“No pain no gain!” You most probably
heard this popular saying more often. It is universally accepted that if we
desire to gain something, we should be ready to pay its worth. This is so true
when it comes to leadership. If we desire to enjoy the full benefits of
leadership, we should be ready to pay the attached prices.
We joined Toastmasters and started a
rewarding journey towards becoming great communicators and leaders. It was a very
smart decision. Toastmasters is the right place where one can improve his or her
leadership skill. Indeed, the sky is the limit.
Yet, expecting to enjoy the accompanying
advantages of leadership alone is never enough. It requires us to acquaint
ourselves with the prices of leadership, and remind ourselves about them once
in awhile. As we all know, anything valuable has a price tag. We even become
suspicious if something valuable is available for free. Leadership is one of
those worthy things that demand paying its dues. There is no free ride in leading
our glorious destiny.
For that matter, when we look back in
history, we notice that those successful leaders we admire shouldered the
burden of leadership and passed through lots of challenges. These leaders, not
just lived a quite and smooth life all the time, they also experienced chaotic
moments and spent some time in the wilderness. Not only they drove on the
highway, but also they walked through the valley at some points in their
leadership journey.
Unfortunately, many people appreciate
successful leaders, and the recognition, wealth, and power they possess and
aspire to become leaders without counting the prices of these possessions. Many
times, those who are inspired by the bright and good sides of leadership may find
themselves shocked when they are confronted with lots of challenges they never
thought exist. What is sad is that when they are faced with consistent
obstacles as they lead towards achieving their dream, they think that it is odd
and only happens against them. They may think that something isn’t right or
they start to doubt themselves and whether they are capable to lead. They don’t
consider passing through these challenges as part of the process. Some may even
quit when the going gets tough.
Therefore, it is important to acknowledge
the burden and count the prices of leadership ahead of time. When we do so, we
are immunized and prepared to shoulder the various prices of leadership that
may come in our way. When we actually pay the prices of leadership, we would
become battle-tested leaders.
Leaders who impacted
the most and left legacies are the ones who endured lots of challenges that
shaped their character. While they were passing through challenges, they
persisted till the end and that is why we admire and adore them. If we aspire
to become great leaders, there is no short cut. We should be willing to pay the
prices of leadership and get shaped in the process.
There are numerous prices of
leadership. The size and magnitude of these prices may vary from person to
person. We may face one or some or all of the following prices of leadership,
and even more:
- Scrutiny,
- Ridicule,
- Rejection,
- Intimidation, and
- Assassination.
When we were living without taking
leadership in the area of our passion, no one cares. The moment we step out and
take leadership initiatives, that is when some people may start to scrutinize
us. They question whether we are capable and qualified to lead. They may go
back in our past and try to find some dirt and weaknesses. When they see that we
are firm and continued to lead regardless of intense scrutiny, they step up
their price and start to ridicule us. If
we are persistent, some people reject our relationship to show us how much they
distaste our life style of leadership. Many people reject you and leave you
alone but some people are not nice. They may intimidate you using various
mechanisms. You may not get thousands of intimidation letters per year like US
Presidents that threaten their life but you may encounter some forms of
intimidations.
If we are persistent and continue to
pay the aforementioned prices, we may be challenged to pay the ultimate price.
It is like in bidding. You should continue to pay until no one is matching your
bid. Many great leaders we admire such as Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy,
Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. paid the ultimate price,
assassination. Nonetheless, many of us may not face assassination but at least,
we may encounter character assassination. People may assassinate your character so that
you may not have credibility. Without credibility, our leadership is lame.
