Thinking Anew: Leadership Myths
published in TSM Media
By Faraz Khan
The position of leadership is a trust in Islam. Education is all about personal development. A person must understand and develop leadership skills in order to do the ‘right thing’. The objective for my writing is to present a brief description of what it takes to become effective leaders. Since leadership is a vast topic, I will try to outline those points that relate to the MSA and the masjid board.
Some Points to ponder as a leader/follower:
- What is leadership?
- Who are leaders?
- Leadership Theories
- Myths about leadership
- Skills needed to be a leader
- Knowing Yourself – strengths/weaknesses
- Creating and communicating a Vision
- Personal skills
- Characteristics
- Team player –
- Conflict management skills – dealing with difficult personalities
- Alignment of others
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The leadership needs to focus on priorities. What are Muslims in America all about? There is a positive, constructive element amongst Muslims and there’s a negative, hair-splitting element that we need to be aware of. I have tried my best to focus on the primary issues that we must address in order to see a positive change in current state of affairs for the ummah here in America.
I have always understood Islam, to submit oneself to God in order to attain peace and a relationship between God and His servant. One must surrender his/her will and seek the will (pleasure) of God. Without Islam, one is lost in finding the pleasure of God. The path is clear…we simply need to focus and prioritize our goals.
Unfortunately, there are some leaders or shura members who do not grow in their Islam. They want to change the world but they will never start with themselves first. For this reason, twenty years down the road, some folks do not know the meaning of al-Fatiha. They still argue over some mindless detail. They talk with their family members in a harsh tone. Their focus becomes the chair, microphone, parking lot, and the mosque election day. They form alliances with other like minded people and when they lose in election, they say “I have donated over $100,000 to this mosque, you can’t tell me what to do”… When they lose, they call others out and say foul things about the current shura. When they lose, they cry “it’s not fair”.When they lose, they go after the microphone and declare their great fatwa.When they lose, they bring police and try to shut down the mosque with a lawsuit. When they lose, they lose their morals and shame.
Yet, alhamdo lillah, there are those who serve the mosque with their time, talent, knowledge, energy, and a pure heart. They never lose. They decline a relationship with the microphone at the mosque. They may serve on a chair but not for the sake of the powerful chair. They worry about raising their iman and not their voices. They teach their children and children of others. They give and forgive. They talk less and do more.
May Allah give us the tawfiq.
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The Prophet (s) said,
“All of you are shepherds (rai’) and you will be asked about your flock”.
Leadership in Islam is a serious responsibility. The Muslim community in America definitely has an interesting approach to leadership. Over the years, I believe American Muslims have progressed to hold elections, board meetings, and political candidacies in a peaceful way. To be blunt, there was a time when the news of rigging mosque elections, board brawls, masjid takeovers, and donation embezzlements were common nuisances (see above). Al-hamdo lillah we are able to look past all of this. It was a learning experience.
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Who is a leader?
A leader is someone who:
► Gives a vision
► Effectively communicates his vision to mobilize/motivate his constituents
► Serves his constituents by empowering them and leading them towards the vision
There is no difference of opinion that Prophet Muhammad is the ideal leader. A Muslim leader is expected to be in the footsteps of the Prophet. Thus, a leader is someone who is smart, knowledgeable, compassionate, honest, trustworthy, energetic, patient, etc. On the other hand, false leaders have personal ambitions with the position of leadership. Pharaoh is a prime example of a false leader or a dictator. A dictator has certain characteristics too. A dictator is demanding, self-serving, insincere, crafty, egotistic, selfish, etc.
A person can confuse dictatorship for leadership. When a person on the board starts to put personal opinions above everything else, it is time to panic. A true leader is a listener and a comforter. A leader has more concern for others than his personal opinions. I will quickly outline a few myths of leadership that are prevalent in our society.
Myth No. 1
Leaders have rare skills.
We all possess different talents and skills. Yet, what is more important is how we utilize them. A leader knows himself, his strength and weaknesses. Unless, a person puts himself in a position to lead by example, he will never acquire these “rare skills” to lead. Wisdom is based on learning from one’s past failures. People who want to serve the community must come forward by providing a service. This volunteer work would initiate a response from the community that when people need help they will come to the altruist who is happy to serve his/her community.
► Myth No. 2
Leaders are born not made.
One can only cultivate leadership by taking responsibility. Join an organization or a committee and contribute. The more you contribute, the more people will look up to you and follow your advice. Leaders are simply made by the work they do.
► Myth No. 3
Leaders are charismatic figures.
A contemporary leadership scholar Warren Bennis describes that charisma is a result of effective leadership. If one leads or contributes at a college Muslim Student Association or the mosque committee, the charisma grows as a result of the work. For example, many people would agree that the likes of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Imam Zaid Shakir and Imam Suhaib Webb have charisma. This charisma is a result of their work in the last few decades. They have built organizations, mosques and people to support the dawah based on their work and contribution not on personal charm.
► Myth No. 4
Muslim Leaders are Imams, Sheikhs, old uncles on the masjid board, or random people with long beards.
First of all mosques are not built for men only. Women and youth have as much of a right to the mosque as men do. Any sister or youth who leads the community in providing a service whether it is a bake sale, barbecue, mosque clean up day, will take a lead in doing good. We are in a dire need of people who are willing to do some work. The MSA is a good platform for the college youth to get involved in their community and lead the way.
► Myth No. 5
Leaders control, direct, prod, manipulate, command, and enjoy a higher status.
The above is an example of a dictator who is power hungry and wants to micromanage. A dictator does not want to listen to others. A dictator wants all eyes on him/her. A dictator is a self-serving individual who wants to secure a position. Did the Prophet (pbuh) do that?
Again, leaders serve others. They empower others. They may not catch a fish for others but they will teach others how to catch a fish.
► Myth No. 6
Leaders are confident, do not make any mistakes, know what they are doing, and have good looks.
Again, leadership here means leading people in doing good work. One does not have to be an ‘alim or President or be on the board to do good work. Confidence is learned by mastering a skill or a job.
► Myth No. 7
Leaders have titles:
President
Khalifa
Amir-ul-Momineen
Imam
Sheikh
CEO
Again, leadership here means leading people in doing good work. One does not have to be an ‘alim or President to do good work. People start out at the bottom and work their way to the top.
► Myth No. 8
Leaders give big speeches and are always in news.
Look at the Prophet (s). How many long speeches? The Farewell Speech (khutbatul wida’) is one of the greatest khutbas of the Prophet yet it is read in less than ten minutes. We must learn not consider microphone holy. A sound system either magnifies good talk or exposes a bad speech.
In conclusion, whether you agree with the above myths or not, I believe that each one of us has potential to do great work. Often many religious Muslims are caught in the trap that they have to be part of the masjid/MSA board to do anything good for their community. To be honest, there are only a handful of seats available on a board. Let us try to think out of the box. Let us have a vision that goes beyond competing for titles. Kindness and good work are not restricted scholars and board members. Finally yet importantly, may Allah reward the leadership of the Muslims for their untiring efforts and give them long healthy and blessed life. Amen.
Faraz Khan frequently lectures at local mosques and college campuses in the tri-state area on issues related to Islam and Muslims. More on http://liberalartsforum.blogspot.com
