, ITA,
AYO, Aware Girls, Dost Welfare Foundation and Bacha Khan Trust etc are also the
part of same vision and mission.
Leader is very important figure for any community or race, according to a
saying; if a lion is a leader a herd of sheep its mean all the sheep of herd are
lions and it is the herd of lions but if a sheep is the leader of lions herd its
mean it is a herd of sheep. Leaders not born by birth but different
circumstances, decisions and events make leaders. Leader must have decision
making power because some stages demand sharp, hard and individual decisions.
Sometimes strong support from individuals, groups, organizations, media and his/
her services make them a good leader like Abdul Satar Edhi, Ajab Khan Afridi and
Nelson Mandela etc. A good leader must have the qualities like honesty,
braveness, boldness, creative, unbiased, far sighted, socially and academically
educated, open mind, tolerant, in touch with its masses and public, having keen
look on circumstances and having charming personality etc. All above mentioned
characteristics are very important for a successful leader because successful
leaders carry successful leadership but it is not important that all these
qualities should have from 1st day but it can be developed with passage of time.
Leader makes more leaders instead of followers.
Leadership is a thing which grow step by step not suddenly, according to my
opinion " A good leadership is to take the responsibility for the wellbeing and
improvement for the community or masses, it focus on common goals not on
personal. Leadership is the name of process which leaders act and practices.
There are main three types of leadership.
A: Top leadership; in top leadership with highly visibility leaders like
military, political and religious came in this category. In top leadership
leaders take big and solid steps and prepare the policies on national and
international level. This leadership is the most important, far sighted and
sober one. State always relay on Top leadership.
B: Middle leadership; in middle leadership, ethnic, academic, intellectuals,
religious, humanitarians and leaders of NGOs come under the umbrella of middle
leadership. In such leadership they try to solve the problems, arrange work
shops, trainings and they execute the policy or decisions through seminars,
conferences and media etc. Middle leadership work as a bridge between top and
grass root level leadership.
C: Grass root leadership; in this type of leadership involve community level,
local level, institutional level, local NGOs level leaders practices grass root
level leadership. In this type of leadership they implement the polices and
decisions on ground. It is very essential leadership because top and middle
level leadership do efforts and grass root level leadership make it possible for
implementation on ground and give it practical shape. During this process can be
measure projects success, failures, barriers, effects and outcomes of the policy
or step.
Here are some characteristics of a good and successful leadership, we can find
these characteristics in a word letters whish is “L.E.A.D.S" = LEADS.
L: listening to the others voices and views in the positive frame of mind. Every
one person and express their opinions on a topic openly without any fear and
threat. In such leadership things work democratically and freedom of speech
makes it more effective and strong. Every one enjoys the fruits of leadership in
the shape of basic needs fulfillment.
E: empower its masses by giving them full support, confidence, authority and
power. It arranges trainings, seminars, workshops and conferences for
motivations, empowering and learning. Once it empower the masses than it is like
a sea water which make its way by self although they face many challenges and
hurdles in its way.
A: adopt the things as the changing situations build it as the clock tick and
tick. It take the decisions according to the situations, it shows the
flexibility according the culture and need. As we say a straight tree always
chooses for cuttings, so it is very important for successful leadership to adopt
the new ideas, technology and theories because it helps in sustainability and
progress.
D: delivering and accepting challenges by setting goals and objectives but these
must be clear to its community and masses. It works in given deadline.
Successful leadership always focus on long term and short term goals and make
different strategies to pursue these goals. it may not hesitate when time come
for sacrifices, it always create the opportunities for its public instead of
waiting for it.
S: self understanding, the more you know about yourself the more you will manage
and adopt your style. Successful leadership knows about its strong and weak
areas, resources, capabilities and needs. It knows about its community and
masses neutrality. It takes the decision according the ground situations. It
always understand to do others respect as well.
So if today Pakistani youth own these qualities and characteristics than no
doubt Pakistan future will be the brightest and they will be known as successful
leaders.