Foreword For Lead The People, By Raphael Obonyo
This book “Lead the People” is released at a time when humanity is facing an acute crisis not only due to the coronavirus pandemic, but also due to lack of responsible and people centred leadership. Undoubtedly, to defeat the global virus, strong, focused and sane leadership is required.
The world especially in such moments of crisis is in need of leadership that can inspire, organize and finance coordinated responses at all levels; local and global. Leaders who will not only stoke the problem with fear and blame, but will respond to it with responsibility and give some hope to the people.
As John Maxwell once said, everything rise and falls on leadership. Undoubtedly, leadership is really critical to conquer coronavirus.
As you read the chapters of this book, you notice how much the author has emphasized the need for leading yourself, before you can lead others. To imagine and understand ‘why’ you want to take up the responsibility to lead others.
Equally important, the book banishes the misconstrued notion that leadership is not just about titles, positions and privileges. But that leadership is about responsibility, it is about impact and it is about the people.
The book makes a call for youth leadership, which is obviously important. It further provides important tools that can enable youth leaders to make impact. Indeed, youth leadership would mean nothing it fails to provide fresh leadership free from the vices that have held hostage the older generation.
Youth have the potential of changing the future and can help their communities to unleash their full potential. It is worth noting that youth leadership that is based only on age is not a silver bullet. The value of youth lies not only in their age, but also in their vision, creativity and values.
Communities, countries and the world today is in search of good leaders with bold visions and action that can ensure prosperity for all, broaden opportunities for the youth and to address the extraordinary challenges – leaders who can inspire hope and help build a better future.
The youth must provide new vision and exercise new leadership, different from the usual greed and empty rhetoric of the older generation. Young leaders must rise to occasion and deliver on the expectations of the people. They must produce results that will improve people’s lives.
Raphael Obonyo,
Nairobi, Kenya
May, 2020
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