Good leader vs Great leader

“ I can’t”

“I am afraid”

These words were always haunted me, made me whining everytime problem came and feared to try something new. Once I got many inspiring books, written by Andrea Hirata. I really fell in love with them. Since then I wanted to inspire others like him, I wanted my message heard like a leader. 

 “What makes a leader?”

At first, I always thought that a leader is someone who can do everything on his own and also takes the control very much. I was applying this image in a variety of leadership experiences I held and some of them gave good results. Once I got the mandate to become a facilitator in a regional committee and this put me to lead a team that consisted of the professionals who worked in this committee as volunteers. I reapplied the image of the leader as someone who knows everything to them, and the result was too bad. I was being ignored all the time. At that time, I realized that there was something I needed to change. I took initiative to consult with my former facilitator (Mr. Patrick Compau) in XL Future Leader Program. After consulting with him, I was enlighted and applied what I got into my new leadership style by combining it first with my own unique personality. The result was unbelieveable. I got whole intentions from my volunteers. I tried to be more listening than talking, I also tried to be more directive or giving bait when they stuck with the ideas than taking the initiative first. This method was successful. The volunteer who considered me as the stranger at first, now loved me and gave respect to me as well. They did not reject my ideas but instead combined them with theirs into something bigger. In the end, I understand what the leadership is and am able to answer my question above.

“What makes a leader?”

Everyone can lead and this is what defines that everyone can be a “good leader” for themselves, but why there are some people who have greater influence on society than others even though they come from an “average” family?

The answer is inspiration. These people have ability to inspire others, to make people follow what they believe and this is what makes a person is not just a “good leader” but also a “great leader”. I used method of thinking “Start with Why, How and What” from Simon Sinek’s book based on my facilitator’s recommendation when I became facilitator for a group of volunteers after I got many rejections from them. When the "day" held, I could work very well with my volunteer. Everyone was excited, inspired and happy. Our program succeed and was memorable for us. This is one of my leadership experience that I can not forget. I want to share it with others to inspire them for the better of Indonesia.