REPRESENTATIVE LEADERSHIP

"Compiled Notes on Representative Leadership by Chukwukadibia Ude on POSH Academy Group"

Complied by CC Ejiofor
 


Leadership by representation or representative leadership is simply leadership by being in the gap for others. We may think big on this and focus on Ambassador or even Senators or House of Representatives but before we think big,  let's think small. So we go in two mindsets:

• Representative Leadership in small thinking
• Representative Leadership in big thinking

Representative Leadership In Small Thinking

• Represent yourself. 

In the small thinking,  we can see how our mindsets can affect when we get it big.  Remember,  personal values determine your public values.


How does one represent himself? 

First,  through his deeds,  and his works especially. 

We know people who have written books,  like Stephen Covey.... His book represents him. 

Microsoft,  has the tagline,  'Your potential,  our passion'.  This represents the whole life of Bill Gates even till today in his philanthropy. He has focused on health and education because he believes that once he handles the potential,  you will win. Remember,  your body language represents you even when u don't speak. So,  a symbol also represents something like the coat of arms represents our national heritage... The same way your name represents you.  Your business logo represents you,  Your business represents you etc. 

Sum it up,  'deeds,  works,  character,  products etc

• Representing someone else

Have you heard about when a renowned public speaker sent one of his boys to another country to speak on his behalf? 

He goes there and delivers.  What if he goes there and says that his Oga doesn't know anything but takes the glory after the inputs of his boys?

•  Representing family

Wherever you are,  you represent the home you come from.  Most times,  this is indirect,  Your ways are read as family ties.  Whether man or woman,  boy or girl,  people see your family through you. What does this say?  A representative is an open door,  a way to view people through someone.

•  Indirectly representing your community or town or area where you live. 

Have you heard these kinds of comments made by someone:

"She behaves like GRA girl.
That girl na Abakpa girl. 
That's a confirmed Trans-Ekulu guy. 
That's just the way Nkanu guys behave. 
Abeg,  leave matter!  Na Nsukka girl. 
Hia... IMO girls,  Nawa o.
Anambra girls!  MBA o
O,  this lady doesn't behave like Udi people.  She is wow and different. 
How about that? This Ebonyi girl is all you need,  she's quite intellectual. 
Abia?  Do you want to spend money going abroad? and so on"
You see,  we represent out communities... Individuals are great contributors to conclusions on communal behaviours. Even when we do not know this,  we represent out communities.
In Lagos,  once you do something unique about money,  u hear.... "Omo Igbo"


Therefore, in small aspects, we represent:

• Ourselves
• Someone else
• Family
• Our community,  area,  street,  towns (indirectly)

Note that all these are not formal views of leadership but they affect the formal views a lot.

I mentioned these indirect leadership representation examples because they are not formal and direct yet they hold almost 80% of the perception of formal aspect of representative leadership. For instance,  when someone whose books are not well written,  who you feel copied other people become a senator,  the perception is that he bought his way into leadership and is not competent enough to deliver.

In the small mindset,  you feel his representation of himself is so poor and as such,  may not be able to stand in for others. That goes the same for his other ways of life in terms of character,  deeds,  and works. So small thinking especially on things we neglect affect our formal perceptions of representatives on leadership positions.
Representation is a mark of everyday life
Our friend Amara is in Sokoto doing her NYSC... She's representing

Herself
Family
Igbo people
State

Amongst Igbo people, 
She's representing
Herself
Her family
Her state
Her community or town.

In the small thinking, 

If you travel to USA,  you represent Nigeria,  etc
You see how an individual becomes bigger as he moves from one place to another,  or from one culture to the other. So you see,  why it is said that an individual is a door.

Understand that as a person, you are the community that other people see. 

You are the door or TV through which they see your family,  and where you come from..

You are the door through which they see your area like GRA,  Lekki,  Maitama,  Apo,  Abakpa,  Ijesha,  etc

Now what are the attributes of small aspects that make others see you as positive and want to associate more with your people?

• Truth
• Love
• Openness
• Authenticity (no pretense, get angry when you are angry... Tell people what you don't like and stick to it....,  live a life of truth)
• Mind your moves etc.. 

Representative Leadership in big thinking

The big thinking aspect include:

• Representing others in the workplace
• Representing your society in the public sector
• Representing your nation outside the country. etc.

All these are now formal and positional

• Representing others in the workplace

Example
Some people assume much power when they become simple representatives of others in the workplace. I worked in a place where we were nine(9) engineers working together. Eight of us needed to be out there at the site while one person stays at the office to make sure every document we bring is well collated and submitted to make it easier for our HOD to understand

Later after some months,  she took the job to another level and from being our representative... (because without us,  she has no role),  she became a terror. 

Today,  she caused clashes in about three departments and even later caused the dissolution of a board.

Now,  she had a personal interest that no one knew. 
She was compiling confidential information for personal use . She abused the role of representation by trying to become the one in charge of the entire department. 

It was easy for her because it favoured contractors we worked with and they prefer where there is no order. So from simple collator,  she became the divider.. Why?  She took her role as a position of power

So, Personal interest, Eye for money, Lust for power, Her ignorance Led her to missing the opportunity to use representation to move the work forward
This is a sample of the workplace and how simple roles are misunderstood as powerful positions because of our perspective of leadership in the country

• Representing your society in the public sector

This is the equivalent of small thinking aspect of family and indirect representative of your community. Here we simply talk about senators and House of Representatives (Federal and State)

What hinders them from performing?

• Personal interest.  
• Self.  
• Greed.  
• No voice.

If you represent 100 people,  what are the basic things you need to know about these people?

• Their concerns
• Needs (environmental and collective personal needs)
• Pain
• Desires
• Expectations
• Data about their lives (profile of their education,  competence,  etc)

What happens?  Some people representing us do not know even what a tenth of people in their community is doing. Can you represent people without knowing about them?
A representative from Leeds in UK had water issues in Leeds and he presented it to the house of parliament and asked why the problem has not been fixed in the past 24 hours. That was during the time of Tony Blair and Tony nearly shed tears because of the poor reputation it was bringing his administration.  The example here is the man representing his constituency who spoke the minds of those affected and stood up until Tony Blair responded.  His people heard him speak and saw him give conditions why it must be done.

The people that represent us do not even come out to meet with those they represent... Why?  It all started small. We have said goodbye to community living

• Representing the nation as a leader (ambassador) 

This is the same.  The ambassador speaks the mind of his nation not his opinion
Now,  see this...

All leadership positions are representative roles... Maybe the exclusion of business leadership (which is still a leadership role representing customers and employees
You want to be the President... Right?  Or governor? 

What do you know about your people?
I mean their fears,  hopes,  pains,  desires etc
Can you be their voice,  can u give them a voice?

In conclusion, It is simply the same with the kingdom of heaven.  We are representatives on earth,  just like we have identified all in this teaching but we fail to represent.  Why? 

We do not know the truth completely.  We do not know the constitution of the kingdom of heaven (the Bible) completely.  We say we believe what we do not fully have faith in what we believe like in the time of representative giant called Daniel.