Oluwagbenga Kolawole
DISCLAIMER: This write-up does not target any specific group of people. If after reading this you develop an ulcer of the brain or cancer of the mind, this writer will not be liable for any damages or trauma whatsoever.
The role of leadership in societal development cannot be overstated; it is almost divine. It is not about the title of the position or even the position itself; it's about the power and influence it has, and this influence cannot even be quantified—its ripple effects cut through space and time. It does not matter the position or the level of responsibility embedded in it; even the post that is regarded as the littlest of posts can make and mar destinies. So when you see a local government chairman puffing his chest or your course rep acting hostile towards you, just know they both have power. The local government chairman can seize your land, and the course rep can remove your name or your project from the list altogether. Believe me, it's been done.
The interesting fact about leadership positions is that while most people desire it, only a select few, the chosen ones, are born for it. Not everyone is suited for it. Leadership is meant for people with great capacity and capabilities, people who can fashion out great caps, people who can wear beautiful caps, and, in fact, people who can speak in all caps. Even if you think you deserve it, the cap fit no size you. This might seem a little confusing to you, and that further proves my point—the chosen ones already understand, bless their souls.
On another note, right from childhood, most of us have been led to believe that education is the key. Don't get me wrong; education is indeed very important. I mean, if you didn't get a good education, you probably wouldn't be reading this. But you, as a Nigerian, in all honesty, do you really believe that education is the key? In this world of wolves and donkeys, the Christians say prayer is the key, and I wholeheartedly agree with them because nothing normal ever happens in this country. When Distoskiski wrote Crime and Punishment, he was talking as if crime and punishment walked hand in hand. But what he doesn't even know is that, for the right people in the right climate, rules are made to be broken. It doesn't matter if it's constitutional law or the laws of physics; laws are just mere suggestions. As I said earlier, it doesn't have to make sense.
As I was saying, education might not be the whole key. At some point in the ages past, education might have been the main key, but even if it still is, the key is being taken away. I mean, look around you. How much have you sacrificed trying to acquire this key? While you still have the strength to try and reach for it, others have fallen off. Does that mean they are doomed? I wouldn't know, as I am not all-knowing. For those people around you who have been unable to bear the costs, think of the financial, political, and emotional constraints they will have to shoulder. At the end of the day, even the mind that knows might still not be free.
But in order not to sound impudent, let's examine the issues on the basis of their credibility. If you study political science, that doesn't mean you will be a good politician. I mean, some of you studied psychology, and you still can’t read your babe's mind. Some are studying nutrition and dietetics, and hunger they wire them. And let's not begin to talk about the fact that we live in an environment where the definition of acceptable is pushed, both positively and negatively. Imagine this: if cooking doesn't make you a chef, and teaching doesn't make you a teacher, and preaching doesn't make you a preacher, how will reading or observing guarantee your dexterity or skilfulness in leadership? In simple terms, you don’t understand math by reading math (unless you want to be deceiving yourself); you understand math by solving math problems.
Be that as it may, just like that Queen in the popular G.R.R Martin franchise, Game of Thrones said, power is power. It might sound paradoxical, but it is actually very true. Reading alone will not make you a leader, just as reading up alone might not make you fully understand some concepts, the practical application matters. So If you want to be a leader, at least lead. See if others follow you.
