Work for A CAUSE, Not for APPLAUSE! This is a statement that was posted a few minutes ago in the Inspired Leaders Forum (on whatsapp) by Alice Ddamulira – a former Head of HR at the International Committee of the Red Cross (Kampala Delegation) and now a Director of St Mark’s College (a 2000-student strong High School in Namagoma – a Kampala surburb).
I choose to relate that statement to a life of a leader (though it applies to everyone – even those who aren’t yet aware they lead — themselves):
It speaks to the WHY of a leader’s WHAT – the reason of our action.
It discerns the 2 often hidden and conflicting intents of the heart: Impact vs. Fame.
I suggest that there’s a very thin line between the two chambers in a leader’s heart… and one has to be watchful of self…
The dividing line shows the colour of one’s motives, intentions and focus.
Giving oneself to a cause – even if there’s no applause – is a mark of a leader’s nobility. Giving oneself to just earning applause – even if no great cause is being advanced – is a hallmark of being a mere entertainer, not an inspired leader.
Be still: not all causes will attract applause. After all, not all applause will have a genuine cause. Applause should not be cause for one’s inflated attitude; neither are we the first nor the last to be applauded. Not so?
At the end of the day, what inspires about a leader is the cause that consumes his heart, not the applause that fills his life.
So let’s make a resolution today, to have our inspired lives spent for difference-making causes that transform people’s lives and their communities.
A tree doesn’t eat its fruit. A cow doesn’t drink its own milk. A leader shouldn’t be motivated by what he/she gains out of his/her efforts as an individual.
Pursue Purpose. Change Lives. Fulfil Destiny.
#YouWillManage
| Live | Love | Lead |
