Leadership is not a child’s play; it is
not for the mentally weak; it is not for the cowardly men and women. It is for
real men and women who knows the way, ready to go the way; show the way as well
as lead the way with their team. This brings us to one of the most effective
principles of successful leadership- the ‘FILE’ principle.
As the name implies, leaders at all
levels, and in every area of human endeavour, be it secular or spiritual, are
supposed to be administrators who knows the importance of keeping file in their
offices. The ‘FILE’ principle of leadership hence, is simply a 4-way mandate
for every success-minded leader of all climes and cultures, formed from each of
the four letters that make up the word, FILE:
Follow: Every
success-minded leader has got to be a true follower. No one succeeds as a
leader, who has no leader over him. Having a leader over one, in this case,
does not necessarily mean having a boss over you. It simply means those you’re
learning from- men and women who have achieved something great in your areas of
interest, those whose commitments for higher values challenge you for higher
aspirations. In this case, the success-minded leader is teachable, ready to learn
more, never settled for a low or average living. That is the leader that
succeeds.
Initiate: Great leaders
are not conventional. They seek for new ways to do old things or altogether
come up with new inventions in their fields. This is the quality that keeps
them relevant at all times, and in every place. It is this same quality that
helps them beat off competitions as they are always ahead of their competitors
as well as above their subordinates.
Lead: Success-minded
and effective leaders are of course, leaders and not merely bosses. A boss
commands his subordinates around with ‘dos’ and ‘donts’ instructions, while
doing virtually nothing but enjoy the executive ‘cake’. Conversely, true
leaders lead the way. They have an ‘above average’ knowledge of their executive
functions and the business demands, and are the ones to mobilize others to
achieve organizational goals, while showing them exactly how to do it. Because
of their exemplary quality, subordinates find it easy to follow such a leader,
thereby making his work easier.
Educate: Success-minded
leaders are so concerned about continuity and longevity of their organization,
that one legacy they never forget to leave behind is the legacy of building a
formidable and effective team who would fittingly carry on from they stop, even
after they are no longer around. Hence, they educate those under them
constantly with relevant training tools, so that they would be perfect
replacement to carry on. To them, what boss-like leaders call subordinates,
they call co-leaders, and the same they practice.
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