The Leaders of the Future

We read and talk about leadership, we criticize our leaders, we sometimes regard them as gods but often without really understanding the meaning of leadership. According to the Wikipedia dictionary, “Leadership is the set of managerial skills possessed by an individual that influence how persons or a specific group of people behave or act, making that team work enthusiastically to achieve their goals and objectives. It is also understood as the capacity to delegate, take the initiative, manage, summon, promote, incentivize, motivate and evaluate a project, efficiently and effectively, be it personal, managerial or institutional”

In the end, history has shown us the truth about leaders, some good and others bad. There are political, business, spiritual, family and community leaders, among others. There are countless examples of leaders around the world, who, when studied closely, reveal broadly different characteristics and no established patterns. 

Theories about every type and style of leader are written and we continuously debate whether a leader is made or born. It is clear to me that we are all born with the potential to be leaders, but only a few of us are molded and have the fortune of walking the right path. 

There are autocratic leaders and others who are more participative, assimilating a paternal figure. Some are charismatic and others self-absorbed; some maintain a balanced support among their collaborators and others simply suggest that what they propose is executed without any explanation. There are rulers who are leaders, some who inherit their position and others who make their way to the top by showing their skills; others simply surprise us by taking advantage of an opportunity presented by life. 

People who reach positions of leadership must be clear about the purpose of their appointment. Objectives vary depending on the organization, the mission and the approach of its “shareholders”. I am not necessarily talking about for-profit companies or organizations, but rather “shareholders” can be a religious community, a neighborhood, a city or a country, among others. We can use the example of three companies: one can have the objective of increasing its market share; another one of restructuring its financial liabilities; and another simply looking for someone to buy it. Each of these must have a completely different action plan and surely needs leaders with different visions, profiles and experiences, each very different and specific.

Every leader has the obligation of taking decisions, and character and security are indispensable factors in this exercise. Theory is always easily accessible through formal education, books, conferences and open content on the internet, but in practice everything changes. Leaders can make quick decisions about uncertain situations with a great deal of missing information. Decisions must balance the search for perfection, efficiency in results and creating long-term value for shareholders. A leader always takes decisions that are decisive and fundamental, establishing a path. This is a sensible matter in leadership that seeks management and where lack of action destroys value. 

Another indispensable virtue of good leadership is the capacity to create competent work teams, keeping them motivated and trained. Envisioning future achievements is fundamental to getting people involved, that is, without forgetting about early wins that create trust and energy to keep moving.

Since childhood, we are training new generations of leaders. We want our children, family members and students to be in positions of leadership and help change the world. However, most of the time we forget to educate new generations in emotional matters that make people leaders. 

We must change the way we educate new generations and begin by offering self-worth, creating trust and allowing them to grow intellectually. That is why we must teach our children how to be happy. The beginning of a better future is understanding and being grateful for what we have and not looking at what others have in order to be happy. The expression “the grass is always greener on the other side”, often applies to anxiety and lack of security in us and therefore our children. We often fin those who always want more, no matter what they have. 

This feeling generates mistrust in people, increasing the level of anxiety and promoting poor decisions in many cases. If we are happy, we will achieve a state of calm that fosters better interpersonal relations, improves decision making and thinking about the future with a different outlook that will lead to the transformation of the world. 

I want to conclude by mentioning the author of several books and professor of positive psychology at Harvard University, Tal Ben Shahar. His master classes have broken all attendance records. He stresses accepting failure, emotions, success and reality. Finally, he recommends not pursuing perfection to attain happiness. 

Let’s be happy and teach our children to be happy, and allow them to have the opportunity to lead from this vantage point in life. They don’t have to wait grow up to begin their search for happiness, if from a very small age, with what we get from life, we can show them they are already happy. 

*www.talbenshahar.com

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