It was Peter Drucker who said: "All the effective leaders I have encountered – both those I worked with and those I merely watched – knew four simple things; a leader is someone who has followers; popularity is not leadership, results are; leaders are highly visible, they set examples; leadership is not rank, privilege, titles or money, it is responsibility." The inability to secure positional power is mostly translated as the end of the road for election losers. But while that interpretation could be perfectly acceptable for the case of those candidates who are not serious about the whole enchilada of leadership, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to those contestants who were driven by a genuine and fervent passion to serve others. In spite of their temporary setback in the polls, these candidates know that leadership is not about rank, money or positions as Drucker said, hence they continue to make a meaningful contribution using their personal means while possibly hoping to try their luck at the ballot next or some other time. This optimism and unwavering commitment to improving others' lives also comes from the accurate understanding of the goal and success of leadership which, according to retired American business executive and author Jack Welch, is "all about the growth of others". Wielding positional power is thereby not a precondition for leadership.
History is replete with poor leaders who misused their institutional authority to curtail and derail human progress. We are living in such a time when Ken Blanchard's words hold true: "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." One can do a few things here and there through positional authority but the greater tasks in leadership can, and are, going to be accomplished only through influence. That the candidates vied for various positions also speaks to the kind of influence they already have on the ground. They should particularly make use of their influence and expertise in various fields of study to bring change.
