Leaders Dispense Leadership anywhere, anytime naturally, and 360o.
Two years ago, on a Sunday, after worship service, I drove straight to my office to do certain work, which is unusual with me. I was there after some time, I started hearing some noise outside. I came out. I saw people running helter as they say. I asked and I saw a fire outbreak burning down the building. Where my office is located has several storey buildings and fine bungalows. Very prominent is a 5-storey glass house that is a hospital conglomerate, yet to start but finished externally.
As the house was burning, flaming into others, it was a real helter-skelter rat- race, full of confusion and pandemonium. I saw people snapping the inferno. It surprised me that, that could be the most they could do. I asked, have the firefighters been called? It was like I was talking to myself as people were busy videoing with phones.
It pricked me of the stupidity. I returned to my office, and googled “fire stations in Port Harcourt”, 4 items crawled out. One is RS Fire Service PH, the next is BMH Fire Service, then UNIPORT Fire Service, and finally federal Fire Services, all with their phone numbers. I called the first, but I couldn’t remember if it got through and if it did, no one picked up. I called the next org, and someone picked up, I told him there was a fire inferno in my street, and it was gulping buildings, the worst of it is there is of bunkering depot or installation nearby, and 3 service stations, the entire roads mighty be gulped up. He promised he would reach out to others, but meanwhile, they have a little constraint. He called me back later that he had reached fed F/service, BM F/S and they are preparing now and that Rivers State Nigeria Fire Services station had an issue now. To cut a long story short / traffic jam; I was surprised, to hear that from F/S staff. I told him it was Sunday and you’re saying that. Later I was called for direction and before you know it 2 Fire Services stations were driving first to the scene.
There they strategized, broke every wall, connected one from the east and another from the west side, and quenched the fire. All the way the man at the station, I called first was talking to me and different Fire Services station people, and we achieved great success. The fire was quenched it was only me, the men at the Fire Service center I called, and the Fire Service station team that came that knew what transpired. Too many videos on Facebook and Instagram.
This brings me to the new wave of stupidity in the land. People will see an accident scene; they won’t rush for first aid to save lives but to snap. People will see epileptic patients, they will run for help, and you’ll start snapping. People will see someone drowning, they would jump in to salvage life, then start snapping.
Let’s leave out life-threatening cases. People will be in a collapsing organization, they close their mouths and will be posting jokes, and rubbish. People will be giving instructions, they will not listen to it, but they will be posting and reposting it. There’s and this is it, a generation that thrives in frivolity and makes wealth from frivolities.
A good business idea makes people spend time on frivolities. That’s why many tech businesses are doing great.
What are people supposed to do when faced with situations like the life-threatening or organization collapse?
Simple. Offer leadership. Dispense leadership. Leadership is giving direction. Leadership is determining an agenda, a future, and a destiny. The men/women whose houses were been burnt didn’t know the brain behind the stopping inferno, but God knows. The F/S people know. God rewards. I offered leadership. I wasn’t the man on top, neither on bottom, but a man in the system. Leadership can be offered from anywhere. There’s something called 3600 leadership. It is leadership from wherever (angle). The most important to do in an accident scene is to pull the victims out, offer first-aid, arrange for a vehicle for an onward hospital monument, accompany the person to the hospital, and ultimately hand him/her over to the hospital and patient people, and explain what happened. It is never snapping and videoing. That is the stupidity of the millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha.
What to do when in a meeting or association that is nose-dividing to perish is to speak out, and write out. If you are speaking out, you may get it recorded. If you’re writing, have it filed or stored so that tomorrow, it can be seen and referred to by naysayers. Leaders don’t close their mouths in a deteriorating environment for the sake of keeping their friends. This is dispensing leadership. Leaders don’t have friends; or can I say, leaders are not conscious of making/keeping friends, and leaders don’t even seek followers. Followers follow leaders. They follow leaders because of what the leaders carry. So, leaders in a dwindling association, group, workplace, church, ministry, union, club, or family, you belong to, SPEAK OUT.
How Can Leaders Dispense their 360o Roles 100%
Follow these paths:
- Leaders contribute their intelligence and intellect
- Leaders contribute their abilities, giftings, and talents
- Leaders contribute their skills, knowledge, and attitude
- Leaders contribute their money to UpToDate, and assets
- Leaders contribute their time and attention
- Leaders contribute their services and products
- Leaders contribute their goodwill and good image.
Leaders, please dispense 360o leadership anywhere, anytime.
Mike Ihezuo is a leadership authority. Reach him on Contact.