The COVID-19 pandemic, spanning from December 2019 to February 2022, has profoundly reshaped the global landscape, instigating widespread economic turmoil and organizational upheaval. Countless businesses have succumbed to closure, nations have grappled with economic recession, and individuals have faced unprecedented job losses and financial instability.

Amidst this crucible of adversity, the imperative for anticipatory leadership has emerged as a guiding principle for effective leadership. Anticipatory leadership necessitates the proactive identification and preparation for future crises and opportunities. By anticipating and planning ahead for potential challenges, leaders can mitigate the impact of crises on their organizations and seize emerging opportunities with agility and foresight.

Central to the ethos of anticipatory leadership is the recognition that crises are an inevitable aspect of the human experience, while opportunities are inherently fleeting and transient. Therefore, the key to thriving amidst uncertainty lies in diligently preparing for future eventualities in the present moment.

By mastering anticipatory leadership, leaders equip themselves with the tools and strategies necessary to navigate future crises and capitalize on emerging opportunities. This mastery not only fosters organizational resilience but also empowers leaders to lead with confidence and adaptability in times of uncertainty.

Ultimately, anticipatory leadership serves as a cornerstone of effective leadership, enabling individuals and organizations to transcend adversity and chart a course towards sustained success and growth. Embrace anticipatory leadership, and pave the way for a future defined by resilience, innovation, and prosperity.

When it comes to leadership, relationships do play a vital role in how your leadership turns out to become. Because we are social beings and are influenced by the people we spend most of our time with, it then becomes necessary and important on the kind of relationships we choose to associate with, either as leaders or as individuals.

Of course, there are many other factors that when combined, can lead you to have success in your leadership. And the truth of the matter is that, relationships in leadership is one of the major components in leadership that can determine how far you can go in your leadership. Hence, one of greatest things you can do for your personal life and that of the people you lead is to associate yourself as a leader, with the right relationships.

There have been countless times when leaders have heeded the advice of wrong people because they had relational connections with these people. The effect, as we have seen it through history, is that these leaders either lost their leadership authority, lost their lives, or made wrong decisions that led to the breakdown of their entities.
To become better leaders, one of the crucial decisions we all have to make will be with the kind of associates that we surround ourselves with as leaders. For the relationships we keep, plays a crucial role in how our personal lives and that of our entities, turn out to become.

We cannot make careless choice in our relationships and expect the best results from our leadership. And keep in mind that with relationships, I am referring to all kinds of relationships we associate ourselves frequently with, which includes the partner you select as a wife or husband. I would even argue that most often, the partner you select for life is what will oftentimes determine the major outcomes of your leadership. This is so because who we select as partners for life do have major influence in how we think, the kind of habits we form, how we behave and even on the kind of choices we make for ourselves and for our entities. Hence, we will always need to make the right choices on the kind of relationships we choose to associate ourselves with.

When it comes to leadership, relationships do play a vital role in how your leadership turns out to become. Because we are social beings and are influenced by the people we spend most of our time with, it then becomes necessary and important on the kind of relationships we choose to associate with, either as leaders or as individuals.

Due to the diversity in gifts, skills and talents among people, leaders who lead effectively are able to assign their personnel to their rightful roles and responsibilities that match those unique traits in order to not only increase productivity, but also for their personnel to work in the areas of their strength.

Bringing people on board becomes the first step in the leadership coordination journey. However, there is another step. And that is, to assign people to their rightful roles and responsibilities based on their giftedness and skills.
True fulfilment is ignited in the lives of others when they enjoy what they do and find meaning in the roles they play, whether it is in a small setting or a much larger setting.

When others are made to perform responsibilities that align with their areas of strengths and skills, people no longer see their roles as an unattainable and hectic duty but rather as fun and enjoyable. They also tend to increase in their level of productivity even as they strive to become better each and every day because of the love they have for what they do.
Leadership coordination is probably one of the most significant aspects of leadership. Because no matter how talented and gifted a team is, if they are not put in their proper roles, they are likely to produce less than they potentially could and they are less likely to enjoy what they do. The best way to solve this problem is to put people in their rightful place on the team.
By studying their people and asking the right questions, leaders will be able to further understand their people which ultimately make it easier for them to assign the right roles to their people.

A team is nothing more than a group of people. But a great team emerges when others perform tasks in the areas of their strength and are made to develop and grow in those areas which eventually help the entities attain their set vision and goals at any point in time.

Character is one of the features that distinguish great leaders from ordinary leaders. Character can be defined as the distinguishing feature, characteristic or trait of an individual.

Great leaders possess great character that attracts people to them. Likewise, their character is stable in nature and as a result, people can trust and lean on them. Most often, they are predictable due to the stable and unwavering nature of their character.

Having a great character and modelling it to their people or followers is one of the greatest things a leader can do for his or her people. This is due to the fact that people are more likely to model their lives on and become what they are visually exposed to. In addition, the better the leader is in terms of his or her character, the better people of character he or she attracts to his or her team.

Character in itself does not make one become a leader. However, without it, a leader is likely to fall off the ladder of leadership once he or she gets to the top.

Great leaders are “one” with themselves. This means they are the same people both in public and in private. They live by their convictions and beliefs. They live by their set of principles and standards and never sacrifice those principles on the altar of any political, economic or social benefits.

Great leaders possess a high level of character. And their lives are open books for all. Great leaders are consistent in their character. And their character is predictable by their people. And based on their great character, they are able to govern themselves well which ultimately helps them to lead others very well.

The words, deeds, and actions of great leaders align with each other. Character is one of the significant traits that separates great leaders from any other leaders. It is more important that talents and charisma because without it, the leader is likely to fall once he or she rises up the ladder of leadership.

Leaders of character most often do not need to defend themselves in challenging times. This is due to the unchanging nature of their character. Their convictions, beliefs and character are always stable even in challenging times.

Weak leaders in character equal weak entities. Likewise, strong leaders in character equal strong entities. Hence, to produce a strong entity being it a nation, family or organization, then leaders need to possess strong character.

One of the challenges of leadership is in the equipping of people to carry on the good works already commenced by the leader. However, the only way for great leadership to be experienced in the decades and centuries ahead is when the baton is passed on successfully to other protégés or individuals who have been prudently trained by the leader. This is so crucial because, in order for the entities to continue to operate with the needed momentum to achieve their respective vision, goals and dreams, then a legacy has to be created within the lives of the people called to carry on the baton of the leader.
A lot of times, in the case whereby a succession is not created, even though the leader at that point may be great, the entities, most likely, will stagnate and begin to decline away from their set vision.
The right tools and mentorship provided, will not only create a legacy but also create other leaders who can reproduce themselves multiple times to ensure the fulfilment of the desired vision and destination of the entities at any point in time. But it all starts with a deliberate effort to leave a legacy behind. And ultimately, we will only be remembered by the legacy we leave behind, so why not leave any?

When we truly understand something, we are able to manipulate, maintain, improve, strengthen or make that thing to work to our advantage.

Doctors understand the various kinds of diseases and their formations and nature and as a result, are able to treat or manage the various diseases that people have. A teacher understands his or her course materials and as a result, is able to transfer that knowledge and understanding to his or her students. We go through the driving school to understand how cars work so that we can be able to operate the car in order to move us from one destination to our preferred destination. A wife who understands her husband is able to better relate to her husband and prevent many misunderstandings and conflicts from arising in their relationship than a woman who lacks understanding of her husband. Likewise, a husband will be in a better position to relate well with his wife when he understands her. The same is applicable in leadership.
We can only lead effectively when we have a better understanding of what leadership entails and the various components that makes leadership highly effective.

There are several ways that we can gain understanding in leadership. However, for the purpose of this article, I will state three major ways we can obtain understanding in leadership and in any other endeavours (however, the main focus here is on leadership since we are discussing about leadership).

We gain understanding in leadership by first studying leadership. Secondly, we gain understanding in leadership by practicing leadership and lastly, we gain understanding in leadership by teaching leadership.

The first step to gaining understanding in leadership is to study leadership. That means gaining knowledge about leadership. This includes getting materials about the subject, asking questions on effective leadership from successful leaders, and learning from the mistakes and success stories of both poor and great leaders respectively in order to better inform you on how to lead effectively. For we cannot act rightly if we have no idea about what is right. Also, we cannot perform to the exact requirement from us or even exceed our requirements without the knowledge of what is actually required of us to deliver excellent results. Hence, the first step to gaining understanding on how to lead effectively is to gain an intensive knowledge about leadership.

The second step is to practice leadership on a consistent basis. It was Eric Thomas who once stated that “practice does not just make perfect. Practice makes permanent”. The meaning that Eric was trying to convey was that when we practice something numerous times, that practice does not just make us perfect, but it makes that action to become part and parcel of ourselves. That is how habits, both good and bad, are formed. For it is through the repetition of an act, thought, behaviour, and or action that results in whether good or bad habits will be formed in us.

The third step to gaining understanding in leadership is to teach leadership. Teaching leadership does not only help us remember what we learnt but also help us to transfer the principles we have learnt, practiced and have gained great results from those principles to our successors so they can also lead effectively once they pick up the mantle of leadership. 

Understanding leadership is crucial if we want to become better leaders. Hence, let us seek understanding to become highly effective leaders in all our endeavours and in the various entities we may find ourselves.

A lot of times, when people talk about leadership, they just have a one-sided view or perspective about what the subject matter is all about. Leadership is more than a one-sided subject matter.

Leadership is dimensional in nature. Leadership is not only concerned about justice but also about right living. Leadership is not only concerned about the attainment of the vision of an entity, but it is also about developing relationships and caring for the people you lead as a leader. Leadership is not only concerned about how well the progress of an entity can be attained but also by how well the potential of the people under your care can be improved and developed. Hence, leadership is dimensional in nature.

An understanding of the various dimensions of leadership will help equip leaders and any individual desiring to lead to be able to better lead their people well. Leadership is what everyone needs. Ultimately, everything rises and falls on leadership.

Developing our personal leadership style is probably one of the greatest things we can do as leaders.

For when we begin to sow the right kind of seeds, we will surely yield a bountiful harvest which are the right kind of harvests because of the kinds of seeds we have sown in the past and in the present.

Habits can be defined as an action performed on a regular basis that has now become part of the unconscious nature of the individual or person who performs that action.

There are patterns that can help us identify how an individual became a successful leader. And there are also patterns that can help us identify if an individual will be a successful leader in both the short term as well as the long term. And one of the major patterns that can help us identify if an individual will be successful or how an individual became successful in their leadership journey is habit.

All successful leaders do have habits that make them successful as leaders. On the other hand, all unsuccessful leaders do have habits that make them unsuccessful as leaders.

The wrong habits exhibited by leaders and their people will break the very entities that they are part of. The right leadership habits expressed by leaders and their people will ultimately enable their entities to attain their set visions and purposes.

There are several good leadership habits that a leader can express on a daily basis. However, for the purpose of this writeup, we will look at just seven of some of the major good habits of all successful leaders.

The first habit of all successful leaders is that they continually live out right values on the daily basis. They do not only have a great list of values that they proclaim to be dear to them but, they also live out those values on a continuous basis.

The second successful leadership habit has to do with the daily commitment to purpose and vision. And by daily commitment to purpose and vision, I am referring to making decisions and choices and undertaking the right actions that will lead us one step closer towards the fulfillment of our purpose and vision.

The third habit of all successful leaders is that they develop their people on a continual basis.

The fourth successful habit of great leaders is that they empower their people on a continual basis.

The fifth habit that all successful leaders have is that they are continuously learning.

The sixth habit of all successful leaders is that they take time to be in solitude to think and plan ahead.

The seventh and last habit that all successful leaders have in common is that they continually surround themselves with the right people for the right influence and the right counsel.

There are many habits of successful leaders. However, these are just seven of some of the major habits of all successful leaders.

Habits make or break us. And as leaders, we are either living out the right habits that can help build the very entities we lead or expressing the wrong habits that can break the very entities we are part of.

Leadership is not just a big deal, but a VERY Big deal. This is due to the fact that the actions and inactions of leaders do not only affect them but also affects the very people they lead.

Just as trust takes years to be built and just one mistake, poor decision or choice can eradicate the trust that people have with us, the same applies to leadership in the broader sense.

Some leaders take years to make dozens of right decisions and to build their entities in the right direction and just one wrong choice, decision or mistake by these same leaders have cost the very entities they were part of and have also cost the lives or livelihoods of the people who were under these leaders.

Leadership is “titanic” in nature. What that means is that, leadership is VERY huge. Huge in the sense that it involves a lot of components (decisions, choices, actions, right people etc.) to make it a success. However, one wrong decision, choice or mistake can make the very entities that leaders are part of decline away from their set visions and purposes and even make those very entities extinct.

That is why as leaders, we need to be careful and prudent in all that we do and say. Not all decisions, choices or mistakes from leaders do have a wider effect. However, most often, the effects from some of these wrong decisions, choices or mistakes may have little effects in the present moment but the effects may broaden as the years roll by.

Truth be told, we will surely make mistakes due to our human nature. However, we will need to quickly learn from them, bounce back and start making the right decisions without repeating those mistakes anymore. It is the ability to quickly learn from their mistakes and bounce back that separates great leaders from average leaders.
And great leaders do not just learn from their mistakes but also, from the mistakes of others. That is where wisdom comes into play.

Leadership is “titanic” in nature. And at the end of it all, it is our choices, decisions and actions that will determine whether the ship will be damaged and never arrive to its destination or whether the ship will safely arrive at its final destination, which in reality, is our vision and purposes.

There are several attributes that an individual must exhibit to become successful in his or her leadership journey. Some of these attributes are negotiable, while others are non-negotiable.
To become better at leading, we must develop these leadership attributes that will not only make us get the results that we desire, but also make us great leaders and enable us to leave behind us the right legacy for leading.
Several great leaders have come and gone, yet their legacies still live on in our hearts partly because they exhibited these attributes of effective and great leadership.
No matter what your current circumstances are in terms of your leadership journey, you can always learn to improve in order to become a better leader yourself through consistent and disciplined practice. The key word here is consistency.
We are what we repeatedly do, hence, excellence in our leadership journey is not simply an act but rather, a habit.
We can all be great leaders provided we master the skills set and right attributes to effective leadership and apply them in our daily leadership journey.
When we fail to apply the right skills set and attributes to effective leadership, we will not get the right results that are needed to become successful in our leadership journey.
We either apply the right skills set and attributes in order to get the desired results or we never apply the right skills set and attributes which will result in us not obtaining our desired results.
In this book, I enlist and explain the major non-negotiable attributes that every leader must possess in order to become an effective leader. There are more attributes than these ones explained in this book. However, this book contains the major non-negotiable attributes to effective leadership.
Take some time to reflect on each of these attributes and think through the areas that you can apply them in your leadership journey.
For it is not how much we know but how much we apply of what we know that will define who we truly become as leaders or as individuals.
Master these non-negotiable attributes to effective leadership, then you will get the desired results from your leadership journey.

Leadership Cause by Francis Abbah is all about the cause of problems arising in leadership and how to tackle them. As we have in the law of cause and effect, every problem in leadership has its cause and to tackle the effects, we need to understand the root cause of those problems so we can tackle the effect at the grassroot level. This is what Leadership Cause by Francis Abbah is all about.

Leadership proverbs is a leadership book that contains knowledge and insights into leadership. This book is for the attainment of wisdom, knowledge and understanding in leadership. Leadership Proverbs is a book that can be read by anyone of a reading age and is not restricted to any age. The book is designed for everybody including potential and actual leaders.

This book is all about the principles of leadership and how an individual, being it potential leaders or actual leaders, can learn how to lead effectively. The book is divided into six chapters with each chapter having its own summaries. This book is for all individuals, who desire to lead effectively. And also for all individuals, who would like to learn more about the principles of leadership and how to lead effectively.

The first and probably the most important principle of leadership every leader must master is self-leadership or self-governance. This is so important because how a leader leads him or herself more than often reflects how the leader will ultimately lead others. Hence, credibility of self-governance on the part of the leader is so crucial even before anyone considers becoming a leader for small groups of teams to larger groups like nations.

Leadership does not commence by leading others, leadership starts by leading yourself. Because the hardest person to lead is always yourself, it is necessary that everyone desiring to lead must first master this principle of self-governance.
Most often, leadership starts at the individual level and moves towards small groups of people and to larger groups of people then ultimately to a much larger group of people. The concept of leadership is always a journey, and one needs to master each of the processes it comes along with.

A lot of the times, we see leaders who have not mastered the first principle of self-governance in leadership lead a larger group of people and this result often leading the entities astray. And like the greatest transformational leader, Jesus, frames it, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” It is important, especially for potential leaders and actual leaders to recognize and consciously lead themselves first and master the principle of self-governance even before leading others.

Leadership responsibilities sometimes differ for the various forms of leaders. However, there are three significant responsibilities of every effective leader. First is that leaders are responsible for creating the right climate or environment within their entities. The second is bringing on board the right people and placing them in the position of their strength (that includes developing them). And thirdly, creating the right strategies for achieving the short- and long-term vision of their entities. 

Leaders are responsible for creating the right climate or environment within their entities. 

Creating the right kind of climate is the first responsibility of every effective leader. Leaders who create the right kind of environment for their entities bring about certain benefits and added advantages to their organization. Three of the benefits of the right leadership climate are as follows; 

The right leadership climate helps to create and sustain the other two responsibilities. Hiring and maintaining the right potential leaders can be done effectively after the right environment has been created by leaders. This is because if the right environment to help potential leaders to flourish and to maximize their potential is not created by leaders, potential leaders are more likely to leave the organization. So, for example, a hostile environment created by leaders will in no time make potential leaders leave to other organizations that have a better environment created by its leaders. Also, if turnover is high, leaders will not obtain the benefits of potential leaders helping them to create the right strategies and implementing them for the short- and long-term vision of their entities to be attained. 

Leaders who create the right kind of environment for their entities also do help their organizations to grow in many diverse ways because the right environment created will help potential leaders to perform at their very best. And by performing at their very best, productivity increases which ultimately means that growth will be achieved. In a research on climate conducted by the Emotional Intelligence Expert Daniel Goleman, he writes, “At a global food and beverage company, positive climate readings predicted higher yearly earnings at major divisions. And in a study of nineteen insurance companies, the climate created by the CEOs among their direct reports predicted the business performance of the entire organization: In 75 percent of cases, climate alone accurately sorted companies into high versus low profits and growth." 

The right leadership climate also makes effective succession possible. This is because leaders will be able to bring on board and maintain potential leaders (depending on the size of the entity) who will be able to replace leaders (with the right mentorship and training) and lead their entities towards the fulfillment of the vision of the very entities they are part of. As Peter Drucker rightly stated that, “There is no success without a successor”, it means that success is possible for the entities that are able to have effective succession. 

Creating the right kind of environment by leaders is crucial to the long-term success of the very entities they are part of.

There are several responsibilities of a leader, and part of a leader’s responsibilities is that of developing a strategy for the very vision and purposes of their entities to be achieved within a particular time frame. And strategies are formed when there is a vision for the very entities that leaders are part of.

However, strategies alone do not make a leader and his or her people attain the set vision and purposes of their entities. For most leaders are able to draft strategies for their entities, and in most of these instances, the visions of their entities are still not attained- whether it is in the short term or in the long term.

Strategies are good, however, strategies alone do not yield much results. No matter how detailed a strategy is drafted by a leader, without proper execution, the strategy will still not yield much results for the very entities that the leaders are part of.

Most leaders are good at drafting strategies for their entities. Hence, the problem really isn’t about the strategy. For most strategy problems are not problems with the strategy at all. Most strategy problems are purely execution problems.

How effectively leaders and their people execute their strategies is what will determine whether the vision and purposes of their entities will be attained in both the short term and the long term.

Great leaders do not only have great visions for their entities, but they, together with their people, are also good at executing the plans and strategies they have for the very vision and purposes of their entities to be attained within a given time frame. Also, great leaders are not just great communicators, for they back up their communication with a lot of execution to ensure that what they say, is actually implemented.

For execution to take place effectively, then leaders will need to take into consideration the three major components of an entity, which are as follows: Strategy process, Operational process, and People process.

First, for execution to take place effectively, then a clear and good strategy must be drafted by the leader and his or her people which spells out what needs to be done within a particular time frame for the vision and purpose of their entity to be attained.

Secondly, leaders will need to consider the Operational process of an entity. The Operational process shows the decisions and actions that need to be undertaken each day by both leaders and their people to ensure that the visions and purposes of their entities are attained.

Lastly, leaders will need to take into consideration the People process within their entities. The people process shows who will be responsible for what activities, actions and roles that will ensure that both the short-term and long-term vision of their entities are attained.

Strategies are good, and effective leaders understand that. However, they back up their plans and strategies with effective execution at all times.

Hope can be defined as a virtuous desire for future good. It is the feeling of trust, confidence, belief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.

All great leaders are dealers in hope. They do not only have great hope for the future, but they provide hope and stability to their people especially in times of crisis as well as in times when their entities are trying to attain their vision and purposes. They are hopeful of the future, and they help others find hope in the future as well. They are a source of hope to the people they lead.

One thing is certain, that uncertainties and change will occur. However, no matter what kind of changes occur, great leaders are able to keep their people focused on the vision and purposes of their entities and to provide hope to their people that the vision can be attained.

“Hope is not a strategy” as most motivational speakers and some leadership experts will wrongly say to diminish the power of hope. However, hope always comes before strategy and hope actually helps in the successful execution of strategy so that the vision of an entity can be attained. For a hopeful leader and a hopeful people are more likely to attain the vision of their entities than a hopeless leader and a hopeless people.

Great leaders are agents of hope. And they are able to inspire hope in their people for them to successfully sail through a crisis or for the vision and purposes of their entities to be attained despite the changes and uncertainties happening all around them.

To become a better leader, you need to understand the kind of experiences that your people are having with you. Because it is by understanding the kind of experiences that people have with you that you can adjust, amend or improve upon your leadership skills. 

Experience can be defined in many ways. However, for the context of this writing, experience is defined as an event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone. When you say, “I had a bad experience with her,” it means you encountered a situation or interaction with her that was unpleasant or negative. Experience can also be defined as the act to encounter or undergo something. For example, we can say that someone experienced a severe weather during his or her trip. 

Hence, when we talk about leadership experience(s), we are referring to all the events, occurrences, and encounters that people have with their leaders especially during the tenure of those leaders, whether pleasant and positive or unpleasant and negative. 

Every encounter that people have with you, will determine the kind of legacies and impressions you will leave with them. And if you are into business or a very public position, those encounters that people have with you will most likely determine how they will project you before the public. 

To leave lasting legacies in the hearts and minds of our people will demand that we provide them with great and exceptional experiences from our leadership journey. Because every experience, accumulates over time to determine the kind of legacies we will leave behind just as a continuous drop of water makes a mighty ocean, as they say. 

Everyday, people within and outside our entities will have an encounter with us. And all these encounters, will determine the kind of image and impressions about us that we will leave in their hearts and minds even long after we are no more. 

Sometimes, we may have left bad impressions in the hearts and minds of others. But one way to overcome that disadvantage is to start immediately to give all who will encounter you today and, in the future, a great experience so that a new narrative will be written about yourself and about your leadership. As all hope is not lost yet. 

Most often, when we take care of our character and attitudes, we are more likely to provide others with exceptional leadership experiences. On the other hand, when our character and attitudes are poor, we will most likely provide others with unpleasant experiences. 

We may want to leave lasting legacies behind. And one of the major ways to do that is by working on the leadership experiences that we provide to all who come into contact with us on a daily basis. 

No leader owns the people he or she leads but God. Hence, leadership is never a right but a privilege to serve others. 

When we see leadership as a right and that we own the people we lead, we will treat others wrongly. However, when we see leadership as a privilege given to us, we will genuinely serve the people we lead. 

Ownership in leadership most likely leads to the mindset of entitlement where a leader believes that he or she has the unquestionable rights to lead others, especially lead others as he or she wills. 

The truth about leadership is that there is always an element of accountability demanded from leaders. Leaders are accountable in how they lead others to themselves, their people or to higher human authorities then ultimately to God (even with self-leadership, we are still accountable to those closest to us and to God in how well we lead ourselves on a daily basis). 

When we are accountable to our people and to higher authorities, it means that the opportunity to lead others can be taken away from us when we fail to do the right thing. That, in itself, makes leadership a privilege and a responsibility bestowed upon each one of us. 

Hence today, I challenge you to lead your people well. I challenge you to be diligent in how you treat and lead others. I challenge you to also lead yourself well. Because truly, leadership is, and has always been, a privilege to serve others.

“The journey of a thousand mile begins with one step.”- Lao Tzu 

Great leaders learn from their past and experiences. They also focus on the present as well as plan and are strategic about the future. They are strategic in how they develop their people and also strategic in how they lead their respective entities in attaining their set vision and goals. 

Strategic leadership can be defined as the planning aspect in leading. Great leaders do not only plan their lives but also plan on how to attain the goals and vision they carry for themselves and those of the entities they are part of. 

Miguel de Cervantes asserts that, “The man who is prepared has his battle half fought.” Strategic leadership has several benefits to both the leaders on a personal level and to the entities they are part of on a wider level. However, we will explore a couple of them. 

When leaders become strategic in leading, it helps their people tackle complex issues in small manageable sizes. By being strategic about where the leaders want to take their respective entities to within a particular duration of time, the complex nature on how to attain the vision or goals set out are simply broken down in small manageable steps that are not only easy for the leaders and their people to take but also makes the journey worthwhile for the people. 

Another benefit of strategic leadership is that it provides a sense of direction for the leaders and their people. By being strategic in their leadership roles, a sense of direction is created within the entities that ultimately produce a sense of focus for the people within the entities the leaders are part of. And a sense of focus generated will likewise channel the energy of the people and team that make up the entities in the rightful direction. The leaders and their people will be able to direct their energy in the right path that do not only increase productivity but also help the entities to attain their set vision and goals in a strategic manner. 

In addition, strategic leadership facilitates in the right allocation of resources in the attainment of the worthwhile goals and vision of an entity. By being strategic in their leadership roles, a culture of careful utilization of resources for the attainment of the vision and goals of an entity is created. 

Another benefit of leading strategically is the fact that it prepares the leaders and their respective entities to tackle efficiently the unforeseen circumstances of tomorrow. Leaders who are strategic in leading others are better able to cope and manage the challenges and uncertainties of the future. This, most of the time, creates a feeling within the people that everything is under control in challenging times.

Being strategic in their leadership, great leaders are always able to find the most effective and efficient ways to attain their purpose, vision and goals at any set time. It also provides them with a lot of options to select from in order to make the best decision among the rest. By so doing, they are able to influence others through inspiration to join them towards the realization of their purpose, vision or goals. 

After they have learnt enough from their past and history as well as their current circumstances, individuals who lead effectively likewise plan and are strategic about their future.

"A disciplined leader without talent, who takes consistent steps, will always outlast a talented leader without discipline and consistency.”- Francis Abbah 

A lot of times, leaders and individuals have the tendency of exaggerating what they could do in the future while belittling the power and opportunities of the present moment. It is literally okay to be futuristic and focus ahead, and it is equally okay to focus on the present moment. 

Leadership in itself comes along with its own challenges and turmoil. And because we cannot literally change everything, then momentum has to be a tool that leaders can cling unto to help them solve most of the challenges faced by the entities they are part of. Momentum does not only help leaders solve the challenges they face but also help them move their respective entities smoothly to their desired destination, that is, their vision. 

Because of momentum’s simplistic yet powerful nature, any leader can deploy it to obtain the desired results they want. However, for that to take effect, the leader must come to a realization and acceptance of momentum being his/her best friend. Afterwards, the leader can do the things he/she needs to do in order to create momentum for the entities they are part of. Momentum can be generated in several ways by leaders. However, we will touch on a few of them. 

One of the ways to create momentum is to generate small wins. According to Karl Weick, a small win is “a concrete, complete, implemented outcome of moderate importance.” Small wins create the belief in people that they are capable of achieving more and discovering more. It forms the basis of consistency in the attainment of any worthwhile vision or goal the entities carry. There is an old adage that illustrates that “little drops of water make a mighty ocean.” Definitely, one drop of water does not make an ocean but an ocean comprises many drops of water that have accumulated over time. It is the same with leadership momentum/wins. The small wins generated over time become a mighty ocean of wins that will help an entity attain its respective goals and vision over a set period of time. Likewise, small wins help leaders and individuals to confront the issue one step at a time thereby, creating momentum. 

Secondly, to build momentum, leaders must create an atmosphere with the right attitude. It is said that “all the battles of life are in the mind.” And since attitudes and behaviours are the reflection of the minds of individuals, then leaders and the personnel within an entity must cultivate the right attitudes and mindset that will help them to not only overcome the challenges but also create small wins which compounds to a larger pool of wins. 

Thirdly, leaders and their personnel must be able to view challenges as an opportunity to learn because by viewing challenges as an opportunity to learn, leaders and their personnel will have the right attitude about their current circumstances, learn from them and will be able to take the necessary steps towards solving the challenges at stake. Likewise, by viewing challenges as an opportunity to learn, leaders and their personnel will be able to view their current circumstances as an opportunity for growth and development. 

Viewing challenges as an opportunity to learn and having a strategy for generating small wins will help leaders to break down complex problems or vision into small steps that consistent actions can be taken to help resolve or realize a challenge or a vision at any point in time. 

It is said that “most of the problems we face in life are wisdom problems”, hence, it becomes crucial that leaders and their personnel continue to learn and grow in order for them to obtain enough ideas so as to solve the challenges that come their way even as they do find a path/way towards the realization of the goals and vision of their entities, because one of the ways that momentum can be created within an entity is for the leaders and the individuals to continually learn and grow. By so doing, they will have many ideas and suggestions on how to resolve or attain a challenge or the goals that their entities carry. 

Likewise, momentum can be developed when leaders constantly remind their people of the vision or purpose of the entities they belong to. This helps their people to constantly remain focused and have something to work towards. In addition, it will not only generate focus but also enthusiasm that will subsequently spark action and commitment from their people. 

Momentum in itself can be developed in several ways. However, when leaders make it their best friend and closest tool, most of the challenges faced by their entities will be resolved even while their vision and goals are realized. 

We cannot always change everything, but with discipline, consistency and momentum, we can change enough of what needs our attention and focus.

“Great leaders do not only show the way but also model the way for others to follow.”-Francis Abbah

Great leaders live exemplary lives. They do not only show the way their people are to go but also model the way for others to follow. And they do that by walking their talk.

Great leaders live an exemplary life even before asking others to do or follow them in the path they show for their people to thread upon. They understand that the greatest of all motivation is by living their beliefs, values and convictions before the eyes of their people which ultimately inspires others to follow their exemplary life.

Leadership is a journey. And that journey requires the efforts and collaboration of others. However, people are less likely to willingly follow leaders if they perceive the leaders are not walking their talk and If they perceive that the leaders do not actually believe in what they tell their people to do or the path they direct their people to tread upon.

Because of their understanding of this principle, great leaders lead with not just their words but also with their actions which ultimately inspires others to willingly follow.

In the book American Scandal, the author narrates the story about Mahatma Gandhi’s trip to England to deliver a speech before parliament prior to the opposition of the British Government in providing India with the independence they craved for. Mahatma Gandhi provided a passionate and eloquent speech for two hours which resulted in a standing ovation from the people in parliament for the speech delivered by Gandhi.

Afterwards, a reporter approached Gandhi’s assistant, Mahadev Desai and asked him how Gandhi was able to provide such eloquent and passionate speech without notes.

“You don’t understand,” Desai responded. And he added, “You see, what he (Gandhi) thinks is what he feels. What he feels is what he says. What he says is what he does.” Then he concluded that, “What Gandhi feels, what he thinks, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.”

Exemplary leaders do not need notes to lead. Their thoughts, beliefs, convictions and actions match up together.

Great leaders lead exemplary lives. They are one with their thoughts, beliefs, convictions and actions. As a result, people know very well that they can trust the leaders because of their predictability in character and the stable and aligned nature of their words and actions.

For when leaders model the way, others willingly follow.

A choice can be defined as an option among many; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something from alternatives.  It is estimated that the average human being makes about ten thousand or more choices in a day- both consciously or unconsciously.  The choices we make more than anything else ultimately determines where we will be in the future. Whether in relation to our health, mind and body or to external parties like whom we choose to spend most of our time with, the conversations we hold, the type of materials we consciously or unconsciously expose ourselves to daily.

And based on the consequential nature of choices, it then becomes very critical for leaders to make the right choices for the benefit of the entities they lead and are part of.  When it comes to decision making and with choices, Leaders must always understand that the choices they make, do not only affect them on the individual level but goes on to affect the teams and groups they lead being it a smaller group, a larger group or to a much more larger group like a nation.  Hence, in making choices, Leaders must be prudent and very careful as the consequences of their choices do have a much wider impact.  

Leadership in itself comes with many demands to make several choices for the betterment of the lives of the people. Some of those choices are direct whereas the rest are indirect.  Direct choices can be defined as those choices whose effects can be totally minimized as they are in direct reach of the leaders hence easy amendments can be made on them. An example of a choice that is direct in nature is the type of people that a leader surrounds him or herself with. A leader can either choose to surround him/herself with people who think, act and have the same strength as the leader hence creating a one-sided type of leadership. Likewise, a leader can choose to instead surround him/herself with people who have different strength and giftedness from those of the leader and can complement the leader at any point in time.  An example of an indirect choice can be linked to a reduction in productivity by personnel of an entity as a result of a loss of a loved one. This becomes an indirect choice because the leader has no power to reduce the effect of the mishap through amendments or prevention of the cause. This is due to the fact that they are in reach to other people and not directly in reach to the leader.  

Due to the simple but complex nature of leadership, every leader will be required to make choices even if they are unsure of the effects of those choices at the time the decisions are being made.