A Fluid Leader

When you lead, you bleed and more so than the ordinary. You are battered bloody with a sense of duty. You are sweltering in the sweat that hard work produces. You emit tears, first out of frustration then perhaps of satisfaction. Point-blank, a leader is a whole vessel of fluids.

Blood.
To lead is to be prone to wounds – physically, mentally, emotionally, creatively, and socially. Being a leader, you are given responsibility to spearhead a certain task with a certain tribe. With this sense of duty comes a certain pressure that is at times unbearable. However, a good leader patches wounds for the sake of the team and its goal. To lead is to be strong and adamant; you are the chief after all and the tribe gathers strength from you. Alternatively, it is also important to remember that sometimes you cannot keep going; you have limitations and that is okay. Sit down and take a breather, your team will have you covered.

Sweat.
To lead is to exert greater effort, organize more effectively, and discipline more strongly. Being a good leader is running a marathon with your team and not leaving one member behind. Teamwork and loyalties may be tested but perseverance remains key. Keep going and sweat will reap sweets. To lead is to work together and sweat together even if it means reaching the finish line later than usual, as long as the team is intact.

Tears.
To lead is to frequent the feeling of frustration. Leading is not always smooth-sailing. You will be tossed and turned by violent waves, and sometimes your ship will capsize and your crew will fall apart. Sometimes, the tears will render you blind but a good captain will not lose one’s ground and one’s vision. Fight on. More than that, to lead is also to feel. A good captain feels and connects with one’s own crew. Empathy is a powerful force, after all.

A group is an extension of a leader’s life. More brains to let work, more concepts to make manifest, more hands for creation, more fun added in the mix. Yet there are also greater disputes, greater headaches, greater hardships; more blood, sweat, and tears. The key is the state of being fluid: open to change, open to variations, and open to people.