Leadership: Past, Present, Future

There are three aspects of my life that are very important to me; the people I spend my time with, the books I read and what I spend my time thinking about. I deem these things important because they are where I find most of my inspiration. The concept of leadership is a very broad one, however, there is a subtle, yet very potent driving force, rooted in excellent leadership; that is inspiration. Inspiration propelled our leaders of the past, it is seen today and hopefully it will drive our leaders of tomorrow to greatness. When we think of the stories in history that really mattered, the ones that have stood the test of time, they are stories of great leaders who persevered through times of great turmoil and inspired the people around them to do the same. An excellent example is the case of Dr. Martin Luther King who spear-headed the civil rights movement. Even though the movement eventually claimed his life, his legacy lives on today through those who believe in what he fought for.

My favorite author Paulo Coelho once said, “The world only gets better because people risk something to make it better.” When I put on the television, I see religious bombings in Nigeria, flooding in Bangkok, economic turmoil in Europe and it just seems like the world is in total chaos. Sometimes I get despaired because I wonder if anything I do will even make a difference. But then, I remember that what has got me this far in my life is the belief that there is still something good in our world worth fighting for and regardless of how bad things get, hope will never be lost. In my lifetime, what I really wish to do is spread the idea that everyone is capable of greatness, we just need to seek it; because I believe that true leadership is the ability to inspire hope in a people in the presence of chaos and darkness.