By Martin M. Lwanga
Finally, the long term was about to end. The excitement in the air was palpable amongst the kids as they jumped into their squeaky beds, eagerly looking forward to returning home, that night. Soon darkness settled over Nassolo Dormitory and tired snores tore through the thin blankets.
Somewhere after 9:00 pm a ball of fire screamed through the hall- way rapidly creating an inferno of smoke. As Dormitory leader, Yvonne Namaganda, was always one of the last to dose off, ever worried over the welfare of her charge. She sensed something wrong. At first she thought she was dreaming but then started feeling the heat.
“Wake up! Wake up!” the little girl jerked from her bed, sprinting from one bed to another stirring up her dormitory mates to run for shelter. “This way,” she pointed the way to safety. She pinched some; dragged others out. Comfortably out, she realized some had been left behind. She rushed back into the dark hall to get out the last batch to safety. But a balloon of fire met her mid- way, lifted her up and, like a warrior-soldier of ages past, she fell down and perished with her band of sister-mates still trapped inside.
Understanding Leadership
Today thousands of books and articles have been written on the subject of leadership wrestling with themes like traits of leaders, leadership styles, are leaders born or made etc. Some of these expositions turn out to be nothing but arm- chair intellectual exercises teaching us little about leadership. It is moments such as these that tell us more about leadership.
A little girl did not pause to ask where the head- teacher, the matron or guards could be. She immediately took charge of the situation providing direction.
If there is anything that proves leadership it is how we react to circumstances. Leaders know when to act. They don’t ask for permission to do the right thing. We look up to them because of their courage, will, tenacity, focus, sense of urgency, grit, vision to do the right thing, irregardless of personal cost. This is why there are ever so inspiring.
Finding Leaders
To find leaders one has at times to look at defining moments as in the above instance when a boarding school caught fire and a little girl came through. Or let us take the story of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa which at one time threatened to decimate an entire generation.
In a dark moment of hopelessness a young man whom the doctors had hurried back home to die, lifted his nagging bones from his cramped bed- sheets and gave AIDS a new face of hope. Philly Lutaya’s hit song Born in Africa and his crusade to embrace the previously maligned AIDS victims was a turning point in mankind’s struggle against a virulent pest. It was a true act of leadership
Also, after her husband died of AIDS, Noerene Kaleeba, instead of sinking into a closet of despair, gathered courage and started an organization, TASO, to take care of HIV/AIDS victims. This organization has since become a global model in the fight against AIDs.
Power, Authority and leadership
In understanding leadership it is important we differentiate it from power. Power is attained through positions, such as when one becomes the head of an organization, a nation or a departmental head. Sometimes power is inherited through birth as is the power of kings. Power can also be attained from one’s expertise as is the power of a policeman over a driver or of a doctor over a patient. Power comes with authority and has much to do with one’s means to make others do what he or she wants based on position, title or expertise.
On the contrary, leadership goes beyond power. Leadership is about influencing behaviors to achieve certain objectives. A person with power is not necessarily a leader. People with power have followers; but many people follow those with power because of the power they have to grant or deny those favors. In the absence of those favors they cease following that person.
However, authentic leaders inspire followers not because of favors but because the followers believe in the person of the leader, irregardless. They trust that person. Whereas power can be bought; leadership can’t. For leadership is about character which is the total sum of one’s life.
Leadership versus Ruler-ship
It is also important that we differentiate leadership from ruler-ship. The leadership epitomized by the little girl who died while saving her co- pupils is servant- leadership. This style is different from ruler-ship which relies on position, title and the purse to enforce decisions. Whereas ruler-ship is short-term driven and every move is calculated for personal gain servant leadership puts others first. Even at the risk of a job, income or life, one goes out to do the right thing.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
| Servant Leadership | Ruler ship |
| People follow because of trust in the Leader’s Character
Is Consensus driven Puts others first Builds systems that outlive the Leader Is driven by a Long- term view Followers still look up to the leader after loss of position |
People follow because of Rewards or fear of Sanction
Relies on the Authority to issue directives Puts self-first Everything revolves around the ruler Is motivated by Short- term interests Followers move on after loss of the ruler’s position |
Group Discussion:
- Identify the various sources where leaders do get their power
- Show the effects of Servant Leadership versus Rulership on organizational development
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