ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BUILDING LEADERSHIP

THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN BUILDING LEADERSHIP : Higher education ------- P h d, MBA & M .Phil, etc, is not mandatory for leaders but it facilitates in building good leadship. 1.VISION : Higher education broadens the vision of our leaders . In any walk of life, may it be political leadership, business leadership or religious leadership, higher education broadens the vision of leaders. 2.SELF—AWARENESS : Self-awareness is the first step towards building leadership . A good leader knows his strengths & weaknesses. The self –awareness is not an easy task--- even BULLE SHAH admitted this fact. It is the higher education that creates the inner urge or desire for self-awareness in our leaders enabling them to build upon their strengths and help them in eradicating their weak points. 3.CREATIVITY : Higher education develops the skill of creativity---that is must in leaders to set a direction & vision for the followers. 4.SELF –ESTEEM & SELF-EFFICACY : Self-esteem & self-efficacy is must for our leaders that make them focus on our social responsibility , ethics and goal-setting .Leader is supposed to clear the obstacles from the path of their followers towards their goal .This self –efficacy & self –esteem again comes through higher education. 5.POSITIVE & PROACTIVE APPROACH : Positive thinking & pro-activity comes through higher education .Pro-activity means feeling our responsibility to act based on values & principles. This initiative and understanding of values comes through higher education . Keeping in view the above facts we can never undermine the role of higher education in building our leadership.

Major Khalid Nasr has discussed the broad outlines for cultivating leadership in Human Resource Management. A superstructure could possibly be built & edifice raised on the foundations he has laid down. This way he has made solid contributions to this forum. It is for others to avail this oppotunity. In other words, the ground has been tilled, seeds thrown to grow, and the land has been properly irrigated. Let's see who reaps the harvest?
Jameel Zaidi