National Character And The Leader

Leadership expert John C Maxwell said what has now become a common saying - "everything rises and falls on leadership". This means that whether family, society, nation and world will progress greatly depends on her leaders. One is therefore right in saying that as a people, we are collectively where we are today as a result of the average strengths and weaknesses of our leaders, past and present. So the question is, are we comfortable with where we are as a people

If we are comfortable, then those who lead us are doing a great job. If not, they have failed us. But if we stop here, then we are playing the blame game and shirking our responsibility, two habits which have sadly become our National Character.

In the few years I have lived, it appears to me that some of us are waiting for a messiah, maybe another Kwame Nkrumah to come and rescue us from the continuum of chaos in our nation. It looks like we are waiting for a miracle that will transport us into our dream society. I have repented, put on sackcloth and with a new state of mind, I tell you that there won't be another Nkrumah, there will only be you and I with the same potential to make our nation great and strong. A sage once said, 'when I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Growing old and wise, I want to change myself'. The change we so much want to see in our families, towns, cities, nations and continent actually rests with us. So how do we change ourselves?

To change ourselves, we need to stop seeing the world through our challenges and know that if we decide to 'stand in the gap', positive change will blossom. If we will stand to be counted, change agents will become the majority with a voice. If we will start reaching for perfection, change will come and if we stop looking and start being, we can embrace that change we want. The leader we all expect won't come until we conquer our fears of standing in the arena of our lives and knocking out self and challenging him / her to change.

Leadership is about function and not position. So whether or not we bear titles, we can all start functioning as leaders in our small chiefdoms. The rippling effect will be strong leadership in every facet of family, society, and a strong National Character. Everybody can begin by practicing the 3Ps - identifying your Purpose, knowing your Potential and maximize it to develop People.

The reality is that leaders come from society, so weak leaders may imply a generally weak society. People always get the leader they want, either by desire or acquiescing. In simple terms, are you confident enough to vote for the person in the mirror to occupy the same positions you criticize others for?

The challenge to you and I is to be that leader who will bring our national dream to pass in our generation. It lies within our locus of control, so let us take action today because the benefits are endless for God, country and self. Start the change process. Be a change agent. Stand to be counted. Leadership challenge accepted!

About the author
Kwamina Ekremet is a youth leader, volunteer and a Process Engineer. He believes that individual Africans can change Africa by making Africa's problem their personal problem and then solve it in their generation. He is in love with Africa's potential and her rise to become a force to reckon with in world affairs.

Newaccra Magazine is a positive lifestyle magazine for the young and driven. Our goal is to inspire ambitious young people to achieve their big dreams. We do this by providing high quality content on personal development and success, positive mindsets, healthy lifestyles, and current sports and entertainment. Follow us on twitter for more @newaccra or Facebook/Newaccra or by email- [email protected]