LETTERS: Good leaders are servants

I totally agree with you Ms. Baingana. As I was reading this article, I remembered a chapter I read entitled “Becoming a Servant-Leader: The Personal Development Path” from the book called “Leadership Development Studies” -- very interesting!

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Editor, RE: "It is not about you!” (The New Times, November 18).

I totally agree with you Ms. Baingana. As I was reading this article, I remembered a chapter I read entitled "Becoming a Servant-Leader: The Personal Development Path” from the book called "Leadership Development Studies”—very interesting!

I experienced what leadership really means after I was promoted at my job to the "shift leader" position. Before that, I thought being a leader was just to make sure things were done the right way. In fact, it goes beyond that and leadership, as you said, is about serving the ones you lead.

This concept inspired me and decided to be part of a student leadership academy at my school as I wanted to know more about what being a leader really meant. Servant-leaders should express unlimited liability for others. Unfortunately, some are leaders but not servants and others are servants but not leaders. Eventually, if you serve first, I think you will be called to lead at some point.

Let's choose a servant leadership rather than a directive one.

Thanks again for raising awareness and may your desire to build a leadership pool of people who care about those they serve keep impacting our society. Bertrand Ndizeye