Before seeking to become a leader, take the time to be objectively introspective, so you know, realize and understand your reasons and rationale, for wanting to serve, and to lead! Meaningful leadership must focus on priorities, needs, and addressing perceptions of one’s constituents, while proceeding, with a vital, vibrant vision, which propels one’s leading, and garners support, followers, and additional commitment, which makes a world of difference! This article, therefore, will attempt to examine this issue, using the mnemonic approach, and discuss the all – important concept, of NEEDS – BASED leadership.
1. Never say No: If you hope to become a true, meaningful leader, you must maintain a positive approach, seeking solutions, rather than negativity, etc. Great leaders realize, they must never say, No, to progress, and overcoming obstacles, and permitting challenges to inspire them, to discover viable solutions!
2. Empathy: How can you ever expect to lead, until/ unless, you begin by listening, paying attention, addressing needs, concerns, and priorities, and planning strategies and action plans, focused on empathy?
3. Excellence; endurance: At some point, those in positions of leadership, must decide and determine, which path, they choose to take. Will they take the easiest, least controversial approach, or consistently proceed, focusing on the utmost degree of excellence? Will you continue forward, despite obstacles and distractions, or proceed, with relevant endurance?
4. Delve deeply; dreams: How will you make your personal dreams, align with those of your constituents? This means, delving deeply, into priorities, needs and concerns, and doing something, relevant about them!
5. Strengthen: In the end result, the quality of one’s leadership, must be measured, by whether or not, it strengthens the organization, and its relevance, etc!
6. Benefits – based; bring together: The quality and relevance of one’s leadership, should be measured and based on whether it focuses on benefits, to the group and stakeholder. Great leaders must emphasize unifying others, for the common good, and do all they can, to bring people together!
7. Attitude; attention; astute: Nothing relevant happens, until/ unless, a leader maintains a true, consistent, positive, can – do, attitude! He must have meaningful focus, and pay keen attention, to what is the best way to proceed. He must refine his skills, so he can perform, as the astute leader, his organization needs, and deserves!
8. Sustainable system: When you become a leader, it’s important to realize, you will be rated, based on how you, not only handle and address current issues and challenges, but whether you choose to take the easy path of using a band – aid, or consider needs, and ramifications, and create, develop and implement a relevant, quality, sustainable system!
9. Enlighten; enrich: Will you tell others what they need to know and understand, or take the populist – approach, and merely tell them what they want to hear? A great leader does all he can, to enlighten those he serves, and articulates a positive, relevant message, which, hopefully enriches, both, the group, as well as the constituents!
10. Deliver: Always under – promise, and over – deliver! Doing so, lets you become the best leader, you can possibly be.
NEEDS – BASED leadership is an essential component of proceeding, as the best – possible leader! Are you up to the task and commitment?