Leadership is not something I aspire too, however from time to time I wonder if I was to be a leader, what qualities I would need to be successful.
It is very easy to sit back and criticise but very few people seem to consider our strengths.
As a semi-young Aboriginal woman, (at 33 I am not youth, middle aged or elderly) I have already met some amazing people in my life. Many of these amazing people have assisted in shaping me into the person that I am. My mum, of course, is one of them. While these people know I value them, I want to share with you, why.
Qualities I admire in an Aboriginal leader:
The Mentor - leaders
who mentor the next generation. Those who see the future of our people in the
passion, desire and drive of youth. They help shape them into a force to be
reckoned with. These leaders spend the time, time they often don’t have,
ensuring that Aboriginal people will have more amazing leaders to be proud of
in the future.
The visionary -
fearless leaders who at times have had to go it alone, who have faced immense
challenges but because of their vision and passion to keep moving forward.
The lateral thinker
- these leaders challenge the norm; will not, do not accept that things have to
stay the same because they have always been that way. These people’s ideas may
seem wacky or too hard to start with but they always seem to pull of the big
jobs.
The fighter – the
leader who despite numerous knock downs refuses to give in or give-up. They
will fight until their last breath regardless of the personal cost.
The quite achiever-
This leader often get the least amount of notice. They are steady and
methodical, shying away from the limelight but are always working towards the
goal of creating a better future for us.
The rule breaker - The leader who doesn’t think like other
people, that sees rules as guidelines and who will, when the rules hamper the
outcome, sidestep them and make it work for our people.
The networker –
the leader who, through their connections can make things happen to the benefit
of our Peoples. They bring with them a horde of people which cannot be ignored.
The get in and just
do it –They are the people who will just do what needs to be done. They
have no problems getting their hands dirty and it doesn’t matter if it is
packing boxes or being on the mic, they are up for the task.
The fountain of
knowledge – these leaders are the one you go to when you need to know
anything about anything. They seem to be a walking encyclopaedia. They crave
knowledge above all else because they know it is through knowledge we can
fight.
The communicator
– this person can say things that most people could never say, should never say,
but they do it with such finesse that the message is not lost nor offensive.
The community minded-
This leader puts their community and other Aboriginal people before themselves.
They are not interested in the attention, the acclaim or the pay packet. They
are work to assist in making the future of our Peoples better.
The collaborator
– this leader works in collaboration with everyone regardless of age and
experience. They see value in life experience as much as education and always
make sure that the people they are working with feel valued. Respect and trust is
the key to the way they do business!
The one thing all Aboriginal leaders I admire have in common
is that they are there for our Peoples
rather than themselves. They use WE not I.
This list is by no means exhaustive. It is just a few
qualities that are really valuable to me. Qualities that make me proud to be
Aboriginal woman. I hope it has prompted you to consider our strengths not just
the negatives.
