Pursue Your Dreams

Dreams virtually come at some point in time within our lives. When I mean dreams I am not literally talking of the succession of images, emotions, thoughts and feelings you experience while at a certain stage of your sleep. I am practically talking about the desire to attain your goals, were-by you want to achieve something in your life at some point in the future. You should have the desire to achieve something great, for I believe nobody realistically would   really set to achieve an undesirable dream. Almost everybody has a dream to be somebody of great importance in the world and everyone can achieve that dream.

One university lecturer once said ‘a person without a dream is just as useless as a glass hammer’. Meaning if you do not have the dream to achieve something in your life, you are second to nothing.

Have a dream and put yourself through it. Some people set a certain length of period by which they want to have achieved something and that is very good .When you dream please make sure you dream big, aim to reach as high as the stars so that if you don’t manage to get there, you fall on the clouds. When pursuing a dream; never have an element in your mind that you are going to fail. Failure should never be an option. Nonetheless do not just say I aspire to achieve a particular dream and then sit back and do nothing about it. Put action into your words and work towards accomplishing the dream. 

                          

 The problem with most people is that, they have lots of dreams but they have done nothing much to achieve even one of them. This is because they lack determination. Not all people fail because they lack determination, but some fail because they have no guidance and the knowledge to implement the dream. Doctor Seuss who was an American writer once said “the more that you read, the more things you will know and the more places you will go’’. So it is important to know why and what you need to do to achieve your dream.

To achieve anything in life you must first of all believe in yourself, that’s how most people become successful. There are certain aspects which you need to have to achieve your dreams. Be disciplined, have self-esteem and the determination to attain great things and surround your-self with people who do likewise. Such circumstances help you acquire your dreams and so that you become successful in life. Martin Luther King who was the leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, had a dream. That dream became true many years after he had died. In his life time he set the seed of what has come to be known as the American dream. He put his power and belief in so many people so that they could also believe in themselves.

Faith is another characteristic you must have when you want to achieve your dream. Pray to God and ask for guidance. It works, you might never know what you are doing and actually end up in a predicament you totally don’t understand while trying  to attain a goal. In trying to achieve your dream, you can also be misled by other people and you end with nothing. Losing something you really have passion and worked for can be devastating. So be careful; pursue your dreams but with guidance, discipline and the knowledge to complete your dreams. The sky is no longer the limit because there are footprints on the moon. Reach as high as you can dream big. Even if your peers say you are over ambitious, ignore them. The world is yours.

Exceptional Leadership

First of all how can we define a leader? Can we say that it is a person who is selected by people to lead a certain group, or can we say it is merely a special somebody who is naturally born a leader. Similar to the assertion by Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, who said that he was selected by God the day he was born; to lead his country someday. He is and has been ruling Zimbabwe for more than 30 years now. The key question is, is a leader born or is made?

 A leader can be anyone from any race, society, sex or culture. But there are many types of leaders and  all fall either into the good or bad categories  In psychological terms, a leader is someone who has social or political influence in which; he/she can enlist the support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Daniel Goleman an American psychologist, science journalist and author once stated that “effective leaders are distinguished by a high degree of emotional intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill”. This is very true but not all leaders in the world have these qualities and it is quite rare to find one leader with all of them. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of the people around you. 

 

Some say being a leader is one of the most difficult roles. On the other hand it can be one of the easiest tasks depending on your capabilities. Anyone can be a leader but not everyone can be an exceptional one. There are certain skills one has to acquire to be an extraordinary leader. You must have good attitude towards your colleagues and/or workers. Imagine yourself being part of an organization or group. How do you prefer your leader to talk to you? Do you prefer him or her to talk to you in a sympathetic and respectable way or you are happy when he is   harsh towards you. The answer is you prefer him or her being sympathetic and respectful. That is basically the same way you should address your workers or team.

Communicate often with your colleagues, take time to listen carefully and understand their needs and ideas. At the same time talk to them clearly in a way they understand and be concerned about their families are or their personal being. When you brainstorm for ideas, consult those you lead and try to reach a conclusion together but remembering that there are times when you make the final decision. Appreciate what they do and give praise when they have worked hard. Be truthful if they have made mistakes.

One important leadership skill is to lead by example in all the things you do. Practice what you preach. Do not expect people to work hard when you do not even contribute much to the group effort or team. Be influential, lead by example and demonstrate how things are done.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Stick to your word and be realistic. Have a good strategic plan. Although most leaders are expected to be strategists, most leaders lack skills in strategic planning. Without skills in strategic planning few leaders will not succeed. A good leader must be willing to learn new things from other people. A learning mind will not miss an opportunity to increase knowledge, gain experience and new skills to teach others. For a leader to import knowledge he or she has to acquire the knowledge first.

A good should not be too cozy with those he supposed to lead. Being too cozy and close should not be confused with being too interactive and consultative, two things which are essential in progressive leadership. 

Also a good leader should not be afraid to make decisions him or her believes in.  The first female and longest serving British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, stated ‘’if you take big decisions, people will hate you that moment but will thank you for generations and generations’’. You have to make tough decisions at times as long as the outcome is beneficial to the cause.

My thoughts are; leaders are not born but are made. Do not just lead, but also strive for excellence.