Presented by
L. T. Nkomo
Deaf Zimbabwe Trust
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Background to Leadership
 Every human being is born to be a leader
(Genesis 1: 27-28). Human beings are born to
dominate and subdue their environment.
 Leadership is not over people but in an area of gifting.
(Mandela (fight against apartheid in South Africa),
Mother Teresa (Championing the cause of the poor in
India), Jairos Jiri (cause for the visually impaired in
Zimbabwe), Martin Luther King Jr (Rights of African
Americans in the USA).
 Everyone is born with a seed of leadership in him or
her but becoming a leader is a process.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Mother Teresa’s vision was to help
the poor and the sick
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Nelson Mandela’s Vision was for a
just and equitable South Africa
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
MANDELA WAS AGAINST
DISCRMINATION OF BLACKS
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Martin Luther King Jr fought for
black civil rights in the USA
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Background to Leadership
 Leadership is a product of circumstantial pressure
 Pressure of adverse/bad situations forces certain
individuals to respond in certain ways that show
certain traits of leadership.
 ‘You cannot change what you do not confront’ Myles
Munroe
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Why then do we need Leaders?
 Nothing happens without leaders (The war of Liberation in
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Zimbabwe had leaders, R.G Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, Ndabaningi
Sithole, Josiah Tongogara etc.)
Nothing begins without leaders (Someone had to provide
leadership for the start of ZIMNAD, ASSOD, DZT, ZIMDEAF
MEDIA TRUST).
Nothing improves without leadership.(Welfare of PWDs in
Zimbabwe)
Nothing develops without leaders
Nothing changes without leaders (Morgan Tsvangirai of MDC-T,
Martin Luther King jr (African American Activist)
Nothing progresses without leadership
Nothing succeeds without leadership.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Why then do we need leaders
 Leaders create action where there was hesitation.
 Courage where there was cowardice
 Optimism where there is cynicism
 Strength where there was weakness
 Create hope in a state of despair
 Leadership determines the mentality, destiny, attitude
and commitment of followers.
 Myles Munroe and John Maxwell agree that leadership
is about influence.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Cont
 ‘An army of sheep led by a lion will defeat an army of
lions led by a sheep’ Alexander the Great
 Nothing changes without effective, sensitive and
spiritually based leadership.
 Leadership is the cause of all problems and also the
source of solutions to our problems.
 ‘Everything rises and falls on leadership’ John Maxwell
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
What then is leadership?
 Leadership is about service to the people and not power
 Leadership is not about manipulating people but inspiring
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people.
Leadership is not about pursuing people or finding
followers
Leadership is about finding purpose
It is a leader’s passion for his or her purpose that attracts
followers.
It must be remembered that leadership is trusted privilege
given by followers
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP
“Leadership is the capacity to influence others through
inspiration motivated by passion, generated by
vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a
purpose.” Myles Munroe
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Influence
 Leadership is about influencing a group or team of
people. It is not about power and coercion, although
you may influence others to move in a direction that is
contrary to their own actions. Influence is creating the
want and desire in others to do what you want and
desire them to do.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
It is all about Influence!
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1965 March
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Leadership is influence
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Passion
Passion is contagious and a leader is most effective when
he or she is passionate about the team, organization, and
the work thereof. Passion is a characteristic that cannot
be faked. It has to be genuine and portrayed.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Unfulfilled passion will give you no
peace as a leader
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Vision
Leadership is action. The vision is the articulation of the
action to get to where the group needs to go. The vision
should be well defined and effectively communicated.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Without a vision you go nowhere
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Martin Luther King’s vision
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Conviction
Leaders believe that what they do is important and
purposeful. The belief is the conviction that drives the
leader’s actions and passion. The conviction is
communicated in the vision and nearly every statement
of the leader.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Conviction is unwavering belief in
your purpose
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Gallaudet University student fought
until they got a Deaf President at the
University
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Example: Equality for the Deaf
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Purpose
 Leaders have purpose for their actions and what they
influence. Leaders seek what is best for the group and
not what is best for the individual. Leaders are
inherently selfless and hardworking. They are driven
by their conviction and purpose and resonates the
passion in their vision statements.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Art of Leadership
 Many people try to fit in certain situations but true
leaders break away from the party.
 True leaders do not seek acceptance but pursue their
convictions.
 Leadership is a trusted privilege. You have no right to
demand people to follow you.
 Leadership is like beauty. It is the attitude that stands
out.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Art of Leadership
 There must be a marriage between the leadership
spirit (mentality) and the spirit of leadership
(attitude) that then gives the ability to lead.
 Leaders take responsibility to change things.
 Leadership is not about cloning others in your image.
 Leaders help others to discover themselves
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Principles of Leadership
 Leadership is a trusted privilege given by followers
 Leadership has to do with attitude than methods of
organizing people
 Leadership consists of 2 key principles namely
 Manifestation (self discovery)
 Movement (transformational)-never accept a
limitation!
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Key Attributes
 Purpose (source of vision. Why were you born?)
 Vision (Image of your purpose.)Take about it and share
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it with others.
Commit to principles and values
Express your passion and keep repeating it.
Empower others
Self discipline to protect your purpose.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Key Attributes of a leader
 A belief in oneself
 Passion for what they do
 Leaders live lonely lives
 Leaders are not jealous about other people’s success
 They are committed to the betterment of humanity
 Leaders are change agents
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Key Attributes
 Leaders are open to learn
 Leaders must be willing to involve others in their work.
 Leaders must be willing to share power and distribute
control. You cannot do everything.
 A leader must starve his weakness and share power
and control with those who are stronger in a particular
area.
 Leaders pass on the baton stick to the next generation.
They do not die with it.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Character in Leadership
 Character is the personal submission to discipline of
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principles that protect your gifts and talents.
It is more important to be faithful than to be famous
Character is developed by staying steadily through
tests and trials (‘…know them that labour among
you…’)
Leaders fail when they sacrifice their character on the
alter of compromise.
Character cannot be faked. ‘As a man thinks in his
heart so is he’ If your thoughts are corrupt then it
means your belief system is corrupt.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Values and Character in Leadership
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When you are a leader people imitate you
Character is the most effective leadership tool
Character strengthens your inner life
Character enables you to fulfill your purpose
Character protects your leadership and vision preventing you
from aborting your mission.
 Character allows you to leave a legacy
 Character is built on principles which are values you live by in
pursuit of your vision
 Principles produce character and character is more important
than charisma.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Leadership without Character
 Leadership without character is power without
principle
 It is abuse of power
 A leader’s gift is only as safe as the character that
contains it.
 Violation of character forfeits the privilege to use or
serve your gift.
 A leader must not have many faces because that
creates doubt in followers.
 Your character protects your right to lead!
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Berlusconi’s Political Career was
destroyed by his love for women.
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Closer Home: Attack on MT’s Character
in 2013 Presidential Election Campaigns
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Character in Leadership
 The credibility of a leader is character
 The force of Leadership is character
 The trust of leadership is character
 The legitimacy of leadership is character
 The integrity of leadership is character
 ‘Leadership is a combination of strategy and character.
If you must be without one be without strategy’ Myles
Munroe
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014
Conclusion
 Leadership is therefore impossible without;
 A guiding purpose and vision
Deep passion for accomplishment
Principles that regulate leadership behavior.
 ‘Character is like the skeleton of your whole body,
when it collapses the whole purpose collapses’ Myles
Munroe
 The force of leadership is character!
DZT DEAF YOUTHS LEADERSHIP AND
ADVOCACY SEMINAR 7-8 JUNE 2014