Rotaract President Sean Morgan, son of PP Paul Morgan is our first Leader Guest

PRESENTATION TO ROTARY CLUB OF KINGSTON
THURSDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2013

SEAN MORGAN

PRESIDENT, ROTARACT CLUB OF KINGSTON

WHO IS A LEADER? WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

President Allison, Rotarians, fellow Rotaractors,
Interactors, guests…

 

Good afternoon.

First, I would like to congratulate and commend
the Rotary Club of Kingston for having initiated
the ‘Lunch with a Leader’ series and for inviting
Rotaractors like myself and Interactors to
participate in the programme. And while our
participation does allow a brief respite from work
or school, for us, the greater benefit is that it
provides the opportunity to meet and interact
with some of the best minds in corporate Jamaica.

Jamaica.

 

Secondly, I would like to thank PP Effiom for
inviting me to share my thoughts on leadership.
[ And I hope that at the end of my brief
presentation, you too will thank (not berate) him

for having invited me].

 

While pursuing management courses at university,
I came across several definitions of leadership as
well as lists of what makes a leader and the traits
that set them apart from others. Having spent the
last five years in the world of work, I have formed
my own definition. For me, a leader is a person
who has a vision, the drive and commitment to
achieve that vision and the skills to make it
happen; it is the process by which that person
influences a group of individuals to achieve a
common goal, that shared vision.

And how does one go about that?

 

1. Have a Vision/ Challenge the process
This is what I call the ‘big picture’. A leader
has a vision - a clear target in mind; whether
it is a problem that needs to be fixed –
perhaps to develop a product that will solve
the problem or a goal that needs to be
achieved, perhaps to start a company that can
achieve the dream. It may be something that
no one else sees or simply something that no
one else wants to tackle. Whatever it is, it is
the focus of the leader's attention and they

attack it with a single-minded determination.

 

2. The drive to see it through

 

Ideas have more reality than things, so it is
not enough to just have a vision . Many
people see things that need to be done or
should be fixed or can identify that step
forward that could be taken. But what makes
leaders different is that they act; they take the
steps to achieve their vision. Despite the
obstacles or people saying it can’t be done or
voicing other excuses, the leader perseveres

and moves forward.

 

3. Inspire a shared vision

 

Share the vision with those you want to help
achieve the goal and also the plan to
achieve these goals. Don’t get too bogged
down in details - that's what the managers
are for - but rather use a high level plan to
keep everyone moving together toward the
goal. But a leader must have integrity. People
have to believe that you are pursuing your
dream because it's the right thing to do, not
just because you are ego driven.

4. Enable others to act

 Give workers/followers tools and methods to

act. Understand the differences that make
people unique and use those individual skills
to achieve the goal. But constantly asses and
review performance. motivate everyone to
contribute. Each of us has different
"buttons" ;a leader must know how to push
the right buttons on everyone to make them
really want to do their best to achieve their
goal. Leadership is more than being in
"command" of a group and issuing directions;
it is about providing guidance in a way such
that each person being led can develop their

own path.

 

5. Show the way

 

When things get tough, get your hands dirty. A
‘boss’ tells others what to do;
a leader shows that it can be done.

6. Encourage the heart

 

Be positive. A leader encourages and rewards
people and makes them want to do it and do
it right. A leader is not a negative person and
doesn't waste time and effort telling everyone
what they're doing wrong. Share the glory with
your followers' hearts, while keeping the pains

within your own.

 

So, from what I have shared, you can see
that I agree with Max DePree who said, “The
first responsibility of a leader is to define
reality. The last is to say thank you. In
between, the leader is a servant”.
And as ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu
said:
“To lead people, walk beside them ...
As for the best leaders, the people do not notice
their existence…
When the best leader's work is done, his aim
fulfilled, the people say,
We did it ourselves!”
Or, as Jack Welch, former CEO of General
Electric put it, “Before you are a leader, success
is all about growing yourself. When you become a
leader, success is all about growing others”.