The Leader that I Admire Most
Richard Winters in an incredible leader. He is a character in the miniseries ‘Band of Brothers’ (Hanks 1992). When he and his men were sent out on a particularly dangerous mission behind enemy lines, Winters was at the front of the company. The front was the most dangerous position to be in. As the company leader he could have positioned another man at the front and put himself in a safer place, but he did not. I will never forget the impact this had on me. I was moved by this act of leadership.
The leader I write about is not a war hero, she is my church pastor. Her name is Jaya. She has two young children and still manages to run the church, she is always on time and well presented, (young children and on time alone are an oxymoron). When she prays it is like heaven opens and God fills the room. She also preaches and sings on the church stage. She is Christian to the point that her Christian-ness makes me envious (which is unchristian). So, what does she have in common with Richard Winters? Is being good at your job good leadership? Partly.
I have had moments where I did not like this woman. When I was about to marry someone I had just met, it was her who said it was too soon and refused to perform the service. I did not like this. I was infuriated, mostly because I knew she was right. It can be difficult to speak the truth to a friend, especially when it is obvious it will not be well received. A good leader is not someone who strokes the ego and tells people what they want to hear. That is self-preservation. A good leader will put themselves in the firing line and speak the truth even though they risk it backfiring on them. The heart behind this act reflects the heart behind Winters’. Although there was no risk of physical bullets there was a risk of harsh words. Harsh words always hurt. Jaya could see I was making a bad choice and put herself in harm’s way in an attempt protect me.
Jaya once spoke to me about being more involved in the church. This also infuriated me. I hid my fury beneath my church face, but inside I was screaming “I’m a single parent! I’ve told you this! I can’t do it!” And I politely declined. She then had a second baby, (running the church throughout the pregnancy). Post pregnancy she continued to do everything she had previously being doing with a baby. She continued to run the church and partake in it’s extra activities. Seeing that stripped me of my excuse and I got more involved in the church. Her leadership enabled me to stop making excuses and just do it, not just in church but in life. A good leader will not ask you to do something they would not be willing to do. Again, there reflects Winters. Having been at the front at a dangerous time, he could ask others to do it on future missions.
Working beneath Jaya is a team of leaders. Leaders whom she has invested in. Jaya will go where she is needed but she does not cling to the limelight. If a preacher is needed, she will preach, but she will look to find other people with a gift for speaking and encouraging them to preach. If a singer is needed on the stage she will sing, but she seeks out other people who can sing and pushes them to build their gift and get on the stage. Jaya invests in people; she challenges and builds them, helping them achieve things they would never have thought possible.
Going back to Winters leadership, he acted in a selfless way out of love for his men. Yes, a leader needs to be good at their job, but good leaders love the people that they lead. This enables them to act in the best interests of the people they are leading. A result of Winters leadership was reciprocal love from his men. If you want to measure a leader, test it by the trust and respect given back to the leader by the people who follow.
Works Cited
Band of Brothers (1992) Directed by Tom Hanks, Tony To. HBO.
Band of Brothers. Available at: https://www.google.com/search?q=band+of+brothers&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_h7bKrqXtAhUSilwKHcq-AtoQ_AUoAnoECA4QBA&biw=1526&bih=706#imgrc=lg1NZWyK5MFSIM (Visited 28/11/2020)
