Leadership Lessons from an Inspirational Leader

Volodymyr Zelensky’s inspirational, gritty & authentic leadership has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.?

Here are some Leadership lessons which he has taught me & indeed the whole world with his actions :?

?Zelenskyy got the whole of Ukraine to rally around him & inspired the Ukrainian?resilience?&?determination?to achieve victory, against all odds (Almost no one gave Ukraine the slightest chance, before the war)?

?There was a time, early on in the invasion, when Western partners urged Zelenskyy to move out of Kyiv & command his forces from elsewhere. But he refused. Instead, he defiantly shared videos of himself & his commanding team from Kyiv. His?grit,?courage?&?defiance?was important to build confidence in the Ukrainian forces in the initial phase of the invasion when there was the risk of the Russian forces overwhelming the Ukrainian resistance

?He also inspired civilians to join the war effort, many of whom joined the Territorial Defence forces. This is one of the reasons the Russians found it so difficult to storm Ukrainian territory. The civilians who joined the Ukrainian armed forces conducted much-needed reconnaissance & intelligence-gathering activities. Many tech-savvy young civilians have used drones to track the movements of Russian tanks and fed the information back to the Ukrainian forces who have, in turn, taken speedy action to ambush & destroy advancing Russian columns. It's very rare to see ordinary civilians being so motivated to fight alongside the military in defending their motherland.

?Leading from the front, Zelenskyy has been highly visible throughout the war, which has also been a constant morale builder for the forces. He has often visited soldiers fighting at the front & also those injured in hospitals.

?Ukrainians’ sense of national?identity?probably has never been stronger. Zelenskyy has fired up that sense of national identity, with his passionate daily speeches. A recent online survey conducted by the social group "Reitynh" showed that 98% of Ukrainian respondents identify themselves as Ukrainians (This was 75% in the previous year. Moreover, 80% of surveyed individuals said that they felt a sense of pride in the state (This figure was a lowly 34% in August 2021)

?Zelenskyy has fully leveraged every available strength while facing overwhelming odds. Being an actor & comic in the past, many outside Ukraine (and indeed many inside as well) doubted his leadership capabilities as President. However, during the war, Zelenskyy has used his strengths & past experience to brilliant effect, by appealing to audiences in his now-famous speeches in western parliaments, where he has shaken the conscience of western politicians, to force them out of their complacency & to move faster to support Ukraine

??His clarion call to the global community to support the Ukrainian cause has touched & stirred hearts & minds globally because he made it clear that it's not only Ukraine’s freedom at stake. What’s at stake are fundamental human values of freedom, democracy & the right to self-determination

??One of the most tech-intelligent Presidents in the world, he & his team have used Social Media brilliantly to win the information war & to ensure that Ukraine’s cause is being discussed in every global household

?While the way Zelenskyy has led his forces & public through this war has been exceptional, Zelenskyy has also shown compassion?to his enemies, treated Russian prisoners with dignity & warned those being conscripted to stay away so they don’t die & leave their families grieving.

?His?authenticity & humanity?were felt the most, in his speeches addressing the Russian people directly, where he tried to persuade them to not give in to the relentless propaganda fed to them by the Kremlin-controlled Russian TV & to get them to dissuade their government to stop this senseless war

Volodymyr Zelensky is probably one of the best examples of?human leadership & human virtues in a leader in wartime.?

I pray that this war will end soon with a Ukrainian victory. Then, even amid the tears for lost ones & honoring of fallen heroes, the rebuilding of the nation will begin & I am sure this leader will continue to lead from the front.?

Thank you, President Zelenskyy. Salute you !! More power to you?????