turning into a leader

John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader Within You is about certain traits that must be connected to desire in order for me to turn into a leader. These traits are varied. They appear in the book as principles. As they are already supplied in the book, I only need to supply the desire. Often, desire is the one thing that prevents me from assuming leadership. While I see that others see such principles in me, I lack the desire. Of course, I thank people when they appreciate my finer qualities. However, I understand that it’s hard to be a leader. Followers expect so much from a leader. If I fail as a leader, followers similarly, fail. Even if I deliver well, it’s not a guarantee that I will satisfy the standards of others. Hence, my desire is not incited even as I recognize my leadership potentials. It takes desire to support my traits in becoming a leader.
This is important because not everyone is a natural-born leader. If everyone including me has leadership traits, all that is needed is the desire to become a leader. If desire is incited in everyone, then there will be no more shortage of leaders. If I myself am one, I should like to be a leader with a spiritual act of service. I would like to be a Christ-like leader. I like to follow Christ by bringing out the ideal in people. I believe that my highest calling of leadership lies in my capacity to make people grow and develop. Like me, I should like people to draw out the best in themselves. In that case, we all have what it takes to be leaders, but desire complements these characteristics.
The insights that are the principles in the book are all important. Creating a positive influence is important to me because I want to be a charismatic leader. I want to have the moral capacity to make people follow me. Setting the right priorities is important to me because I want to concentrate my energy on the things that will realize my goals. Modeling integrity is important to me because as a leader, I will be looked up to. Thus, I must be ideal enough to be imitated for my integrity. Creating positive change is important to me because this is the signal that growth and development is happening. With positive change, my leadership is working to transform lives. Problem solving is important to me because with eliminated problems, I can be close to my goals. Having the right positive attitude is important to me because this is crucial in realizing my objectives. Developing people is important to me because I want to create leaders such as myself. More leaders means facilitating positive changes which I initiated. Charting the vision is important to me because I want to see where my actions are headed toward my goals. Practicing self-discipline is important to me because with it, I stay on focus with my priorities and do not get distracted by unimportant things. Lastly, developing staff is important to me because this is training my colleagues in assuming leadership posts themselves.
These principles are important in my studies, personal life and future professional life in many ways. In my studies, I can perhaps use everything especially practicing self-discipline and setting the right priorities. These principles are helpful in remembering the lessons I learn in class. Remembering them is important because I need to apply them in my life at present and in the future. For example, my lessons in history tell that history is used to chart the past mistakes so I do not have to repeat them. That holds true to any life: using the past to create a less imperfect future. With the right priorities, say studies first before anything else, nothing in my past which rendered mistakes will be repeated. Instead, with self-discipline, I will follow a neat pattern of life with a few errors just so I can be a leader by being a disciplined model. In my personal life, the principles are helpful especially charting my vision and modeling integrity. A true leader that’s me has a vision that is not short-sighted. I want that vision to benefit everyone so people I relate with will help me achieve other visions besides. I also want people to see that I have integrity to be emulated by them. Followers respect me more as their leader when they see that I am, as a whole, good. In my future life as a professional, I must develop staff and people as well as creating positive influence in them. Developing staff and people is my recognition of the leaders in them. This is a way of bringing out the best in themselves in much the same manner as I have drawn the best in me. Also, I want to be in the position where I can change people just by being an inspiring colleague or leader to them.
These insights are important to be done today and in the places I deal with people. In the home as well as in the school, opportunities flow wherein I can show my leadership traits. The only thing I need now is to have the desire to support these traits so I can initiate transformation as deemed needed by the present time.