Youngstars Foundation

The seat of the President is a very important leadership position; hence it should not be taken for a mere title. What is leadership and who exactly is a leader? Leadership is about creating a strong foundation within yourself that is able to support and nurture those that are weaker than you are. Leadership is the process of influencing team members to work hard towards, and be committed to team goals – Nigeria is a team and our president is the leader.

Nigeria has long suffered the leadership of people who are hungry and completely in love with money and power. People who go through hell and again to get to that “position” in order to get their own share of the infamous “National cake”, something that would have been shared fairly and even gotten without a fight if the true leaders were there in the first place.

My country, Nigeria has spent over 10 years as a democratic nation, therefore, mediocrity in its leadership is not acceptable. We need an exceptional leader, an excellent leader; a leader who is worthy of our vote and not just another waste of our time and other resources no matter how little or insignificant they may seem.

My 2011 President should be ethical and convey a strong vision; a vision to take Nigeria and its people to greater heights. This will win him trust, loyalty and will ensure the continuous vitality of the country. Not only should he have a vision, it is absolutely necessary that he be passionate about it because people don’t follow other people—they follow the vision that the chosen leader is committed towards. Study the life of any great leader throughout history and you will, without doubt, see a truly great visionary.

To be worthy of being referred to as a Nigerian president in 2011, a person should be action-oriented, he should be able to move from vision to attainment; potential to action; from promises to fulfilment, if not, he will only end up being counted as on of Nigerian’s horrible leaders. He should be enthusiastic about his work or cause and also about his role as leader because exuding confidence towards a proposed objective would inspire the best effort from Nigerians.

He must possess the highest level of integrity. Integrity is harmony of actions and intentions—doing what you say and acting the same on the outside as you do on the inside. Nigeria’s 2011 President should be someone who does what he says and says what he does, for it is only in doing so that he earns the right to have responsibility for others. This “number one citizen” of the Republic of Nigeria, should possess a strong foundation from within; a foundation that will support the building of our great nation, Nigeria.

He should be of honourable character; a good and strong character; a character which shows drive, energy, determination, self-discipline, willpower, and nerve, for this would make Nigerians loyal to him, and ensure the accomplishment of his visions. He sees that which will be beneficial to the country and goes after it.

To gain our trust, my 2010 leader must be competent. He should be able to put aside his wants and seek that which is good for Nigeria and its citizens. He should be capable of developing his people and enhancing their potential. Being the number one citizen of the country, he should be able to encourage Nigerians to take on new responsibilities and to grow and learn. As a true leader, he will see this as a responsibility and not a burden because that investment in the personal growth of Nigerians will pay off substantially in the future. He should be courageous – he should be able to face his fears – so as not to hinder, the country; his people, from reaching their utmost potential.

Nigeria’s 2011 President should be able to make good and timely decisions; he should be tactful and dependable, he should do extremely well in the art of communication, motivation, mutual respect, and showing honesty and credibility constantly; for this will inevitably instil confidence and enthusiasm in Nigerians, hence broadening the hope of a greater Nigeria. He should build excellence, not command excellence; guide Nigerians, not rule Nigerians.

My 2011 President should always be ready to learn; because no one is an “encyclopaedia of all knowledge” and more importantly, of what use is a new President in Nigeria, if he would only end up making the mistakes and completely mirroring the terrible leadership of the previous leaders. Flexibly is an essential attribute for someone in a leadership position. He should be able to welcome with open arms reasonable and positive changes and ideas.

Finally, I dare say at this point that it will be of benefit to Nigeria’s 2011 President to be an exceptional leader because the better a leader he is, the more Nigerians will listen to him and follow his vision and the greater positive change he can make on the world as part of his legacy.

Note: The President could also be female, I only made the male generalization for easier flow of the essay. Thanks.