LEADERS  who will not recruit green horns based on party allegiance or family ties. Leaders who will inspire their professional cabinet and co-workers into higher levels of teamwork motivation to achieve realistic targets.

Leadership is organising a group of people to achieve a common goal. In a more simple form as stated by Alan Keith: “Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen”. Leaders are people who have a clear idea of what they want to achieve and why.

They are set out to influence the actions, beliefs and feelings of others in positive ways and to the advantage of the community or society. Leadership involves identifying potential problems and solving them before they reach crisis proportions. Good leaders analyze, plan and adapt their plans to new circumstances and opportunities. Great leaders are known by their beliefs and characters, jobs, tasks and human nature.

They are also known by their implementing, motivating and providing direction to achieve a desired goal. Leaders should be consistent in principles or values as it helps them attain their vision. Humility is another vital attribute of a good leader.

This helps in learning from mistakes, getting feedbacks as they are able to listen to comments, suggestions and identify problem areas. Leaders do not just solve problems brought to them, they analyse situations, recognise potential problems and deal with them before they become more problems.

Dr. Warren Bennis defined leaders as “… people, who are able to express themselves fully. They also know what they want, why they want it, and how to communicate what they want to others, in order to gain their co-operation and support….they know how to achieve their goals”.

Dr. Bennis also explained the great differences between “managers” and “leaders”. According to him in his work  titled, On Becoming a Leader he stated that: “Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing”.

The basic principles of good leaders are that they know their limit and seek self-improvement, be technically proficient, seek responsibility and take responsibility for their actions, make sound and timely decisions and set good examples. Leaders ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.

They will never embark on white elephant projects that will never end. Good leaders are usually concerned about the task to be done and the people to do it. On the issue of task which is clearly spelled out, they emphasize on the achievement of concrete objectives by looking for high levels of productivity, and ways to organise people and activities in order to meet those objectives.

On the issue of co-workers, leaders take great concern on their needs, interests, problems,development and motivate them to win and achieve their particular goal as a team.

Democracy, according to Diane Ravitch, “…is a process, a way of living and working together. It is evolutionary, not static. It requires cooperation, compromise, and tolerance among all citizens. Making it work is hard, not easy.

Freedom means responsibility. Not freedom from responsibility”. Every citizen has to be engaged and to be involved in fulfilling this responsibility in pursuit of community goals. The Nigerians positive response to the last voters registration exercice indicate that all citizens must be active, not passive to choose responsible leaders as the success or failure of the government is now their responsibility.

Full participation of all Nigerians in the next general elections will determine their future. Voting for dynamic and responsible leaders will produce great societies and successful citizens. If you are chosen to lead in the next general elections, that means you have to act and play your part well as perfectly as possible.

True leaders make promises and keep those promises.

Nigeria has all the potentials to be a great country, if not the greatest in the world. A great country where the nation does not take from the poor and give to the rich. A great country where the nation takes care of its poor, its sick and the under-priviledged. A country is great when it gives priority to the education of every child. The government that will identify itself with hope for the future.

The government of a great country recognises the principle that the public must be protected and served by delivery of essential services such as social security and health insurance. A country is great not only by its name, population or geographical landmass, but by the competent management of a nation’s resources and rendering good services that spur its citizens to meet their obligations and responsibilities. A corrupt country can never be great.

Mr. ADEWALE AKANDE, an author, writes from Spain.