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THE TRUE ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP

ERMA S. JAMON, EdD

John Quincy Adams once said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

Leadership is an important function of management which aids the organization to achieve its goals. Leading people requires a lot of courage, strong organizational skill and ability to endure difficult situations. Furthermore, leadership is not only about being the highest in rank or being the all-knowing person, it is about being an influencer, critical thinker and a problem solver.

In handling a body of people, one must show an aptitude, firmness and confidence. These attributes are essential and looked into by members of an organization to tell if a leader must be followed. The charisma that a front-runner demonstrates is a significant factor that attracts people so that they would be easily commanded.

Spearheading is never an easy task as the accountability for every circumstance is attached to the managerial function. Likewise, the journey of being a leader is sometimes a walk in a rocky road. There will always be problems that may arise every single day. As such, the role of a leader is to face it with optimism. A strong leader maintains tranquillity even if a volcano inside of him/her is actively burning and erupting. It is a superpower that every superior should learn in order to build employees’ trust. Calm leaders influence better because calmness signifies peace and peace leads to productivity.

On the other hand, being a leader is a fulfilling job. It is an opportunity to grow, to share knowledge, to train people and to create new leaders. The true essence of leadership is not about the position, not the compensation but the initiative and desire to bring people on the right direction. Great leaders are genuine, they cheer, and they support their subordinates to reach the top of the ladder.

True leaders are those who are uplifting the beginners to do better and helping those who are doing better to become the best versions of themselves.