What a true leader is... an opinion..

Some people would find it easy to talk and blend with anyone regardless of culture and background differences but many of us 'International' people tend to stick with those with the same nationalities as ours.

I think that one of the main culprits is shyness and our tendency to be introverts with people who are strangers and have different backgrounds from us.

If you notice, in Australia, it is less common to see newcomer Asians blend in with the locals as opposed to the Italians, Africans etc... We can say that Italians look whitish anyway, Africans have exotic and digged for features etc... But on the other hand, most Australians hesitate to approach overseas Asians because from their experiences, we tend to be shy and not talk much.

I must admit that I used to find it hard to talk to the locals. I was thinking, for example, I am so different and they like different things so what would I talk about with these guys?

But in High School, I made friends with a couple of locals and it kind of boosted my confidence. In university and at work, I was forced to interact with the locals and one thing that I learn from them is that a lot of them have outgoing personality. They are confident and can talk to strangers better than me.

We can argue that the cultural differences within the environment that we are brought up in plays a vital role. Maybe we are not used to it, but we might as well start getting used to it and try harder, I guess.

Why?

I believe that stepping out of our comfort zone plays a significant role in our growth, both spiritually, mentally and in the sense of maturity growth. I, myself, see it as a training ground for me to approach non-believers that I might encounter in the future.

We know that even people from the same countries have different preferences, backgrounds and personalities. By knowing how to approach and talk to people who are different from us, it enables us to effectively communicate with those who might actually need our help.

I am still challenging myself to be more outgoing to those from different countries and culture. I think that this will brush up my social and communication skills. And as we know, these two elements are quite vital for our success in an organisation we work at, eventhough we might choose to go home and work there.

As we do not hold the exclusive rights of our gifts to ourselves, knowing how to approach and talk to people will help us in identifying what people need. Often, people only need someone who is willing to listen to them and offer consolation. This trait will help us to become good leaders.

The definition of a leader is very broad. I think that it is more than the typical order giving, direction leading position that we often associate the word with. I think that being a true leader means that you have to sacrifice and compromise a lot of things because you are basically helping people to do better jobs for the boss, in the Christianity case, God.

As Jesus said, those of you who want to lead must serve. He also said that He came to the world to serve. This is a divine and awesome example of true leadership within and outside the Christian community. A leader is someone who can make an impact to the environment, not a mere order giver.

Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, before I close this erratically long post which I need to apologise for, I'd like to say that each one of us was made a leader. We are the heads, not the tails. We are the impact makers, the influencers and the care givers for those in need. Our group's existence should make an impact to the community.

Each of you is a unique and striking individual with your own strengths and gifts. You are a Child of God and because God is in you, you have the capability to influence the environment around you, despite your personality type.

Let's not be known as part of the group. Let's be known as history makers and barrier breakers. Let's build each other up and encourage one another to be better.

We are the impact maker, we must be the one who step out and make the first move. Difficult to do? I bet. Challenging? I can't say the opposite. But remember, it is a good life lesson for us as well. Each day and each thing that we do is an opportunity to learn about something new and make us wiser individuals.

So ladies and gentlemen, finally, let's continue to learn and do better things for the community. But let's not stop there, let's use the lessons we learn to serve those in need in the community.

You never know, a simple hello might save someone’s life. That is already a simple form of serving.

You had me at hello...

Cheers... btw, I have eye drops if you need any.