Characteristics of long term leadership

Prof Dr MK Koshilning Maring *

This article is not an attempt to slur anyone's leadership but has poured out my own limited knowledge as suggestion for lifting up Manipur people relationship without distinguishing the tribe, caste, colour and religion. Personally I came across more positive and negative leaderships in India.

I have deep concern to the people of Manipur for better relationship. To have proper relationship within the Manipur communities (Nagas, Kukis, Meeteis and Muslims), Manipur leaders from various communities need to understand the following points.

1. Who is a Leader and its Leadership? A leader is a person who is elected by consent group of people, has the ability to teach, guide and influence others in every act. Leader is not a boss but a servant of public. The function of a leader is called leadership. Leader without leadership is not a leader and servant but a boss. His leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act as a good leader in the future and leading the public with internal excitement.

2. Leader need an intimate relationship with God: the first and most important thing for a leader is an intimate relationship with God. Being a public leader or religious leader without God's grace and His relationship would not be able to serve as good leader and long term leadership. God is the way, the truth, the success and the life. Leadership without God would be like a bamboo who thought of to reach the sky (shows pride).

3. Qualifications of a leader: to work as excellent leader, reputed leader and understanding leader certain qualifications are needed. The qualifications are: God fearing, humbleness, no money minded, mentally qualified, secular education, good relationship with others, making future leaders without partiality, excellent leadership skills etc.

4. Leader is a Servant: many leaders believed that leader is a boss. It is strongly condemnable. People chose him to serve as servant or to look after the needs (political, economical and sometime religiosity) of the communities. He should posses humbleness because humbleness possesses an attitude of a servant heart. Pride is destruction (demerit, negative) and humbleness is construction (merit, positive) of a leader.

5. Leader is risk taker: some leaders abscond from problem solving. They scared to solve the problems but wanted to be a reputed leader. A good leader is risk taker. Whatever problems have arisen willing to face by reasoning and solve the problem positively. There wouldn't be any future leadership for a person who escapes from minor and major problems. Leader should sacrifice his life at the time of joy, happiness, suffering and trials.

6. Leader is knowledge seeker and listener: some leaders think that they know everything or many things, which is known as ridiculous mind. No one is perfect in knowledge and action. Though he knows many thing need to seek more knowledge because of knowledge is endless till we die. And some leaders are not listening to others at the time of giving suggestions and comments which need to be improved. Every leader need to improve knowledge, action and in many ways.

7. Leader is creative thinker and skiller: leader's leadership is not an easy task. He needs creative thinking in order to avoid negative consequences but to bring positive reaction. Wisdom as creative thinking is important that is leading unto a major administrative skill. Being a leader lack of skill is not the strong foundation of his leadership administration. He should know what to do, how to do and when to do. So, leader must be critical logician.

8. Leader is committed to make followers: attractive leader is committed to make more followers as his future successors for guiding the people in the right track. Some leaders are unwilling to train the people which mean having selfish motive thinking himself alone not for others. He forgot his position that how did he become a leader. Training and making followers should not have partiality. Partiality is one of the worse attitudes of human being.

9. Leader is a peace-maker: peacemaking is one of the most important parts of a leader. At the time of conflicts, sorrows and suffering, he must be the peace-maker, relationship builder, comforter and redeemer as well. Some leaders are war maker instead of peace maker due to heart of jealousy, pride and unable to distinguish what is right and wrong. For instance, leader who is trying to capture somebody's properties like land, money and domestic animals etc. is known as war maker. Nevertheless in this conflict century we need peace maker leader not war maker leader for our peace and tranquillity in our state.

10. Leader is an ethical person: loosing ethical standard in the lives of a leader is losing his personal character. Whenever the issues have risen, he should know how to distinguish the right and wrong. His leadership has ethical value. Showing a good ethical standard in his leadership is appreciable. Leader's ethical life is an act of manner.

As a leader showing his pride is living without ethic or manner of human standard. These are some characteristics of long term leadership for Manipur leaders for proper function in any leadership field. Due to lack of these characteristics many leaders might have fallen from their respective administration. But gaining the good characters/principles is the way to leadership improvement.