Stephen Covey in The 7 Habits of Effective People said, "The basic task of leadership is to increase the standard of living and the quality of life for all stakeholders".
Leadership is about who you lead, how you lead them and why you lead them. Leadership is a privilege afforded because of certain elements that have been learned or acquired through experience. One of them being maturity.
Why is it today that the focus is not on maturity in leadership, but on personality or performance; skill and 'giftedness'?
Maturity means the leader is balanced in his/or her leadership, carrying a deep sense of purpose and mission, secure, confident, taking initiative and upright. All in all this could be encapsulated in a word:character.
Somehow, today, it is assumed that 'gifting' and 'skill 'on a leader is the stamp of approval on their character as well. Not so. The character of leadership is found in the inner core values and principles by which the leader lives and conducts himself. These inner core values will be their guiding compass and the foundation of their own inner security of who they are. And that is why they are leaders, because they do not need others to prop them up and create a celebrity status, for them to know who they are and what their mission is. It is when they are so insecure that they need these, that they begin to use their strength to control the weaknesses of others, demanding compliance and agreement and imposing their own belief system on those they lead.
Leadership means I can lead others, influence others, to their own initiative and responsibility, to take charge of and leadership of their own lives, and thereby, bring a synergistic common focus and mission for the organization or task.
Where is the maturity of character in leadership that ensures they will lead regardless of popularity? they will lead with conviction of priciple? they will lead with the strength of their own security? that will lead with integrity? that will be able to experience disagreement/opposition without feeling they are losing their leadership? and most of all, that will lead with uprightness; moral and conscious principles aligned with foundational, unalterable principles that benefit and and increase the standard of living and life of all stakeholders?
Surely, if the leaders of today cannot lead with this kind of leadership, if we cannot find this leadership among us, what is to become of those that seek true leadership? that need leadership? what is to become of our society? what kind of generation of future leaders will we raise?
If our leaders do not have what it takes, if they do not have the fortitude of character to lead with upright conviction, if our spiritual and governmental leaders can compromise, justify and excuse themselves from weakness of character, immature conviction, and immoral principle, what is left for the rest?
I have encountered some leaders of such true and secure character, mature and principled, that have influenced, increased and uplifted my life, so that because I met and knew and was influenced by them, I am a better person today. But I have also encountered leaders large and small, who were so misaligned and insecure, that they tore huge holes in my own character and in those around them. The sad thing is, we are so hungry for and desperate for mature leaders that when a leader arrives with great flash and pomp, we gravitate to it, believing this will be the 'one' that can lead me to where I am designed to be, to my mission, to my purpose in life.
Let us begin to be, not so impressed with the great 'ability' of the leader, as much as, knowing and aligning with principled leadership of mature character.
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