Leadership is trait that not everyone exhibits, but those who do possess the natural talent of leadership go on to make a name for themselves in history. If we take a stroll through time, we’ll see the countless number of personalities whose names echo throughout the ages as the ones who set the path, who defied the odds and who established their ascendancy. I can fill pages upon pages talking about leadership in various contexts, but I would like to take this opportunity to focus on a particular leadership trait that I think I need to enhance, and elucidate on the benefits it would have on my life. Although leaders possess many impressive qualities ranging from persuasion to decision-making to effective communication, the characteristic which I would like to inculcate and refine within myself is being a visionary and strategist.
As I have already mentioned, leadership has many traits and characteristics, but the pinnacle is reached when a leader has the ability to guide his team with a clear and concise vision. Everything becomes secondary after that. Great establishments have always been successful for the very fact that their leadership was always vision-oriented. I have similar intentions for myself and my future. When things are at its bleakest, everyone turns to their leader to give them direction and motivation; in short a Vision. Being able to lead with a vision will give purpose to my goals and will also chalk out a path on which I can attain the objectives I have laid down for myself. But what exactly do I mean when I imply that I want to be a visionary and strategist?
It may sound very complex, but it’s actually fairly simple. If I am to be a leader of the future, I need to be able to identify how to achieve individual goals while keeping in mind a much more broad and holistic view. Having a vision is like having a very broad epitome of paradoxes which are displayed by leadership. In my particular case, I wish to nurture and cultivate a sense of responsibility with which I can excel towards a more progressive and successful life, both personally and professionally. However, if I were to put it down in a single sentence, I want to be a visionary because I have the will to lead people. I strongly believe that my style of thinking is somewhat different than others, as I prefer to take the initiative irrespective of what the calling is. I feel that having a drive to start something will never yield substantial and incremental results unless they are guided by a clear sense of direction and followed up by flawless execution. I have the will to make my presence known on a global scale, not limiting myself to just a particular region. After all, brilliance is meant to be shared with the whole world.
Without digressing from the topic at hand, I’d like to elaborate on the benefits on emerging as a strategist/visionary on my future career plans. Firstly it will stimulate my mind to focus on thinking outside the box. We must keep in mind that a leader is someone who can see what others fail to discern. Paradoxical thinking is the key to this. Intentional focus and instinctive response to stimuli are the key areas where I would like to focus on while developing this leadership trait within myself. Secondly, I want to be able to focus more on long term strategic goals rather than medium term and short term tactical goals. I want to be able to foresee the requirements of my unit well ahead of time so that when push comes to shove, I am not caught off guard. It has always been my prerogative to be well prepared so that nothing can perturb my focus and determination.
Moreover, having a vision doesn’t necessarily instill in me the ability to overcome all odds and come out on top. It merely provides me with a blueprint of how I want to proceed on the forefront. However, it does make things a lot simpler once you know where I want to be. All these things will have a tremendous and positive impact on my future career planning and development. I am confident when I say this because I strongly believe that having this leadership trait will not only personify me as a leader to my surroundings, but also signify that I have the aptitude lead. Furthermore, it will cement within my own conscience my establishment as a characterized leading figure.
However, all this talk with only get me so far. In order to proceed with my desire for success, I have pondered about how to maximize the gain from this course. I realize that if I want to be a visionary, I have to start from the very bottom and make my way up. That means that I have to first of all learn to lead myself. I have structured my career plans in such a way that I know precisely what I want and how I want to achieve it. Thus, I have my vision and strategy ready. I am on the verge of completing my academics with concentration in the field of my choice. This happens to coincide with the vocational role I have taken up, which is banking. However, this inner development is very preliminary. I plan to use this course to discover my key qualities so that I can nurture them while at the same time start on mounting my weak areas. Secondly, this course allows for vivid communication exposure and the chance to lead on a group basis. I plan to make the most of this opportunity and I will make my best efforts to excel in these areas.
Thirdly, I will focus on learning the theoretical aspects of the coursework and apply them to real life cases which befall professionals all the time. I have a certain level of exposure on banking, and I will apply my theory for on the job learning. This will enhance my ability to provide a vision for my team and myself in the workplace. It may not be appreciated by all, and it may not prove to be very fruitful in the start, but I have to believe that eventually it will pave way for my as a future potential leader in the organization. As I mentioned at the start, leadership is about having the insight to direct and inspire people. I plan to learn this during the course of this learning exercise. I have a tenacious conviction that if can succeed in leading my team in class; I can attain success in almost any situation.
However having said that, I am not blind to the fact that failure is also a part of life, and that most students are not taught or do not focus on this aspect of the trade. I will focus on learning how to cope with this part in case my vision does not settle well with the existing situation. I realize that while trying to attain success, we can sometimes be blinded to the fact that things may not go our way, and coping with such a scenario is something I am keen to learn during this course work. Remember, a leader is not just someone who shows people how to achieve goals; he is someone who instills in people the thought that nothing is irreparable.
In the end, I’d just like to quote from the book that “Leadership gives purpose and direction that inspires and motivates people to work toward a desired goal.” I want to be the individual who gives people that direction and hope. I want to be a leader.
