The world today is telling us, crying out, sacrificing family & friends and living leadership in so many ways. The word leadership is being used in specific aspects such as capability, achievement, vision, responsibility, participation etc. Leadership is also being associated with many other broad areas of work and life Eg. Success, vision, direction, action, motivation, etc. When you really think about it leadership has a changing face some what like a virus.

If you are asked what would you like to be, a Leader or Follower? Most of us will choose leader right away. Why? Because we have seen heroes achieve great things, power having its will, success bringing goodies and so on. How ever leadership in real life may not be as colorful as expected to some. The earlier in life we realize this, the better equipped we will be to reach our truly desired goals.

Put in another way would you like to earn 100,000 per month as bank interest and do what you want when you want, or earn 100,000 per month by managing resources, solving problems, taking risk, continuously raising standards, doing things on the gray line etc. The choice you make here tells some thing about what you really value. One must remember that one can lead a very comfortable, secure, enjoyable and healthy life with intelligent investment and moderation. It is for those who have a continues thirst to seek faster, better and higher levels of every thing, and for those who believe that the sweetest flowers are found on the far side of the cliff, that the route of leadership really fits in. Leadership is a natural thing, simply look around and you will see.

The planets go round the Sun, children look up to their parents, birds fly in formation, ants build homes together, wolfs hunt in packs, Chimps use tools etc. All of these demonstrate to us that leadership is around us in more than one way.

Even if you look at our ancestors or our own selves we see leadership as some thing close to us. It is seen in the history of hunting, in food security, in raising families, in tribal activity, in the era of slaves and masters, in the industrial society, in the world wars, in the world sports events, in the technology & space age accomplishments, in the information & knowledge edge and so on.

Today the aspect of leadership is clearly visible and is demonstrated in areas such as politics, governance, business, conquest, challenge and more. How ever it must not be forgotten that leadership is also present in more softer and subtle forms.

For example a child may save a drowning ant, A scientist may prove the existence of life else where in the universe, A messenger of truth may walk the earth, An artist may create a master piece, Parents provide roots & wings to children etc. they all demonstrate the different faces of leadership in the living world.

There have also been many people and forces that have shaped our destiny. Some of them are Julius Caesar, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Bill Gates, Neil Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Osama Bin-Laden, King Dharmasoka, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, and of course Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad, Lord Siva, Sai Baba, the Universal intelligence, the Absolute nothing and who knows so many silent and unknown beings through out time.
If you simply observe all of these persons you will see a few things for sure.

They have all done some thing significant. (Whether Good or Bad is a different question) So we may take it that real solid action on the ground is needed for good leadership. n They have all touched us in one way or another. That means they have done some thing that means much to society (Gain or Loss). The impact of their actions is more for others than for them selves. So they must be generous in some way or another (To a cause or to a whole)

They have all transmitted meaning in a significant way. This means a leader must have a story that people believe. Therefore it is important for a leader to be in harmony with the truth, either in an absolute sense or as the reality people understand.

They all seem so sure that they will get to their destination. They feel that they are almost there all the time. Hence it is important to see, touch and feel the horizon all the time

They all seem to love what they are doing. So going for miles on a focused path is no problem at all. Overcoming the setbacks and dangers of the journey are a joy.

They did not know every thing at the beginning. But they started. They asked others, made changes, convinced people, managed with what they had, searched and found so much that at the end they knew the nuts & bolts of every thing necessary.

The world today is desperately in need for wholesome leaders. Why? Because the whole of humanity and the living planet are at stake. Environmental and energy management, Socio-economic & business factors, Consumption patterns & greed, Wisdom and foresight, Technology & innovation, Respect for diversity etc. are a few areas in which good leadership can make the difference needed.

The opportunity for leadership is clearly visible in the multitude of faces it presents. The decision to make a difference is purely ours because we are all leaders in one way or another.