No one can take a leadership role – why is that?

I was at a seminar yesterday where there were intelligent young undergraduates. They were asked to form a committee, so that they could get together and discuss a project and write a series of reports after consultation that takes the project from incubation all the way to the end.

None of the students had the common sense to suggest a practical and simple procedure to organize this with responsibilities given to all in the committee to complete the initial stage which was the identification of the project and obtaining the necessary information before tackling the next step, which is to draw a bill of quantities and a costing of the project, which would lead to a further stage and so on.

This kind swimming or more like drowning in muddy waters is what defines many in our universities today. They are not taught to take the initiative. They do not realize that the organization of an inter faculty cricket match is just as much a demonstration of leadership skills as that of finding an internship to show that you can learn a skill at an organization using the basic tools learned at university.

Grab the moment, take all the chances you are given, and offer to take charge. If it is your first challenge it will not be easy, but once you undertake it and complete the project, I cannot measure how much that will do to your self confidence and the next task will be completed with even more panache, and you will be on your way to be a natural leader in anything you do.

It is that ‘can do’ spirit, for fear of failure, that alludes our youth. Failure is part of the learning skills process. Do not fear failure as all world leaders have failed at least once in their lives and many a zillion times before they taste success. It is only then that success tastes so sweet, and all the failures become worthwhile. Trust your instincts, they will NOT let you down. It is the beginning and the end of the journey through life, the start of which we give you confidence in grabbing.

So good luck with whatever you do. Go about it carefully and with a purpose, and do everything with a goal in mind, do not fail to know where you have to get to, only then will you know how to go there. Once you do this once, the second time will only get easier.