Your Leader is You.
By Donna T. Darantinao
HAPI Scholar
Often, we are told that choosing the people to govern your country is not on par with the connections you have already established for years now. “Why should your choice of leaders affect your relationships when they do not even directly affect your life?” they say.
In fact, most of us should know that our choice of leaders does matter. It affects our relationships and they reflect who we are as people. If your chosen leader is righteous and just, then it goes to show that in the many tiny moments of your life, you have always been firm about what is right and just – not only for you but for the people around you. You respect the fact that we all have our differences but you draw the line at injustice.
And beyond just yourself, these leaders whom we elect directly affect everyone they govern. You might think that your leaders do not affect you, but they do – from the way you perceive things to the very decisions you make every day. How is it that some people decide to rely on themselves more instead of laying half their trust in their leaders? The answer is that we have come to a point where trusting other people to lead for us is a dead end.
Other contradictions begin to seep in. People decide to place a person in power to govern for them so why must they rely fully on themselves instead? It is true that it is important to still have your own back during worst-case scenarios but to be able to place leaders that can help us with our burden and to further cultivate our potential, now wouldn’t that be a treat?
Choosing good leaders is critical as they incite inspiration and encourage us to work even better for ourselves and for others. As per Richard Hogg of Jackson Hogg Recruitment,
“One person does not, in most circumstances, define a company, but a leader has an effect – positive or negative – on those beneath them and that is why they are so vital to a business. Get it right and you are off to a great start, get it wrong at your peril.”
Once you choose a good leader, however, you should be careful not to come to a point of sheer fanaticism that you fail to recognize their incompetence and continuously tolerate their mistakes. Good leaders like to be called out and criticized. If they do not, are you prepared for perilous consequences?
