Perspective
Everyone is a Leader of Everyone
One in every two or more individuals excels above the others. At every single step, we come and continue to come across different kinds of people, having different personalities, unique traits and ways, and each with their 'leadership qualities'.
Contrary to the saying 'Leaders are born, not made', 'Leaders are made, not born'. Leaders can be nurtured, molded and fine-tuned to lead their followers. Leaders are brought to the forefront by circumstances and time, beliefs and causes and by necessities. If not for these, leaders can never be leaders.
With our naked eyes, we see leaders being followed by their followers and followers being led by their leaders. In fact, this is the bond that ties a leader and a follower as one. One cannot be very wrong to say that 'Everyone is a leader of everyone; everyone a follower of everyone'. We can also put it as 'Every leader is a follower and every follower a leader'. This is to be the theme of our short writing here.
It would also be great a pleasure to provide you with something to help you scratch your itchy head - 'Is there a possibility of a person being a leader and at the same time not and never be a follower of another?'
In the meantime, excuse me. Let me share with you some of the thoughts that have been bugging my head.
These thoughts have something to do with leaders and leading, followers and following. For some of you, you may even try to whisk it away as a whole lot of misconception. Nevertheless, the more I let my head brood over it, the more I see the truth in it.
There is a general apprehension in the mindset of the society. We seems to take it for granted that leaders are immune to temptations, invincible, perfect in all respect in carrying out their work and duties, good in deeds, an expertise in speaking and writing, soft, silent and understanding listener, having answers to all the problems that we face. All in all, we expect and look up to them as though they are 'everything'. With these outlooks and the importance we gave to our leaders, we also expect them to be as such. Thus, the end results are all regrets for putting them in the hot seats. It also further extends to unnecessary whining and inflammatory remarks and actions that does nothing but painfully afflicts and bring chaos to whom but our very own society. Rather than the leaders, the followers are the one to be held responsible for the mistake in choosing their leaders.
Like their followers, leaders are like children. They are in need of encouragement to keep the fire going on in them. They need to be patted on their shoulders every now and then, for their every good deed done. They need new challenges to explore, invade and bring it to the feet of their followers. And the followers can only provide these challenges. Leaders need to be led by the followers themselves in order to be led by the leaders. If the followers do not take that step to lead their leaders, no leaders can be leaders of their followers. The followers need to sow the seed in their leaders, to reap the harvest in their leaders. The followers need to guide their leaders in achieving the goal of their causes. And I believe this to be the true essence of democracy.
Like the Planeteers, who ever remind us in the 'Captain Planet' cartoon series, 'The Power is Yours!' The fall and rise of our leaders are in our hands. The final verdict on the fate of the leaders lies entirely on the shoulder of the followers.
Thus, 'Everyone is a leader of everyone; everyone a follower of everyone'.
27-Feb-2005
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Lalremlien Neitham
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