NIGERIANS YEARN FOR LEADERS, NOT DEALERS.

Article contributed by: Femi Komolafe
Femi Komolafe is a Leadership Development Consultant, Conference Speaker, Author and Pastor

I heard a Governor say lately that whether he pays salary or not, whether a school is closed or opened, he still remains the constituted authority and I became angry. Why was I angry?

1. It is 100% against leadership principle. Such statement is anti-leadership.

2. It reveals the mentality of some or many of Nigerian Government officials.

3. Telling those who elected you into office that no matter what you do to them you are still the authority over them is a statement of a ruler/lord not a leader. I could not imagine how a leader will say that to the people he is leading. I felt a serious urge to write on this as a leadership specialist not only because of the statement but because of the leadership failure all over the nation.

My dear Mr Leader or Mrs Leader, being in a leadership position does not in anyway make you superior to the people you are leading, it only places you in front to care for them and it is a privilege. Don't you ever have a boss or lord mentality, it destroys any leader.

Secondly, immediately the welfare and the good of the people you are leading is no longer your number one priority, you are no more a LEADER you are now a DEALER. You are only in for what you can get, you have lost your 'Authority', what you have left is only the office.

Thirdly, true leaders don't demand respect, they command it. They command respect by influence, they command it by genuinely and sincerely loving the people they are leading. They command it by helping people to become their best.

Lastly, I think it's high time those who clearly understand what leadership is all about began to participate actively in politics and stop sitting on the fence watching the Dealers misleading this nation. Nigeria deserves a better governance than this.

I know it's biblical to pray for those in authority but I feel we need to do more than praying now because we cannot be praying for those who lack the knowledge of leadership to lead well. What a man does not know he does not know. You can only pray for the wisdom to correctly apply the knowledge you have not to gain knowledge. Knowledge can only be acquired by seeking it.

According to Abraham Lincoln, evil prevails when good men keep silent. We have to stand up and rescue our nation. And most importantly, let us lead well any where we are in any little position. We are LEADERS in Nigeria not DEALERS.

Nigeria will be great. You will be great! Shalom!

If you have news-worthy articles to contribute to this publication, kindly forward same to: popularvoices@gmail.com. 
Thank you.
The Publisher