LIVING THE PRIMER OF A LEADER

JODYLYN M. SAMONTE

The primer of being a leader mainly focuses on the sacrificial deeds of a leader and on the direction that the leader has promised to his followers. Modern-day heroes consist of teachers that are plotting their ways on how to direct their students to the right direction. The primer of a teacher focuses on their sacrifices just to teach children and on the direction that he or she has promised to his students. Like the Primer or Kartilya of the Katipunan, the teacher also vows to abide by moral laws; that is, always being sacrificial to the needs of his or her students.

According to the primer of a leader, Leadership solely means sacrifice, it means being at the tip of the cliff when everyone else is too afraid to look at the bottom of the cliff. Being a leader means setting a success beneficial for all, it means getting to the top while holding everyone else’s hands. Having real leadership means being devoted to serving people, not being devoted to make people serve you. Actions are indeed heavier than words, while you might say “I will be a leader” it is better to make people feel that you are capable of leading than capable of saying. With that said, a leader always is the first person to do the task in order for his followers to follow. It is having your follower follow you by heart and not by obligation.

Sharing success with everyone is one of the main goals of being a leader. You do not go to the top alone, but rather, you go to the top while taking everyone else with you. Hardwork will always be present, leaders strive the hardest until they are able to make everyone taste success. Being at the top or being a leader does not always mean that you get to have all the glory and easiness in the world, it means the opposite, behind the scenes, you serve as the springboard of your followers. The followers begin to put their weight on you, and you manage to bounce them upwards.

Living the Primer of a Leader does not mean having to get all the merits indeed, it is always about the confidence and trust that your followers would give to you. The Primer of a Leader should be lived by heart, and you should always be a leader even after years. The real essence of the primer is having someone devotional to whom we could look up to and call ‘leader’.

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The author is SST I at Camachiles National High School