12 point checklist: Are you ready to lead?

It's not a good situation where you have n't got chance to do much as the leader of a community or an association, and your tenure coming to an end.

I was in that position, I had learnt a few lessons and felt like sharing the same may benefit many. Armed with these, any one can serve better & be a better individual.

Before taking any responsible leadership position :

1. You must ensure you already are well off in your current business/job: if your business is in red, or if you job is stinking, you will n't be in a position to be active in the group, not to talk about the leading part.
2. Think ahead about how much time you can spare per day/week for the community : and discuss this with someone whoever already was in the that position.
3. Ensure you have at least a few people from that community, with whom you can feel free to share your weaknesses, apart from being able to have a lot of fun comfortably.
4. Promise only a little, deliver much more than you promise.
5. Along with time, you must budget some money for some expenses as you go along. Whether you make a ROI or not, it depends on you, but you must be willing to spend some.
6. Be ready to do what is right, for right things you can always get support. But don't expect a pat on your back, even when you really think you deserve.
7. Communication is the most important, and go extra-mile in communicating. Your team has to know what you are up to, and what your intentions are.
8. Don't expect you have to do all by yourself, nor you can. Most of your team is willing to help you by volunteering to contribute significantly.
9. As leader, you are supposed to set a direction, and involve enough of the team from the initial stage, so that they can feel & take ownership of the cause.
10. Your team will have good deal of expectation about you, you must target to improve the existing standards.
11. Enthusiasm is contagious, for the team to be enthusiastic, leader must be very enthusiastic, and also must be able to poke fun at himself at times.
12. Lastly, but most importantly have just one or two objectives, that must be met at any cost, ensure that they are done, by end of your tenure.

Please share anything else that deserves to be in this list !

It's like going to toilet!

Ever since I have been thinking of blogging frequently, I've been being bombarded with so many ideas. At times I feel like I can give an unique angle to the so far discussed ideas, and at the other times, feel like I 'm no one to say anything, or perhaps I know not much or nothing. Perhaps this happens with everyone in the initial stage of blogging.

Sometimes I am feeling like I'm going to blog for myself and it may be the least useful to anyone. I just don't know. Since adolescent age, may be due to effect of 'being politically correct' education I never expressed myself strongly on anything, nor have a very strong viewpoint on anything. It's intended to give the least resistance to anyone I interact with, but I found out, in the process I don't know what I strongly feel about.

Perhaps one should start monitoring & respect his or her own feelings and nurture the deserved ones, by responding to them appropriately. That gives an identity, and individuality, and that makes you stand out for what you are. And it's very much necessary for someone who wants to be heard!

Like a muscle improves on constant usage/exercise, one must take cognizance of ones feelings, and weigh-out with logic and must respond appropriately. Over a period of time, right feelings will have a chance to grow, while other things get suppressed.

Someone rightly said 'It is like going to toilet'.

• One should go when one feels like, if you ignore that it won't be good for you.
• Nobody can do it for you, you have to do it yourself.

You know your feelings, nobody else can know exactly. To become a strong person, you have to value yourself, by nurturing yourself, by being honest to your feelings & thoughts. Don't wait for 'the auspicious day', perfect timing, or perfect blogging topic - there never is.

Perhaps I learned this lesson today, while writing these lines. But appreciate any other views?