A picture was on my Facebook wall portraying a pack of wolves; marching on an icy mountain in an orderly manner.
The first three wolves leading the whole pack look very old and sick. Yet they are the ones walking Infront. Because they are giving them direction as to where to go.
The next 5 behind the first three are the strongest of the pack. They protect the front side from any attack ahead.
The next five that follows right behind the first five are also the strongest too. Their job in the team is to protect the pack from any backside attack.
The last wolf who is walking a few metres away behind all the pack is actually the leader of the whole pack or the team.
The picture looks like everyone else is moving fast and ahead whiles he is moving slowly. He is doing so for a reason. He is ensuring that no one or no member of his team is left behind. From the strongest to the weakest wolf, he is making sure everyone is in the line moving forward in the same direction or path.
He is also keeping everyone focused and tight on the trails of the vision of the first three old but sick wolves.
He is ever ready to run in any direction to protect the pack or the team against any attack from behind that they cannot see.
And if possible lay down his life to save all of them so they will get to reach their destination peacefully.
It may be just a mere picture of a pack of wolves walking on an icy mountain, but here is what it taught about leadership.
Being a leader is not about being Infront and giving orders. It's about taking care of your team or members.
It is not all about just hardwork but it's about teaching your team and yourself the values one has to have before working hard. Unity, togetherness, discipline, focus, ambition, perseverance and dedication. If these values are not properly defined or clear to your team or followers, they may work very hard in the beginning, but as times begin to get tougher and tougher, they will give up and abandon the vision you once fought very hard to teach them.
Also, from the picture, it teaches that great leadership is about empathy and sacrifice.
In a traditional way, the last wolf is walking behind everybody, should actually be the one walking Infront.
But no. It's actually the reverse case here. The leader is walking behind and he has chosen the older ones in the team to lead all of them with the help of their vision, wisdom and foresight.
Here, he the leader is humble enough to understand that he doesn't know everything. So he opens himself to the wise counsel of his team members to help him guide them very well.
He doesn't mind consulting his followers and hearing their views from time to time.
He is ready to give good criticism to wrong doing and be criticised by everyone in his team.
This is Leadership. I hope my picture of words is clear and practical enough for you to understand everything about leadership.
Are you an example of a good leadership everywhere or a bad one???
Kwame Sarpong
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