The hard truth successful leaders do not want you to know
No leader sacrifices in vain, it is always for a greater self-gain. Most leaders work hard for their followers to perceive them as selfless, but any leader who appears to be totally selfless is not worth following. Any leader who does not have a defined goal and seek any personal reward is not fit to lead. It is dangerous for a leader not to seek a personal reward. This is because it is the reward he seeks that whips his interests to achieve the ultimate goal for the group.
It is not about the people but about the interest of the leader first, the interest of the establishment or masters second, and lastly about the interest of the followers. A follower can be citizens of a nation, employees of an organization, students of a class, members of an association, family members, and clients or customers. Followers do usually have aspirations based on their personal interest and expectations too, and the leader is expected to meet those aspirations.
Creative leaders know that followers follow because they may not know where they want to go, and even if they really know where to go, they don't know the best way to get there, and it takes the leader to provide the strategic vision and direction. Leadership is about sticking to the golden rule, "Love your neighbour as yourself". You must love yourself before you can love a neighbor as yourself. Meaning, seek your self interest first and be passionate about the interest of others as you sought yours.
The good thing is when the interest of the leader is in line with the interest of the wider followers. It is bad when the interest of the leader is suspicious or turn to destroy the interest of the organization and that of the wider followers. Whichever way it is perceived, a leader must be cautiously focused and go for his interest. Afterall, leadership is about perception.
The interest of the leader is and must usually be in accordance with the minority group of people who placed him there. This is because real power that makes you become a leader always emanates from the interest of a minority not a majority. Systems cannot make you a leader. Followers, constitutions, divine being, ethics, honour and integrity do not make you a leader.
Inheritance, power brokers, financiers, opinion leaders, appointing authority, army, consultative assembly, political parties, mafia, stockbrokers, shareholders, board of directors or other leaders are the ones who can make you a leader.
It’s your duty as a leader to get your people to the desired destination using all desired means. To be successful, every act of leadership must seek to exploit the followers but clothed in a calculated and strategic deception with determination and other times with smiles. Exploitation may not necessarily be in the negative sense but its still exploitation.
To successful leaders, followers are not the same. Some need to be lied to, some need to be pushed out of the group, others need their interest to be served. Therefore, a successful leader must play a role and appear in the costumes that manages his emotions.
In a democracy, voters are deceived to believe that their votes chooses their leaders, but in reality, its either the votes of the minority electoral college or the majority of the voters who are usually influenced by a few minority elites. Your single vote is useless if the majority do not vote your way. So as a leader, you must know your kingmakers, your interests and followers and where you want to take them. This is the truth of how great leaders lead their followers.
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