Leadership in perspective

How many of us out there dreamed of one day to be a leader in a church, youth groups, football club etc. Amazingly the list is endless with a few only are able to live their dreams. Come to think of it I have witness my peers debating about leadership , if leaders are made or born? I know everyone has got their own view about this topic and it’s hard to convince the masses which side has got majority of votes when it comes to the debate.

This month I want to share with you my understanding about leadership. First and foremost what is leadership? What is good leadership?

Web results:

• Leadership has been described as the "process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership

• Best site check this out - http://www.leadersdirect.com/leadership-defined

To be a leader you don’t have to be a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) in a big firm but my understanding is that leadership starts at the grass root level with what you do, how you react to situation, how you tackle problem and challenges , how you relate to your peers etc, all this will nature you to a great leader. You can go to school to learn about leadership but to some extent it is something intuitive and intimate.

Some of the common adjectives which springs to our mind about leadership are- honesty, dependable, fair-minded, co-operative, good aptitude , to name a few. For one to be a good leader you have to uphold some virtues, mind you making long speeches will not contribute to being a good leader.

Below are some insights about good leadership in perspective;

1. Integrity: Not compromising on your principles and being honest to both your work and yourself is the most important trait of a good leader.

2. Valuing time: Time is money.

3. Communication: The level of communication you have with your subordinates goes a long way in reinforcing your leadership quality.

4. Teamwork: Build a team around you for support and consultation will see your leadership being appreciated and valued.

5. Motivation: One of the main goals of a leader is motivating their group.

6. Decision-making: Making a decision is an art depending on the requirement at the moment.

7. Flexibility: Taking all negative circumstances in your stride and adapting accordingly shows fortitude and patience.

8. Empathy: Try to leave the four walls of your office and mingle with your subordinates outside in their own environment.

There are many things to consider before you can be called a good leader. Remember everybody can be a leader but the question is how many people can be good leaders? Yes you can I don't disagree but if you only consider the above list and many other factors.

Please feel free to share with me your personal stories on your roles as a youthful leader in the community and what you can term to be successful under your leadership.

Email me through wilson.masaka@gmail.com

Pictures speak louder than words.

My trip upcountry was fun, relaxing and adventurous. One thing I have come to notice with photographers they never leave their camera with them because you don’t know when that best picture might present itself. Below are some of my best photos with captions for you to think about and relate with yourself. Trip mid July!

Love and Respect your elders.

Take a bird’s eye view to everything you do

There’s light at the end of the tunnel keep on going.

No matter how little you think you are, you are still valuable and visible from a distance. You make that difference so don’t under estimate yourself.

Beware...

Beware
Have you ever come across this notices that has the word Beware… as you trade around your daily life? Below are a few examples;

- Beware of land grabbers.
- Beware of ‘pick pocketers’.
- Beware of dogs.
- Beware of con-men and con-women and the list continues.

Today I want to focus on cyber crime. Beware of cyber crime, first and foremost what is cyber crime? I used Google and got a list of definition about the topic and this was among the results.

Definitions of Cyber crime on the Web:

• Computer crime or cybercrime is a form of crime where the Internet or computers are used as a medium to commit crime. Issues surrounding this type of crime have become high-profile, particularly those surrounding hacking, copyright infringement, child pornography, and child grooming. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_crime

• Criminal acts that are performed with the aid of a computer. Crimes that fit this category are identity theft, mischievous hacking, theft, and more. internet.suite101.com/article.cfm/twentyfive_years_of_cyberspace

The emerging of internet into our society has brought everything at our door steps and some would say at the tips of our fingers. But one thing that is lacking with the wide spread and use of internet tools and applications is proper awareness, campaigns and training about security issues.

Today you can meet with people on social networks, transact business, exchange information etc but are you aware of the dangers. Without a doubt computers has brought lots of advantages in our global community but my advice to all global citizens especially the youth is to always keep a sober mind and not to be swayed or persuaded to give confidential information where it is not supposed to be given.

To fellow youth and anyone else my second advice would be to always take time before you make a decision in whatever you want to indulge yourself in. Have you ever received emails saying that you have won some cash in dollars? How many of you have received emails of people wanting to share some money that was left for inheritance by a rich and a powerful person in a certain country? How many website are out there that doesn’t give the right information or tries to imitate other websites in terms of opportunity or benefits?

What you need to know is that all this information is developed and designed by people and as the old adage says ‘in every market there is mad man or what you see is what you get’ this has got ambiguous meanings. One that I like too in Kiswahili goes “ Kuna Watu na Viatu” ( Meaning there are people and shoes ) Also has got some ambiguity in it but my understanding of it is that there are people who will really care about things and act in good manner but there are some who are totally the opposite, so the message is Beware…

After all said and done there are many ways you can check if you are on the right track especially when you are dealing with internet and computers to search for information. Here is a case in point whereby you would like to find information on how you can get scholarship to study. My personal view on what I would do is as follows in summary. I hope they might be helpful to you and please share with me any great tips to go about it.

1. I would use Google to search for the information. There are hundreds if not millions of results to go through so I will take my time in searching and short listing.

2. I will check the authenticity of the site can be hard thought but I will look for basic information like the web address, email account, when was the idea launched etc.

3. Next I will share the information with someone around and the most suitable one is if you have a friend in that country you are applying the scholarship. They would advise you and even try to check by either calling or visiting the place. May be this is a rare cases!

4. Next is to write my first email and wait for response.

5. I will be following the communication on what I’m asked to send or even fill

6. Beware when you are asked to send some money through a certain account you need to understand clearly what it is meant for.

7. Good luck and pray.

This is what I would love to share with the global citizen this July. What’s there for August…
Nairobi is cold heee!