Let me tell you what a leader is. No. 1, not the boss!

I started this blog to help fellow young people to become great leaders. As a young person myself, I am still on the learning process, but here's what I know so far. A boss is not necessarily a leader. This post was inspired by a recent conversation I had with a close friend. Understanding the difference between leadership and mere authority, in my view, cuts through the very essence of what leadership is at its core. I have seen bosses and I have seen leaders. Like many things in life, the idea of leadership is a subjective one, it lies 'in the eyes of the beholder', you feel it when you experience it. You can automatically become the boss when you are given authority over a group of people. To become a leader is different, it requires you to go the extra mile.
You might know people from your past who may have had a lot of authority but inevitably failed because they became overly reliant on exerting authority rather than striving to be the leaders they were supposed to be. Even if you become a boss, you inevitably risk failure when you fail to lead.
In fact, you do not need to be a boss to become a leader or to start leading. Many of the people I admire are not even bosses! I want you to reflect on your close circles; there are often the bosses and there are the leaders. You see, you can easily become a boss if you can intimidate your colleagues, are willing to sing the praises of your bosses, if you fake it or are willing to walk over your fellow workers to put yourself in front. But this often doesn't last and builds a poor foundation as people sooner or later see through your fake facade.
In case you ask who a leader is, let me tell you what I think. The leader sees problems and challenges in their groups and takes responsibility to do what it takes and work with others to solve them. The leader is not motivated by making a name for him or herself. The leader helps the group hold each other to account. The leader can be honest with you without needlessly inflicting self doubt. The leader is courageous to say what needs to be said, even when this is difficult to do, it's called living your values. The leader strives to do what is right even when there is no one watching or clapping for them, I think it's called integrity. The leader helps others in their groups see the good in themselves, opportunities to grow personally and how valuable their contribution is to their team's success. The leader does not run away when things get difficult. The leader is introspective, he or she regularly steps back and checks their motivations and how his or her behaviour and character is affecting their team's success. The leader strives to make sure the face he or she portrays to the outside world is as close as possible to the person they are within themselves, it's called congruency.
As you can see my friends, being a boss is completely different from being a leader. If you are a boss, congratulations, you already have a great foundation to build on, use it. We all know just how much our country needs strong leaders. Many of you have experienced first hand the effects of poor leadership. We are young, we have a lot learn, let's learn to become strong leaders.
Try to be more of a leader, and one day you will be proud you did at this age.