WHO IS A LEADER? by Mr. ’Rotimi Odejayi

The word “Leader” is not a vague human concept. Humanity is identified with one leader or the other. There are leaders and there are “leaders” in this intellectual world of pen and paper. I mean great role-models whose impact is indellible in the life of his/her followers. The New 9th Edition Longman Dictionary defines a “Leader” as “the person who direct or controls a team, organization, a course or country; or someone who is in front of all the others in a race or competition. For example, a price was awarded to President De-Klerk and the ANC leader Nelson Mandela, for leadership, but who is elsewhere known as born leader.” With this definition you can easily deduce if you are a leader or not. Personally I know one if I see him or her, especially they are seen with their charismatic lifestyles. What do names like Obasanjo, Obama, Oprah Winfred, Queen Elizabeth II, Angela Merkel, Bill Gates, Wole Soyinka, Jide Owoeye and W.F. Kumuyi suggest? These are world renowned leaders of course.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
To me, a leader is not only successful; He/She is A SpeciaL Being. A leader is someone that stands while his colleagues are falling. A leader is outstanding, while a few of the colleagues only manage to stand. Besides, a leader is standing tall, whenever his colleagues manage to stand. To stand-tall is sincerely exclusive to very few but a leader equally stands as a model. He sets out his life ideologies for people to follow as a standard through his service to humanity. During his time in India, Gandhi was regarded as a servant-leader. His life was characterized by service. Let me confess at this juncture that I am not a leader yet, I am only a leader in the making; hence my coming to YOUTH-LIFE 2013. Very soon, the world is going to borrow a leaf from the standards I am going to set. The late Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder was of this opinion and I quote, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Whoever desires to be a leader must be a sincere Optimist who possesses these qualities of a leader. Simply spell the word “LEADER” across-vertically to arrive at these hallmarks of a leader.
LEARNER: “Leadership and learning are very indispensable to each other” – John F. Kennedy
EFFECTIVE: “Effective Leaders have an uncanny ability to quickly turn problems to opportunities” – Author Unknown

ACTION: “When thoughts and action operates together, the result is a masterpiece”—Rotimi Odejayi
DARING: “You must dare to think about leading in life”—William Fullbright
ENTHUSIASM: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” – Ralph W. Emerson
READER: “A reader today is a leader tomorrow”—W. Fusselman
The utmost desire of my being is to be a renowned leader, a leader who will be a positive influence as well as be a channel of blessing to others. Normally a leader must be “loaded”. I mean he or she must be well-fed with information as well as possess the core leadership qualities. In my quest to know more about leadership I stumbled on this wise saying of Stephen Covey, which says “Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent (agreeing) with them.” You have personally master and lead yourself first before you can talk of leading any other person or group of people. What Covey is saying is that, assuming the post of a leader is a personal issue that starts with you having a clear vision of your future leadership roles and the inherent values you must add to humanity so as to make the difference in your world. It is in you, so dare to lead.