Can Weak People Be Strong Leaders? By Simon Oates
Is a strong personality or physique necessary to be a strong leader? Can someone deficient in many typical leadership traits actually generate a strong following? Well let’s think about the different types of leaders that currently exist, and analyze their traits to see whether power, courage, strength and confidence is actually essential to being a successful leader. Military Leaders. I had to start with the most obvious - the military. With all personnel being required to pass an initial fitness test and a brutal training regime covering several months, it's plain to see that leaders in within the military system are made of strong stuff. Also noteworthy is the fact that senior military leaders have a wealth of internal experience within the military, which means that these leaders must have thrived within the very authoritarian military atmosphere. I think for this segment, we'll have to conclude that only strong reach the top. Political Leaders Let’s take a look at the absolutely essential things a politician needs to be: - Charismatic - Intelligent -
Resistant to criticism. I believe the latter characteristic of politicians is very often overlooked. While it's hard to draw parallels with the men and women that leader our countries, I want you to try to do so for a moment. Can you remember the last time that someone directly and harshly criticized your work? The last time that someone said something intentionally nasty or sinister to you? How did it make you feel? Well politicians live in an environment where such criticism and abuse is leveled at them on a daily basis. They take it so well that we often take for granted their extremely strong resistance to such hostility. And it's for this reason that the weak need not apply! Business Leaders When one thinks of 'leadership', it's likely that if they're not picturing a politician - they are imagining a business person. (Probably stood in a suit in front of their workforce to complete the imagery!). Do all successful business leaders have to be strong? Well let’s just define a successful leader. A successful business leader is one who exerts
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2015 23
