Society’s Responsibility in its Leadership Development

"It takes a village to raise a child." This proverb from the African tribes of Igbo and Yoruba from the regions of Nigeria has more than the intended meaning of the proverb. This proverb mentions about a child to be risen. The child of today is the potential future leader. A child is evolved by the community as its leader, not with many inputs and initiatives, but hopes and dreams. The community leadership development happens as a process, with or without structured systems. The learning and knowledge has to be imbibed by interested individuals from his experiences and environment.

Historically in some societies and cultures the potential leaders were given training, through a systematic process. The potential leaders were identified in a very young age. The training systems for these potential leaders included contents, which addressed the all areas of leadership competency development. However these training initiatives were available only to the children of royal families and the elitist strata of the society.

At present, such systems are not prevalent in many societies. Leaders evolve themselves. Most of the current social leaders across the globe have evolved out of their passion. The drive, inclination and interest they possessed, engrossed and sustained have helped them in their success.

Right from the time mankind started living as a society; the community raised a leader with specific role. The leaders were expected to play the role of a provider, protector and visionary who would take the burden of handling the community's fabric and future. In other words, the role of the community leader was defined in the context of “Society” as a large “Family”. The community leader was metaphorically compared with the head of the family.

In these eras, to a great extent the competencies of the community leaders could be specified by communities, in more or less measurable terms. In the process of evolving their leaders, the community involved every one to contribute to develop the right leader with the right competencies, required. Like a child is nurtured, educated and grown in the womb of the entire village, the emerging leaders were developed with utmost care and concern by the members of the communities. Leadership, for the societies of the past, could be chosen to be a boon or bane, through the committed participation of its members.

Society’s responsibility to choose and evolve a leader is critical. Hence more systemic leadership development systems have to emerge for future, socially relevant leadership development.