Leadership can be learnt. It takes our willingness to extract lessons from our experiences and alchemise them into golden opportunities to lead.
Along the way, the consequences which meet with our actions serve as educational facilities that empower us with the tools we require to construct a meaningful future.
The Effortless Leader, a book by Pamela Abonyo, benefits the reader with the author’s journey towards making a difference in her life and in the lives of those around her.
In nine chapters, she unveils a number of messages which are sure to change your life. Not because they have to, but because they happen to.
To share this message, she breaks down types of leadership as a means to tapping into the kind of leader you can be.
Each chapter may be evaluated by the reader and leader alike by ‘reflection questions’ which help the two become one.
The Vision Bearer
In a country in which “do as I say, not as I do” is the unspoken mantra of leaders, this chapter is refreshing as it tasks the leader to mirror the led with the efforts and sacrifices necessary to make a difference.
There are types of vision. Here, we are talking about personal vision which entails a leader identifying their personal development needs and addressing them by taking action. This brand of leadership recognizes the uniqueness of each person’s vision and how it is completed in line with one’s leadership goals.
In chapter three, the heart of a leader is examined as to how it beats with empathy, compassion, courage and wisdom. The heart, after all, is quite smart. This is especially so when it instills passion, dedication and long-lasting change.
Leadership is an inside job
“To lead others, one must first know who they truly are,” writes Abonyo. After which, she goes on to explicate how there are as many types of leadership styles as they are individuals.
There is the visionary leadership style, which points to how the leader views the future at an aesthetic level. And how the leader’s enthusiasm turns what they envision into reality.
Then there is the Shepherd leadership style where the leaders serve as “shepherds [treating] their followers with compassion and are skilled at developing both their own spirituality and the growth and morale of the flock.”
Then there are the entrepreneurial and directional leadership styles which speak experiential learning and purpose.
The strategic leadership style is where many Ugandans will probably think they fall. Since they like to take an exciting vision and infuse it with flesh and blood realism. And there is managerial leadership style which thrives on structure to drive tasks and achievements.
Chapter Five tackles the joy of empowerment.
Title: The Effortless Leader: Tap Into Your Leadership Potential
Author: Pamela Abonyo
Price: Shs20,000
Available: Akili Afrka Gallery
Pages: 97
Published: 2023
