The Curse of Scarcity and the Need for Leadership
Why does leadership even exist? We could say because of the curse or blessing of scarcity. It’s the reason why most of life is not about choosing between good and bad necessarily, but choosing between many good things you cannot do or afford at the same time.
LEADERSHIP TODAY, Episode 1
Why does leadership even exist? We could say because of the curse or blessing of scarcity.
It’s the reason why most of life is not about choosing between good and bad necessarily, but choosing between many good things you cannot do or afford at the same time.
Energy is limited. Resources are limited. Intelligence is limited (maybe AI helps with that). Opportunity is limited. All these are life constraints in relation to time. So one company can’t employ everyone. A country can’t print money for everyone. If they did, people’s purchasing power will go up and more money will chase few goods and we will have inflation - unless there is enough production to meet the huge demand.
This is the reality of life. Because of these life constraints, every “yes” automatically becomes a “no” to something else (we call this “Opportunity Cost”), so we have to prioritize what we do with energy, resources and intelligence or people, at every point in time.
Leadership is what happens when someone is willing and able to inspire or ensure a positive movement from point A to C or Z against life’s constraints.
So in a family, someone has to decide what matters most this year: school fees, rent, food, kids, the family’s future, and how needs will be met against constraints, and get them done. That’s leadership.
In a nation, someone has to decide what gets protected, what gets prioritized, what problems gets fixed against constraints in a particular time. Same for every business or organization.
Without leadership, scarcity does not disappear. It becomes vices. It becomes conflict. It becomes waste. It becomes apathy. Needs are not met. Problems are not solved. And then we fight over the limited resources or make every effort to steal them or waste them.
Our world is shaped by limits. And limits demand careful choices. And choices demand courage and wisdom, with foresight, insight, and hindsight to plan, act, track, and achieve desired results.
That's leadership. And the world, especially Africa, desperately needs more of it.
Until next week, lead today. Lead yourself so you can lead others. We are TGLC.