The Audacity of Leadership

Essential Number 5: Master Selflessness

One essential characteristic that separates transformative leaders from ordinary leaders is their willingness to make the leadership about others, rather than themselves. The ability to selflessly lead an organization, business, or group is an important tool in becoming a transformative leader. Selflessness is a choice. Numerous leaders in the twentieth century lacked the ability or desire to be selfless. Men and women have risen to important leadership positions only to use the position for personal gain and personal enhancement. Their leadership was characterized by selfishness and the grandeur of their own success. Consequently, their twentieth-century leadership style had a negative impact on communities, organizations, employees, and their constituents. This happened because there are stages in the leadership development process when a leader has to choose between personal success and the success of the organization. Many times, ordinary leaders choose themselves over the organization. This breeds distrust and limits the success of the people who follow you. This also reinforces the poor image that leaders have in our society. No one likes to be led by a leader who puts personal advancement ahead of our common good.

In order to be a transformative leader in the twenty-first century, one who would restore the proper image of selfless leadership, you must understand that your leadership is about serving others. It's about using your leadership to put others in a better position. Service should be the first and foremost commitment of any leader who hopes to be a transformative force in the twenty-first century. They must have a strong sense of selflessness and care for the value of humanity. They must be willing to serve with humility.

Leaders need to be committed to making the world a better place. The most transformational leaders who have changed continents, countries, and even cultures have all have been willing to serve the people. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were transformative because they were willing to serve others. They made sure that the people they reached understood that the mission was not about themselves, but that it was about the people they served. They sought to lead selflessly, and in doing so, they managed to successfully accomplish their mission because they had the support of the people.

In the same vein, anyone who seeks to lead must first understand that service is a prerequisite of leadership. You must be willing to roll up your sleeves and put your hands to the plow. You must be willing to stand side by side with the people you desire to lead so that you can see the world through their eyes—from their perspective. Once you have taken the time to toil alongside them, you will eventually gain their support because they will recognize that you genuinely care about their well-being. Serving those you lead will also cause you to gain a better understanding of how you can improve their lives; then together, you both can work toward securing better lifestyles for all.