LEADERS ARE READERS - PART 3

  LEADERS ARE READERS - PART 3

This week, we started out on the lesson "Leaders are Readers". I am sure by now, we must have been endowed with insightful knowledge on the subject matter. But today, we will look at Leadership from a different perspective. We have been made to understand that anyone who wants to be successful; either a leader or not, must possess a Reading Habit. Only those who have access to information can make good use of it. And the disease that kills faster is not any health related problem but the lack of Knowledge i.e IGNORANCE. If one doesn't know that the way he or she is feeling, there is a need to visit the hospital or see a medical person; that person may not know until his condition gets worse and then it might be too late. If such a person dies; it's not because of lack of medical care, but for his or her ignorance. Therefore, Reading is very essential; and not just Reading but Reading to be sensitized; Reading to get new and useful information. This is very important as not all we read are actually useful information and some sources are not creditable. Hence, you choose carefully what you read. The same way you feed your stomach when you eat, you also feed your mind when you read; thus, it is important we are fed with the right things.

We must have understood by now that Leadership is the "capacity" and will to rally men and a woman to a common purpose and the "character" which inspires confidence; first in yourself then, in those following you.  From this definition, we see there are two important keywords: CAPACITY AND CHARACTER. These two are the building blocks of Leadership. For every leader to stand upright, he must have in his possession both Capacity and Character i.e. he must have developed himself in the place of building capacity and building character. 

What is Capacity?

Capacity is the ability to do certain things. It is what you have that makes it possible for certain operations whether skilled or unskilled to take place. It can also be said to mean attributes that make you valid for any assignments you undertake. But looking at it from the angle of Reading: 

CAPACITY is the mental ability or the ability in every sense to read; not just mental i.e the mind, but time, resources and all. You cannot build capacity as a leader if you are not given to reading (it is not possible), the same way you cannot grow or advance in the school of Leadership without giving to a lifestyle of Reading. A leader who intends to grow spiritually and intellectually will read constantly in order to acquire new information, to refill the well of inspiration and to be well informed in his or her own field of expertise. It takes capacity i.e. ability to read in order to be succesful in that chosen field of endeavour. A man once said and I quote "Reading makes a full man, Speaking makes a ready man and Writing an exact man. Reading brings us to that fullness in us. Most times we don't know we can do  certain things until our eyes of understanding are opened on those things; one way through which this happens is through constant reading. We all know that Knowledge is Power. Investment in knowledge is what makes a leader powerful and empowered. For you as a leader to stand strong, you must always be given to reading.

The second keyword here is Character. J.Oswald Sanders said and I quote "if a man is known by the company he keeps, so also his character is reflected in the books he reads". 

What then is Character?Character can be likened to your distinctive properties; most likely a product of Capacity. What do I  mean? You get capacity to build character. Hence, these two  are interwoven.  Character is like a man's phenotype. It all depends on what he has put in himself i.e.his genetic make-up. Biologically soeaking, your phenotype is dependent on your genotype. This is why no two persons can have the same outward appearance, except there is a Genetic alteration. Relating this to Reading and Character. Reading goes into you -the inner you; your character is the outward you; the outward expression of your inner aspiration in the place of reading. Character is what defines a man. The real you is your character; and as such, to exhibit good character as leaders, we must continuously be given to Reading. Also, carefully select what you read as they can either make you or mar you.

Thank you for following through.

Wishing you Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year in Advance...

THE MEN THAT LEAD

Building manhood