THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM)

Introduction

Leadership, what is it means? According to John C Maxwell in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, leadership can be defining as: "leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less." Meanwhile, Warren Bennis' definition of leadership is focused much more on the individual capability of the leader: "Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential” (http://www.teal.org.uk/leadership/definition.htm). 

Based on the above definition of leadership, I personally think that The Holy Prophet Muhammad Bin Abdullah (peace be upon him) is a perfect leader that match the definition and a good example of leader that should be followed by others. I choose him as my inspiration because of his noble character, charismatic as a leader, and his strategic vision. For me, to be a good leader, one must not only have good influential skills, but also good moral values to be followed, because a good leader is the leader who lead by example. And, Prophet Muhammad Bin Abdullah (peace be upon him) have this both qualities.

Therefore, there is no doubt a Jewish American, Michael H. Hart listed Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the most influential man in the history, in his book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. Hart explain the reason he listed Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the top list in his book, as follows;

“My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Of humble origins, Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and pervasive. The majority of the persons in this book had the advantage of being born and raised in centers of civilization, highly cultured or politically pivotal nations. Muhammad, however, was born in the year 570, in the city of Mecca, in southern Arabia, at that time a backward area of the world, far from the centers of trade, art, and learning.”

The Holy Prophet Muhammad Childhood Background

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born on 12 Rabiul Awwal, equal to 20 April 570 Masihi. He belonged to the Bani Hashim clan. The Bani Hashim clan was part of the Quraisy tribe and one of the prominent families of Mecca. However, it seems not to have been prosperous during Prophet Muhammad's early lifetime. During two months in his mother womb, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lovely father, Adullah Bin Abdul Mutalib, left the world because of an illness. Therefore, he becomes an orphaned since he was born. 

He then was given to his foster-mother, Tsuwaibah and then, Halimatus Sa’adiah as it is the tradition of the Arab society to let their child lives with Bedouin family in the desert, as the desert life was considered healthier for infants. He lives with Halimatus Sa’adiah for two years, but some says four years. After that, he lives with his biological mother, Aminah binti Wahab. However, Aminah binti Wahab then passed away when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was six years old. After being a full orphaned, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then lives with his grandfather, Abdul Mutalib but for two years only because his grandfather passed away when he was eight. He then was took care by his uncle, Abu Talib who was doing a trading business to support his life and his family.

Independent, Responsible, and Matured Young Man

Abu Talib is a generous person who always helps others. Because of his generosity, Abu Talib was poor and strugglead to keep his family fed. Even though still at the young age, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always think that he never wanted to be a burden on the shoulders of his uncle. He wanted to fend for himself. To make sure that his uncle did not have to struggle to keep him fed, he did whatever he could to help his uncle. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) help his uncle by being a shepherd even though he was eight at that time. He also gained experience in commercial trade by accompanied Abu Talib during the trading journeys to Syria.  The working experience and hardship that he went through build him up as a young man who was more independent, responsible, and matured.  He then became a successful business man by the age of twenty five.

The Trusworthy or Al-Ameen

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also known as Al-Ameen or The Trustworthy one among his tribes. They gave him this title, because they considered him to be the best man among them, the one who was never known to have told a lie. It is said that they had so much faith in Prophet Muhammad. They would advise one another to seek help or his services when needed. They would say: “If you want to entrust your wealth for safeguarding, entrust it to this trustworthy, honest man, for he will never touch it. If you look for someone who never tells a lie and never breaks his word, go directly to Muhammad, because whatever he says is true.” (Reehab Ramadhan, 2011). 

Prophet Muhammad's Principles of Communication

As the Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always try to establish a good dialogue with people. Despite used the various means of communication that belonged to his era, he also took into account the psychological particulars of the individual and society in order to present the message in the best and most effective way. He always considers the mind and emotion of the people he communicate with by respecting their sensitivity and using the phrases that would not hurt them.

For example, he had a conversation with a Bedouin, whose wife had given birth to a black child but the Bedouin denied that the child was his. He told The Prophet by saying:

 "My wife gave birth to a black child. I want to reject this child". Prophet Muhammad asked: "Do you have camels?" The Bedouin replied: "Yes" The Prophet asked: "What color are those camels?" The Bedouin answered: "Red" The Prophet: "Are there any white, black or grey camels among these?" The Bedouin: "Yes, of course. There are grey camels among them." The Prophet then asked: "Well, where do you think these grey camels came?" "O Prophet, that is in their blood; they take after the ancestors." "Perhaps this boy has taken after someone in his ancestry (he resembles them)." (Muslim)

Here, we can see that The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not merely say, relying on his authority as Prophet to tell the Bedouin something that he knows it is true. He rather spoke in a way that the Bedouin could understand, taking care to use an example that related to the Bedouin's life. After all, the most important is, he was able to solve a problem in a convincing manner by having the Bedouin come up with the solution himself. This shows the quality of a good leader he have, which is having a good, creative and intelligent communication skills. He understood the importance of communicating with others, therefore he did not converse with believers only but he also established good communication with all of the people he saw without discrimination of religion, language, race, sex, social status and thus. 

A Tolerance and a Just Leader

To be a good leader, one must be tolerance to his followers and also non followers. At the same time, the tolerance values did not lead the leader to be unjust. The leader must be just to all people even though he must tolerate with them. This is because, the truth could not be saying as the false and the end could not justify the means. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has both this leadership values well. 

Prophet Muhammad desired that a person who was to perform public services, for example, the imam, should be the person who knew and read the Quran the best. When there was more than one person with an equal ability to recite the Quran, then there were objective criteria to be followed. First, the person who knew and implemented the Sunnah and religious practices best would be chosen; if there was equality in this then the person who had first emigrated would be chosen, and if there was equality here, then the eldest would be selected as imam (Yusuf Macit, 2011).

Other story that shows the tolerance and the just in Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) leadership is during the Saheefah (Constitution) of Madinah. The Constitution believed to be the first Constitution in the world and is the perfect Constitution ever. The history of the constitution begins when the Prophet migrated to Madinah. In Madinah, he was the political leader of a state, which demanded that clear laws of governance be laid out to ensure the harmony and stability in a society which the Muslims, Jews, Christians and polytheists live together. Due to this, the Prophet laid down a ‘constitution’ which detailead the responsibilities of all parties which resided in Madinah, their obligations towards each other, and certain restrictions which were placed on each. 

The Constitution also do not bias to any tribes or religion or prejudice to any non-Muslims. For example, the first article of the constitution was that all the inhabitants of Madinah, the Muslims as well as those who had entered the pact from the Jews, Christian, and idolaters, were “one nation to the exclusion of all others.” All were considered members and citizens of Madinah society regardless of religion, race, or ancestry. People of other faiths were protected from harm as much as the Muslims, as is stated in the constitution of Madinah: “To the Jews who follow us belong help and equity.  He shall not be harmed nor his enemies be aided,” (M Abdulsalam, 2011).”

Conclusion – Prophet Muhammad the Most Ideal Leader

Actually there are a lot of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) characteristic as a good leader that I want to mention here. But the values that I already mention above are more enough to prove that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a leader who lead by example and match all the criterias that should a good leader have.

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad SAW-peace be upon him) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.” (Qur’an 33 : 21)

John Adair, the writer of the the book The Leadership of Muhammad described the leadership of this Prophet as “He served to lead and knew how to do things at the right time in the right way”. Knowing his struggle and hardship along his journey fisabilillah, learning his moderate approach and how he changed the world forever, make me feel inspired by him. I hope I can do the best to follow his Sunnah and his leadership style.

REFERENCES

1.    http://www.onislam.net

2.    http://www.prophetmuhammadleadership.org/introduction.html

3.    http://www.waislama.info/the-prophet-muhammad-a-model-leader.html

4.    http://amaana.org/ismailim.html

5.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

6.    Hart, Michael. 1992. The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.

7.    Reehab Ramadan. 2011. Commanded to Love, Prophet Muhammad: A Man of Character.

8.    Yusuf Macit. 2011. Prophet Muhammad's Principles of Communication.

9.    M. Abdulsalam. 2011. The Prophet's Tolerance Towards Other Religions.

10.  Adair, John. 2010. The Leadership of Muhammad. Kogan Page Limited.

Zaitunsyahila Mohamed Ismail

Sidang A

DPA 1/2012

A GEM AMONG THE GEMS: TUN AZIZAN ZAINUL ABIDIN

Malaysia is an extremely fortunate country as she is protected, treasured, and given the utmost care and love by her people. These people who protect her would give everything in their power to ensure Malaysia’s growth and well being especially during the crucial events and turbulence that occur. Among these people is a simple quiet man that has contributed a priceless amount of time and effort in helping shape and develop Malaysia. This man is known as none other than the late Tun Azizan Zainul Abidin.

His name may seem unfamiliar to many especially among the younger generations and the attention given to him may not be as grand as other nation leaders but his years of devotion, dedication, and contribution to the country are now enjoyed by all the people of Malaysia. Many of the country’s secrets are embedded within this man. By embracing the life story of this remarkable man is equal to learning and going through the passage of knowing the history behind the development of Malaysia.

Of all the many great leaders in Malaysia, I choose Tun Azizan Zainul Abidin as my source of inspiration as I see him as a great leader that should be highly respected and appreciated especially in the Civil Service. I myself, as a Civil Servant who has just worked in the Civil Service, my journey is still new and far ahead. There are still abundant of experiences and knowledge that needs to be learned in equipping myself to be a better leader and be able to further serve the community. Hence, a man of great personality and leadership such as Tun Azizan who is also a Civil Servant himself has become a source of inspiration and encouragement for me to overcome my own life journey in this sector that is still a long way to go.

Tun Azizan Zainul Abidin is an exceptional leader with great experience. Though he is at times seen as a silent bureaucrat who works behind the scenes, he is nevertheless outstanding at what he does and his skills and abilities are at par with those who are at the front line of Malaysia’s administration.

These skills were then put to full use when he joined the corporate sector where he was known as a smart man with visions and missions that were attention grabbing. Everything he did was done with careful planning and care. No work-related things were taken for granted, and he will also ensure that every job is done with precise accuracy, meeting their objectives and not done in vain. Tun was not only known locally, as his leadership qualities were also noticed by foreign observers due to his eloquence and liberal-mindedness. He is able to demonstrate his prowess though he is a quiet, discrete, and subtle person. Even though he was a leader that was easily approachable and a character of open leadership, Tun Azizan will in no way tolerate substandard work or those who try to take advantage of him.

Tun Azizan was born in Penang on May 28, 1935 and grew up as an independent person who had to go through many difficult experiences since childhood. He did not know his father very well as he was orphaned at the young age of 7 years old. Just like his son Azizan, the late Zainul had also served in the government sector during his lifetime. There is not much that can be known about from Tun Azizan's personal life, but what is clear to be seen is his sheer enthusiasm in the pursuit of knowledge especially in the moment the country is still new to govern itself after independence. The early loss of his beloved mother in 1950 had left a deep impact on him because his mother was his pillar of strength. She was known as a piety, kind person with high moral values in which she had ensured to inject in him and his siblings.

His mother Amnah was a single mother who brought up her children with detailed care. Though she never received formal education herself, she insisted that her children be brought up with proper education to secure a better life in the future. Tun and his two brothers received their early education at the Francis Light Primary School. Meanwhile his youngest sister Khyranee was educated at the Malay Primary School in Kampung Melayu. In 1950 after his mother past away, Tun was involved in an accident where he fell off from the Bus Trolley which was commonly used as a public transport at that time. As a result of the incident, Tun fell ill and suffered severe vomiting. The news reached his half sister's knowledge, Wan Khairun whom decided to bring the terminally ill Tun to live with her family in Jalan Burmah and nurse him back to health. Starting from that moment, Tun was separated with his three younger siblings. The three siblings then lived with Munir, a relative who had once lived with their family before. By moving in with Wan Khairun had given Tun more opportunities and a brighter future to further his education.       

Economic problems continued to plague the Malay Muslim community in Penang. Opportunities to develop themselves either in education or social status was very limited. By leveraging the experience and tradition of a strong spirit child in which he gained by growing up from a poor family allowed Tun to be able to compete in a challenging environment even up till his working life. Due to the efforts and diligence he had in himself, Tun successfully completed schooling at the Penang Free School.

After graduating with flying colours, Tun and four of his best friends registered as students at the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1956 and once again managed to gradute successfully in 1958. In 1959, Tun furthered his studies at the recently opened campus of University Malaya in Petaling Jaya specializing in Malay Studies. The following year, he joined the Malaysian Civil Service, (MCS) and began a career as an assistant secretary at the Ministry of Education, Kuala Lumpur. Having been educated the ‘old school’ style at the Francis Light School and Penang Free School in Penang, Tun had internalized the values of these conservative institutions and grew up to become a man with a quiet, patient, and diligent personality.

Throughout the four decades that he served Malaysia, Tun Azizan has worked together with among the most powerful men in Malaysia. He was once the Principal Private Secretary to three of Malaysia's Prime Ministers who are Tun Abdul Razak from 1971-1975, Tun Hussein Onn from 1975-1981 and to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad from 1981-1984 thus making him among the most senior bureaucrats of the country. Tun Azizan was also given the responsibility to take care of matters related to national security where in 1967 he was appointed as Principal Assistant Secretary of Security and Intelligence to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Between 1969 to 1971 he was also the Secretary to the National Security Council (NSC). From 1985 to 1988 he was the Secretary General of the Home Ministry. In 1988, Tun Azizan was made the President and Chief Executive of Petronas and later became its Chairman in 1995. In 2001 he was appointed as the Chairman of Malaysian Airlines (MAS). His commitment and dedication was recognized both at home and abroad, where in 2003 he was awarded the Order of the Commander of the Legion of Honour by the French government, the Norwegian award for excellent contributions towards quality in the management category in 1992 and the Friendship Medal from Vietnamese government in September 2001.

Tun Azizan was also willing to give his life for the sake of the country. An article written by Dr Farish A. Noor mentioned how when the time came for Tun Azizan to make his sacrifices, he was willing to do without uttering a word of complaint. His extremely high sense of duty and responsibility was proven during the incident in the early 1970s when a commercial airliner was hijacked by the Japanese Red Army group and landed at Subang Airport. Negotiations were made by the hijackers had demanded an exchange of hostages, in which the Malaysian government had to let them have a number of senior Malaysian bureaucrats as hostages. Tun Azizan was picked as one of the Malaysian bureaucrats to be handed over to the hijackers with his fate uncertain. However at the last minute, his place was taken by Osman Kassim who no differently had shown the same values and accepted the responsibility with courage.

In the passing age of 69 years, he was still on his feet and on duty with full dedication and discipline. The culture and work ethic he practiced should be an example to all the younger generation and the Civil Service in particular. His personality was always quiet and he would continuously bring himself to learn new knowledge so as to inspire the younger generation or Public Service to strive and work with sincerity. However, his silent personality did not mean that he was an introvert but instead showed how even with this quiet personality of his, he was still a great leader that proved his qualities. He also proved that age is not a barrier as he was always someone to gain knowledge and make lifelong learning as a culture.

During his time as President and CEO of Petronas from 1988 to 1995, Tun Azizan had executed his task well. He was the thinker behind the globalization plan of the national oil corporation even though it faced much resistance at the early stage by some key management. This idea however, was eventually accepted by the majority as the reserves in the country were limited and small, hence needed to depend on expanding its international operations. Petronas had targeted to grow the share of its international upstream and downstream business to 30% of total revenue by 2005. Petronas however proved its worth as the target was in fact achieved in 2002, when revenue from international operations reached 30.4% of total revenue of RM67.1 billion.

With Tun Azizan as Chairman and Tan Sri Hassan Merican as President and CEO, Petronas continued to pursue its global strategy aggressively, making them one of the most respected players in the industry. In FY2009 ended March 31, Petronas had registered a revenue of RM264 billion of which RM111.3 billion or 42.1% came from international operations. Though Petronas is now lead by a new face, the initial architect behind the company’s success could not be denied as Tun Azizan himself.

One thing I noticed about Tun’s style of leadership especially during his years in Petronas is that he is a person that would always try to avoid conflict of interest. This is because many leaders tend to overlook this aspect during their leadership and decision making thus causing unavoidable problems in the future. Conflict of interest is extremely not encouraged as it may interfere in making good impartial judgment. It is even more important to stress on this issue especially when the organizations are associated with the public sector in which the resources are gained from the tax payer’s money. In order to avoid this situation, a concrete mechanism is required to allow others to decide and refrain those who may have a conflict of interest to ensure the decision making process is carried out smoothly.

“ A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. ”

                                                                                               John C. Maxwell

Tun Azizan acts like a shadow mentor to me. Always with me, but never there. I am awed and impressed by the way he executes his work. For instance, he would carry out his duties faithfully and diligently without any objection. He has never failed to complete his tasks efficiently. To put it into simple words, he would ‘never say never’. It is no wonder that he is someone who has gained the trust of three of our past Prime Ministers. His sudden death in 2004 came as a tragic surprise and struck the nation as a whole. 

The passing of Tun Azizan was a great loss to the country. He was a man who present during Malaysia’s most difficult times when the country was in its most vulnerable state. He was present when the country needed men like him the most in taking her first steps in the arena of global politics. He along with his peers did their work quietly and diligently without hope or longing for rewards. He has left a great impression on me as part of a Civil Service where he always ensures that his work ethics exceeds or maintains the high standards set by our past Prime Ministers. He was a thinker and a man of great views, initiatives, and ideas. His great respect for the Constitutional principles, rule of law, and value of governmental ethics has earned his rightful place in the top level of Civil Service. Tun Azizan Azizan Zainul Abidin is indeed a National Hero that deserves to be known and be in the heart of every Civil Officer and rakyat Malaysia.

Al-Fatihah.

In memoriam of Tun Azizan Zainul Abidin (1935-2004)

References

Aris, A. (2011). Jiwa Seorang Negarawan. Subang Jaya: Crestime Holdings.

Crosby, Philip B. (1996). The Absolutes of Leadership. Johannesburg; San Diego: Pfeiffer & Co.

Maxwell, John C. (2009). How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life. New York: Center Street.

Mohamad, M, Tun Dr.  (2011). A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Petaling Jaya: MPH Group Publishing.

Razak, N, Datuk Seri  (2011). Perkhidmatan Awam: Menerajui Perubahan Melangkau Jangkaan. Putrajaya: Razak School Of Government (RSOG) & Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia Berhad (ITNM).

Aris, A. (2012, June 14). My Say: The Petronas Journey Continues. Retrieved Oktober 17, 2012, from The Edge Malaysia: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/features/168954-my-say-the-petronas-journey-continues.html

Azizan Tokoh Tersohor Entiti Awam. (2010, June 6). Retrieved October 16, 2012, from

Berita Harian:  

http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Azizantokohtersohorentitiawam/Article

Dunia Buku: Jiwa Seorang Negarawan. (2010, June 6). Retrieved October 16. 2012, from Berita Harian: http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/DuniaBuku_JiwaSeorangNegarawan/article/print_html

Noor, F. A, Dr. (2004, July 20). The Quiet Patriot: Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin (1935-2004). Retrieved October 18, 2012, from International Movement for a Just World: http://www.just-international.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=919&catid=47:archived-articles-2004&&ltemid=150

Thean, J. M. (2012, June 13). Amir Hamzah: Seeing Things Differently. Retrieved Oktober 18, 2012, from The Edge Financial Daily: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/in-the-financial-daily/215327-amir-hamzah-seeing-things-differently.html

IRNA SUHAIZA MOHAMED RAHMAN

SIDANG A

DPA 1/2012

MY LEADERSHIP STORY : HE'S MY IDOL

6 years ago, I graduated from one of our local universities. Honestly, I was not really sure what steps should I take when I finish my studies. To get a job was tough at that time, because I have to compete with thousands of other candidates that might be a lot better than me. Being rejected was nothing new to me, but that did not stop me from keep going - to find a better job. Good news came after when the government start taking Diplomatic Officers. They held a three-stage assessment starting at examination level where I failed twice. With the determination, passionate and moral support I received from my family, I finally made it. I knew that to be successful, I need to have the qualities as a leader to myself first.

Today, here I am, attending one of the most important course in the Diplomatic Officer's world - the  DPA. My hope is still endless - to get a diploma is one thing; but ultimately, I wanted to gain as much knowledge as I can, to create great qualities to myself so that I will be able to serve the country at a greater stage and eventually to improve myself as whole.

When I was given the task to write about my very own leader ship story, the first person that appeared in my mind was my former general director, Dato' Ir. Dr. Radin Umar bin Radin Sohadi. He has directly and indirectly inspired me.

A brief introduction about Dato' Ir. Dr. Radin Umar Radin Sohadi. He graduated in Bachelor of Civil and Structure Engineering and obtained his Master in Transport and Traffic Engineering from Sheffield University, United Kingdom in year 1985. He then obtained his PhD from Birmingham University, UK in Traffic Safety Engineering in year 1996. He has over 27 years’ experience in national traffic safety and was responsible in numerous safety interventions in Malaysia. Early in 1990, Prof. Ir. Dr. Radin was responsible in setting up the national road accident database in Police Head Quarters, in Bukit Aman Kuala Lumpur. In that task, he came up with the idea of national accident recording system POL27 (pin 1/91) and established the National Black spot System for Ministry of Transportation (MOT).

The most significant contribution he has made to the society was when the government decided to adopt his model (Radin's Model) of National Safety Target in 1996. Among other interventions that has been carried out in Malaysia including national motorcycle safety programmes, national pedestrian safety programmes, national motorcycle lane warrants and policies and national black spots programmes just to name a few. In addition to his achievements, he has established the national fatality index based on fatalities per billion vehicle kilometre travel (VKT) in 2004 and the Road Safety Education System for Schools in Malaysia, the following year.

Ir. Dr. Radin has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles in various high-esteemed journals. Prior to his appointment as the Vice Chancellor in Universiti Putra Malaysia, he was the former Director General of Department of Higher Education in Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), and that was the opportunity where I got the chance to serve under him.

I was inspired by Ir. Dr. Radin by many ways. He has brought many changes to the department and ministrty. He entered the Department of Higher Education as Director General in 2008. He has many great ideas to improve the work process in the department. He will meet up all the officers and staffs to explain the ministry missions and actions to be taken to achieve ministry KPI. To be a great leader, one needs to be knowledgeable. Ir. Dr. Radin ensures his officers are up to date to the current issues nationwide by encourage all officers to read and do research before make any decisions for the ministry. Every time when I attend meetings chaired by Ir. Dr. Radin, I was inspired by his knowledge and great ideas. He always thinking of something new to solve any problems arises. Through my observations, he has an analytical mind and quick in making decisions. He likes to motivate others to work hard for ourselves and the ministry and at the same time he tells us not to forget our family. Although some people may feel pressure working under him because of his hardworking nature but personally I feel motivate and love working under him. Ir. Dr. Radin is a famous and intelligence man but he never look down other people. He is friendly and a humble man.

His leadership and contributions to the country gives me an inspiration to become successful in my career. I have learned through his leadership that we must have confidence and optimism in whatever we do even people is underestimate us. We also should be a brave risk taker if we believe what has we done is on the right path. If we do not succeed in whatever we do, do not give up and stop trying. We need to try until success is in our grasp.

Everyone is a leader to their selves. I strongly believe that knowledge can take you everywhere; therefore one should never stop learning. These days, knowledge is reachable through our fingertips. The internet world is unlimited, hence should be used carefully. Even the first surah revealed by Allah SWT to Prophet Muhammad was Iqra' which means read, therefore we should take this order seriously by reading articles, books and others in order to gain as much knowledge as we can. At the same time, a leader should not easily get boasted by his knowledge. The more knowledgeable he is, the more down-to-earth he should be.

In my humble point of view, an organization needs a group of good people to be successful. Therefore, mutual understanding, trust and honesty need to be build. We could see many falls when these qualities are poorly enforced. Taking an example is our own Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during Uhud war, where his forces refused to obey his instructions, refused to give their fullest trust to him. In the end, they were defeated by the mushrikin.

However, at times we can see that leaders also made mistakes in their decision making neither in the big issue nor in the small issue. In my opinion, I think there are few mistakes that leaders often do. One of it is due to lack of knowledge or information regarding certain issue. Sometimes leaders need to decide in advance on certain issue like crisis management but because of lack of knowledge or information, the decision that has been made turn to be a bad decision and give less benefit to the organization. Besides that, at times leaders do not stick to his or her decision that has been made by them. This situation maybe happened because leaders themselves do not confident with their own decision. Other than that, leaders sometimes made the decisions which not represent the importance of all people or staff. Communication is very important to lead others. Transparent communication is the mark of good business these days. Let others know what is going on.  It is best to have a vehicle for dialogue and to have a mechanism for participation. Great leaders must also do job by their own. Because they can do it, current leaders tend to do it themselves. It is better to help others to learn how to do things and then to let them take over doing it.  This is a critical step to building both engagement and growing leaders. Easy tasks need to be handed to others, so that the others can feel like they are participating.  Leaders should be learning and starting new initiatives, then handing these items to others on the team.

Malaysia has born many great leaders in the world such as Tunku Abdul Rahman Al Haj, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and many other great leaders. To be a leader like them we must develop leadership skills from now on. To develop leadership skills, first we must know ourselves by determine what value and skills that we have. Later on we need to develop ourselves. There is various ways to develop ourselves. One is find a good mentor who has the competencies you wish to develop and have wide experience and knowledge. He or she will give you guidance and help you to build your confidence in your skills and abilities. Besides that, we must be very knowledgeable in whatever we do. Therefore we must read a lot of leadership books and attend leadership courses to build up leadership skills in ourselves. Other than that, we also can read the biography of great leaders to boost up our spirit to become a great leader.

As a conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to advise the youngsters out there, especially to my generation to start becoming a leader to them first in order to lead a bigger organization. A saying once said, a leader leads by examples, whether he intends or not.

Written by,
NMM

Sidang A DPA Bil. 1/2012

Reference

Mistakes Leaders Make By Dave Kraft, Foreword by Mark Driscoll, 2010

Leaders Who Last By Dave Kraft, 2010

A-Z Steps to Leadership from the Quran and Words of Prophet Muhammad By Abdul Ghani Ahamed Barrie, 1997

Great Leader By John Adair, 1989

The Nature of Leadership by John Antonakis, 2011

www.eng.upm.edu.my/html/files/kaw/prof_radin.new.pdf

http://www.upmbeta2.upm.edu.my/about_us/profile?LANG=en

http://thinkingskillsinc.com/9-common-mistakes-leaders-make/

http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/

http://leadershipquests.blogspot.com