True leadership

Is leadership some quality you have to be born with or can it be cultivated? How can one develop leadership skills? Can a person truly lead an organisation if he or she is caught up in personal struggles and confusions?

Before we get into these details, let me first say that leadership skills can be cultivated. It is all about achieving the state of consciousness of a leader and not the status that is achieved by becoming a leader.

There was once a great war between two countries. The war had been going on for some time and the soldiers were starting to feel tired of the long battle. On a hot afternoon, a man in civilian clothes was riding past a small group of soldiers digging a pit. The group leader was shouting orders and threatening punishment if the work was not completed within the hour. The man riding the horse stopped and asked, "Sir, why are you only shouting orders? Why can't you help them yourself?" he asked. The group leader looked at him and replied, "What do you mean? I am the leader. The men do as I tell them." He then added, "If you feel so strongly about helping them, you are welcome to do so yourself!"

The man got down from his horse and started walking up to the soldiers at work. The group leader was simply shocked! The man took up the tools and started helping the soldiers and worked with them till the job was finished!

Before leaving the man congratulated the soldiers for their work, and approached the group leader. He said, "The next time your status prevents you from supporting your people, you should inform your higher authorities, and I will provide a more permanent solution." The group leader was now completely surprised. Only now did he look closely at the man, and realised that the man was the army general!

We need to ask ourselves how many so-called leaders in organisations exhibit the qualities of the group leader and how many people do you know who exhibit the qualities of the army general? Regardless of the status in an organisation, you will agree that the majority of the so-called leaders exhibit the qualities of the former. They achieve the status of the leader but not the state of the leader.
There are very few people who are ready to really help get the work done. The army general exhibited some of the key qualities that are important for a true leader.