THE Egyptian Emperor Ramses I was in "court" hearing a dispute.                                                                                       
His sons including Ramses II were seated beside him. From time                                                                                        
to time, he would ask one of them whether a decision he made                                                                                          
was correct/fair, etc.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
After their session, the kids were off for their lessons,                                                                                             
especially on the glorious Egyptian Empire. Then off went the                                                                                         
kids for their sword lessons, horse riding, etiquette, etc. All                                                                                       
the time, they observed the elders. The court chamberlain did                                                                                         
not fail to say how great their father and grandfather were.                                                                                          
Soon, the young princes began to believe in themselves. They                                                                                          
began to tell people what to do. They supervised projects and                                                                                         
led small battles. They were ready to lead.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
The principle of "training" people to lead has not changed                                                                                            
much. We have modern methods, new psychological tools and a                                                                                           
more open attitude about leadership (those days people were                                                                                           
thought to be born into leadership). But the age-old methods do                                                                                       
have some relevance.                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Learning - by observation, being told by parents, teachers,                                                                                           
peers, the media, etc. - plays an important part in the process                                                                                       
of leadership.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
Social learning is the way we begin to practise something that                                                                                        
we have observed and that works for us. Our own experience - at                                                                                       
school, in the workplace and such like - would act as a useful                                                                                        
tool to enhance our leadership skills. This would also include                                                                                        
learning by mistakes.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Learning from mistakes is an important lesson, an experience                                                                                          
that future leaders should have. Learning to tolerate others'                                                                                         
mistakes is important too.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Goal setting is an important element in the process of                                                                                                
leadership. One not only has to have clear goals but must also                                                                                        
be able to break them down into manageable steps. On reaching                                                                                         
each step, one can reward oneself, celebrate and prepare for                                                                                          
the next one.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Training, as an element in the process of leading, is the                                                                                             
common focus in programmes like the MIM's Tun Razak Youth                                                                                             
Leadership Awards (TRYLA) programme, the Outward Bound School                                                                                         
activities, Dale Carnegie's courses, Stephen Covey's Leadership                                                                                       
Programme and others. These programmes impart knowledge and                                                                                           
provide opportunities to apply theories to practice.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
They also encourage exchanges of ideas and thoughts. Activities                                                                                       
that are conducted away from the classrooms allow space for                                                                                           
reflection and a chance to shed false fronts. Away from the                                                                                           
"protected" zones, participants can learn in an open and                                                                                              
relaxed manner.                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Another important element in the process of leadership is                                                                                             
managing oneself. One has to seek ways to internalise the                                                                                             
habits, methods, practice and discipline of being a leader. A                                                                                         
quick way is to volunteer oneself for work or projects at the                                                                                         
office or involve oneself in volunteer work for the community.                                                                                        
Look for opportunities to lead and work with people.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
One should also learn to arouse intrinsic motivation within                                                                                           
oneself. This means looking for work and activities that one                                                                                          
enjoys doing. It has to come from within. As authors Kouzes and                                                                                       
Posner say, one can "never pay enough to care." The principle                                                                                         
here is, what is rewarding gets done. Look for things that are                                                                                        
rewarding to you.                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
A budding leader also builds relationships in other words,                                                                                            
networks. One should work towards having a good connection of                                                                                         
friends and colleagues whom one can depend on for help, advice                                                                                        
and business deals. These relationships should not be one-way                                                                                         
but mutually beneficial.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Risk taking is another important element confronting a budding                                                                                        
leader. One cannot and should not survive by "the line of least                                                                                       
resistance."                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
This would also apply to job selection - whether one goes for a                                                                                       
"safe and stable" company or otherwise. We find many leaders                                                                                          
from Chairman Mao, Jack Welch to Lim Goh Thong - taking risks,                                                                                        
putting their whole "career" at stake. Safe bets will surely                                                                                          
lead to mediocrity at best.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
One stark need, if one aspires to be a leader, is to know                                                                                             
oneself. You must try to have as accurate a picture as possible                                                                                       
of yourself; your strengths and weaknesses. Close friends                                                                                             
(those who have no axe to grind with you) can tell you about                                                                                          
yourself. Most often, their perception of you is far more                                                                                             
accurate than yours.                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Nowadays, there are a number of tools one can use; for example,                                                                                       
the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This instrument looks                                                                                         
into whether you are an introvert/extrovert, whether you are                                                                                          
the sensing or initiative type, or whether you are more the                                                                                           
thinking/feeling or perceiving/judging type.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Thomas International has another tool that measures the                                                                                               
qualities of dominance, influence, steadiness and compliance.                                                                                         
Another tool is the Herman Brain Dominance Inventory (HBDI).                                                                                          
This tool deals with elements pertaining to whether a person is                                                                                       
rational, practical, visceral (feeling) or cognitive                                                                                                  
(conceptual). These and other tools can be used to help one get                                                                                       
a clearer picture about oneself, and one's leaning, strengths                                                                                         
and weaknesses. They can also help in the choice of a career.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
It is generally true that those who think they control their                                                                                          
destiny - locus of control - fare better. Professor Mihaly                                                                                            
Lsikszentmihalyi has done extensive studies on the process of                                                                                         
leadership. He looked into why people climbed mountains, played                                                                                       
chess, participated in ballroom dancing, did volunteer work,                                                                                          
etc.                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
He felt that the following elements assisted people in their                                                                                          
leadership quest: challenging tasks, designing or discovering                                                                                         
something new, exploring a strange place or solving a jigsaw                                                                                          
puzzle. This gave rise to intrinsic motivation where one                                                                                              
enjoyed performing a certain task.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
Authors Kouzes and Posner feel one can go up the leadership                                                                                           
trail by:                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
* Trial and error;                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
* Observation of others; and                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
* Education/training.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
A centre for creative leadership says the following has some                                                                                          
relevance:                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
* Job assignments;                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
* People with whom they had come into contact;                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
* Hardships that they had; and                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
* Miscellaneous, including training.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Honeywell Corporation's six-year research programme indicated                                                                                         
the following:                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
* Job experience and assignments;                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
* Relationships; and                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
* Formal training and education.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
All the above show that experience plays a very important part,                                                                                       
followed by other people, with education and training being                                                                                           
third.                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Bearing in mind the above, people who aspire to be leaders must                                                                                       
work out a plan and work that plan to achieve their goals. All                                                                                        
this really points to the person. As Jim Whittaker, the first                                                                                         
American to climb the Everest, said, "You never conquer the                                                                                           
mountain. You conquer yourself, your doubts and your fears."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
This is what you set out to do when you seek leadership - to                                                                                          
conquer yourself.