LEADERSHIP CORNER NO 9*__Characteristics of Successful Leadership: Blueprint for Effective Administration and Enduring Legacy__*

***Leadership is the art and act of harnessing the resources of an organization, state or nation in order to achieve the desired set goals and objectives. Character: as the fulcrum or focus of this article is referred to as innate and learned traits, values and behaviours in an individual. THE INNATE CHARACTER: are those traits, values, characteristics and behaviours inherent in an individual, they are naturally endowed, while the learned characters are those traits, values and behaviors copied through interactions with people in the environment. They can be learnt from homes, schools, work places, places of worship and through travelling nationally or internationally. It therefore means they are learnt from parents or guardians, siblings, friends, co-workers, school mates, leaders etc. Characters play vital roles in a productive, fruitful and successful leadership, especially good characters. Most leaders fail because of bad characters that negatively impact their subjects. Stories abound where the subjects organize parties rejoicing at the exit of bad leaders. Some of these bad characters exhibited in leadership are highly regrettable most especially when the leader is no longer in the office or no longer occupying such leadership position. Show me a man or woman that is successful in life or leadership and I will show you a man or woman with good characters. The following are character disposition expected in a good leader: GOODNESS: it is a virtue indispensable in all leaders that are expected to be successful in leadership. There’s nothing like a bad leader. If you are bad in character, you have no business with leadership. HUMILITY: A leader is a chief servant of the people, not a maximum ruler or Lord over the subjects. He/She must not be puffed up at any stage but must be humble at all times. GOOD LISTENING SKILLS: A good leader listenes to the yearnings, complaints, agitations and concerns expressed by his / her followers for necessary adjustment, for result oriented leadership. SELFLESSNESS: A good leader is devoid of the “I” and “me” first syndromes. He\she is not self centered, ego centric or self rewarding in administration or leadership. The leader is pre-occupied with the interests of others first before he\she thinks of him \herself. KINDNESS AND COMPASSION: Good leaders are not ruthless in disposition but rather they are kind and compassionate to the followers at all times. FULL OF CONSIDERATION: Good leaders always considers the plights, feelings and conditions of their subjects. One good example is a Northern politician, Maitama Sule, who stated and I quote ”My dream for Nigeria before it returned to the culture of extravagance(wastefulness) is a return to decency in our polity, a return to Godliness in our relationship and a return to Consideration in our social interactions. That is the major reason such leader(s) do not amass wealth to the detriment of the subjects. They are full of considerations FEAR OF GOD: All good leaders see themselves as representative of God who made them leaders and as such lead with God’s consciousness in them and also having the belief that they will render the account of their stewardship to God at the end of life.The Holy Book in 2 Sam 23:3 stated that “those that must lead people must be righteous and rule in the fear of God”. RESILIENCE: A good leader should possess the stamina, Inner strength, ability and grace to withstand adverse, negative and unpalatable situations and win for the sake of fruitfulness and success in leadership. KNOWLEDGEABLE IN MATTERS OF LEADERSHIP: a good leader is not a novice who is ever learning but must be versatile in leadership experiences. A leader should have leading ideas, plans, thoughts, knowledge and actions before he/she can be successful in administration. MORAL SOUNDNESS: Good leaders do not have records of evil deeds rather they are men and women of honest reports, morally sound and of good manners. Good manners of talking, dressing and relating with people. EMPATHY: Good leaders always put themselves in such positions or perspectives that they really understand and feels the problems and challenges of the subjects; this character propels them to act fast with problem solving skills. STABLE EMOTIONS WITH CALM TEMPERAMENT: leaders are not expected to be callous, easily disturbed emotionally and fierce or terribly angry in the face of any situation but should remain calm, reserved, gentle and self controlled in the midst of challenges working out solutions with speed. In conclusion, if all leaders strive to adjust, imbibe and learn these afore mentioned characters, their leadership will make the world a better place with great successes recorded and result orientedness in administration creating joy, peace , happiness and prosperity for all. *Comrade (Dr) Nuhu Solomon Anyegwu, UN Global Peace Ambassador & ECOWAS Youth Council Ambassador, writes from Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria, West Africa.*