We shall fight on the beaches, 
we shall fight on the landing grounds, 
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, and we shall fight in the hills; 
we shall never surrender. 
— Winston Churchill, prime minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945
 

In an emotionally charged conversation recently, a good friend pointed to the obvious: “We live in interesting times.” Now, to some, that is a curse come true. Changes are happening on a global scale and even as I write, the world seems to be teetering on the brink of an unknown abyss.

In places that matter in the west, narrow-minded nationalism and fascist tendencies are on the rise. Now when leadership is sorely needed, the same questions seem to echo: “Isn’t there anybody who can fix this?” “Is there anyone who can make sense of all this?” “Will somebody please lead?” “Do heroes even exist anymore?”

These questions and more flow freely. Everybody seems to have an innate sense that something is wrong with our world. It is not hard to identify the problems. Ask somebody to identify what is wrong with their organisation, employer or the government and you had better be prepared for a long account. Get these new experts started on present global geopolitics and that discussion could run for days!

Identifying negatives and areas for improvement is child’s play. Making suggestions for change and modification is not difficult either. Everyone has an opinion of how to make things better. Coming up with good ideas is no big deal. The world is full of great ideas and deep thinkers of Grand Theories. But it is implementation and results that make the difference. They separate the heroes from the rest. And implementation with results, in any field or endeavour, takes leadership!

We have seen this brand of leadership before, personified by a man who believed that all his past life was a preparation for his hour and that challenge in 1940, and that man is Winston Churchill.

Everyone is called upon to lead in some capacity sooner or later in life. Some of the issues involved are big, some are small. Sometimes, the responsibilities requiring leadership last a lifetime and sometimes they are needed only for a moment. For Winston Churchill, a former member of parliament and a former first lord of the admiralty, his call to lead came when Britain finally listened to his unceasing cautions about the intentions of one man — Adolf Hitler, leader of the Third Reich.

When Hitler conquered Holland, Belgium and France after subduing the Rhineland, Austria, the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia in 1940, Europe, which had been crumbling from a severe lack of leadership, finally had a leader — Churchill was made prime minister of Britain overnight.

Churchill took up the reins of authority with vigour. Three days after becoming prime minister, he summoned his ministers and told them, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” His words galvanised a proud population to do what was right.

Churchill was a real leader. He had an all-consuming cause that guided his steps and the confidence of a man who knew he was destined for that moment in time. His fortitude, his determination and his constant ebullient communication to his countrymen held the island nation together, braving the onslaught of the most powerful military might in Europe. Eventually, the US was drawn into the war by Japan and the fascist countries were defeated by the Allied forces one by one.

We face a similar danger now. Our world has suddenly become less inclusive and more insular. The fault lines are getting broader and more consuming. We need someone strong enough to stand up to these divisive forces and lead a leadership revolution.

All revolutions start as small rebellions. The root cause can always be traced back to a single individual or idea. Fundamental changes are wrought because somewhere, for some reason, someone provided leadership. One person can decide to lead. One person can make a difference. One person leading does make a difference. At home, there is such a man. But I digress.

If ever anyone desired a single portrait of leadership instead of all the words, one should simply picture portly, sixty-something Winston Churchill standing defiantly amidst the rubble of a bombed-out and nearly ruined London, cigar clenched firmly between his teeth and stubby fingers thrust confidently in the air signifying “V” for victory.

Providing a mental picture of a preferred future, mobilising others towards a common goal, influencing them in a productive vision-driven direction, Winston Churchill was the perfect example of the conviction and character of a leader, a Hero.

For the rest of us, life should be about purpose and meaning and cause and fulfilling our personal God-given destinies. Without exception, this is achieved through, with, and for the people. In other words, it is done through leadership. As American novelist and counter-culture hero Ken Kesey stated in the Sixties: “You don’t lead by pointing a finger and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.”

True leadership can bring radically positive changes to an inconstant environment. It can revitalise old friendships, poorly performing relationships and underachieving individuals. Time and again, we have seen people come alive and achieve things they never thought possible once someone started learning to take responsibility for leadership. The results, quite frankly, have been revolutionary.

Zakie Shariff sits on the board of two local universities and has a deep interest in developing strong corporate leaders

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