We all need direction. To be sure of where we are heading and what we are doing. And the reality is that we often do look up to certain individuals for such direction, which should be expected. Every organization, for example, must have someone to lead it. Every family must have someone to lead it. Every clan, village, town, city, state or country must have someone to lead it. And the best ones that eventually get ahead are the ones given good leadership.
In very simple terms, to lead can be defined as, "To guide on a way, to direct on a course, or to serve as a channel." Whereas leadership is defined as, "The ability to lead;" or, "The activity of leading an organization or a group."
Good or bad leadership is solely dependent upon people. Unfortunately, some people who have been privileged to occupy certain positions of leadership or authority don't understand that the purpose for one being the head is not for you to showcase yourself, but for you to lead that team or group aright and lead it in the way that it should really go. To accomplish good leadership, one must be able to easily carry along those whom you have been privileged to lead so that they follow you willingly and not necessarily because you hold them to ransom by threatening to withhold certain benefits like their salaries or allowances (though in truth, there are cases when such a tactic must be applied) or the use of some other force or arm twisting technique.
One way or another, we all fall into the leadership cycle. And we must realize that there's a difference between a leader and a ruler.
While the true leader is concerned with ensuring that everyone plays their best part to the benefit of the group, the ruler is more concerned with lording himself over others and getting them to do his own bidding as he seems fit. In this article, I want to make a small attempt to distinguish between the two and hopefully help us choose the right kind to become as we go out there to lead any group of people.
AUTHORITY DEPENDENT VERSUS GOODWILL DEPENDENT
The ruler is authority dependent and seriously power drunk. His motivation is to have everyone cower at his presence or appearance and for them to always do his bidding whenever and wherever he says. He doesn't care a about people's feelings or whether or not they have the ability to carry out his directives. Just do what he wants otherwise you are grossly disobedient.
The leader is different. He depends purely on the goodwill of those he has been called to lead. Instead of lording over them, he tries to use his influence over them to get them to do what he wants. He understands that you can have power and yet have no influence but cannot have influence and not have power; and so he wisely utilizes that aspect of himself. People willingly want to work for him because they believe he feels for them and their welfare.
FEAR GENERATOR VERSUS ENTHUSIASM GENERATOR
As can already be deduced from above, the ruler prefers to instil fear into those he leads rather than confidence. The problem with him here is that he hardly recognizes that those under him will find it constantly challenging to carry out assignments as they are always looking over their backs and expect nothing else but harsh words and insults no matter what they do.
The leader, on the other hand, provokes enthusiasm in those who follow him, as he trusts them to use their initiative and creativity to help move the group forward. Because he is appreciative of their efforts, they are excited and always want to give their very best for the cause of the group as directed by him. He literally can get them to do things effortlessly and with hardly any grumblings because they are very much willing to jump whatever fence or swim whatever river he asks them to.
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