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“DO NOT WAIT FOR A TITLE BEFORE YOU LEAD” — EMMANUEL ANYIM OZURU CHARGES NIGERIANS ON PURPOSEFUL LEADERSHIP
“DO NOT WAIT FOR A TITLE BEFORE YOU LEAD” — EMMANUEL ANYIM OZURU CHARGES NIGERIANS ON PURPOSEFUL LEADERSHIP
As Nigeria marks her 66th Independence Anniversary, Emmanuel Anyim Ozuru has called on Nigerians to embrace purposeful, selfless and strategic leadership, urging citizens to stop waiting for positions or titles before making meaningful contributions to their communities and the nation.
In a thought-provoking Independence Day leadership essay titled “Lead From Where You Are,” Ozuru examines the meaning of leadership, the responsibility that comes with it and the courage required to pursue a worthy vision in the face of criticism, setbacks and uncertainty.
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Drawing inspiration from John Maxwell’s observation that “A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit,” Ozuru argues that genuine leadership is fundamentally about responsibility, service and the ability to make others better.
He also references Warren Bennis, who defined leadership as “the capacity to translate vision into reality,” stressing that leadership should not merely be about occupying positions but about turning ideas and convictions into tangible progress.
According to Ozuru, leadership often begins with a call that may neither be loud nor popular, but must be authentic and sincere.
He maintains that those called to lead do not necessarily have to be the richest, oldest, strongest, most educated or most experienced members of society. Rather, a leader should possess ideas capable of building institutions, inspiring progress and improving the lives of others.
Using the biblical story of Samuel and Eli, Ozuru illustrates the importance of mentorship and guidance in discovering and responding appropriately to a call to leadership. He notes that Samuel initially misunderstood the voice calling him, but Eli’s experience enabled him to recognise what the young Samuel could not yet understand.
For Ozuru, the lesson is clear: discovering one’s leadership responsibility can sometimes require the wisdom and guidance of those who have gone ahead.
On the task of leadership, Ozuru draws from the Greek myth of Hercules and his seemingly impossible assignment to clean the Augean stables.
Rather than relying solely on brute force, Hercules used strategy and ingenuity, diverting the flow of rivers through the stables to accomplish what others considered impossible.
Ozuru uses the story to argue that leaders confronting deeply rooted institutional or community problems must be capable of thinking beyond conventional approaches.
He writes that not every challenge can be overcome through militancy or force, insisting that effective leadership requires intelligence, creativity, strategy and the ability to turn difficult circumstances into opportunities for progress.
On preparation, Ozuru emphasises that the greatest leaders are not necessarily the loudest.
According to him, true leadership is reflected in character, consistency, vision, stability and service. A leader’s influence, he argues, should ultimately leave people better than they were before.
He also stresses the importance of self-leadership, noting that positions and titles are temporary, while character remains.
A leader who demands punctuality from others, for instance, must first demonstrate punctuality himself. In his view, leadership becomes meaningful when leaders walk the talk and when the benefits of leadership extend beyond a powerful clique to the wider community.
Ozuru further argues that leadership should be guided by principles that remain firm even when circumstances change.
He acknowledges that genuine service can sometimes expose leaders to criticism, humiliation or misunderstanding, but insists that such moments can become tests of character.
Referencing the Chinese proverb, “When the tiger leaves the highlands for the plains, it gets molested by dogs,” he notes that leaders are still human and should therefore be encouraged and corrected with dignity rather than subjected to humiliation.
On strategy and collective action, Ozuru insists that no leader possesses all the answers and no leader can accomplish everything alone.
He invokes the popular African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” to underscore the importance of unity.
He also recounts Bishop Desmond Tutu’s popular story of African children who were presented with a basket of sweets and asked to race to it, with the winner supposedly taking the prize.
Instead of competing individually, the children joined hands and ran together. When asked why they had chosen to share the prize, they responded with the African philosophy of Ubuntu — “I am because we are.”
For Ozuru, that simple response captures an important principle of community leadership: no individual can truly prosper in isolation while those around him remain neglected.
He calls for a similar spirit of interconnectedness among community members, where individual progress is understood as part of a broader collective wellbeing.
Addressing the handicaps of leadership, Ozuru uses the tragic Greek story of Cassandra to illustrate the frustration of having a compelling vision that others refuse to believe.
Cassandra, according to the myth, possessed the gift of prophecy but was cursed so that nobody would believe her accurate warnings.
Ozuru uses the story as a metaphor for leaders whose visions may initially be misunderstood, rejected or dismissed by those they seek to lead.
On vision, he maintains that a leader needs both the ability to see where society should be going and the wisdom to determine how to get there.
He acknowledges that every meaningful vision will face doubt and resistance, particularly before its results become visible.
However, he cautions that perseverance should not be confused with stubbornness. A leader, he argues, must be prepared to change strategies when necessary without abandoning the fundamental goal.
According to him, meaningful assignments inevitably come with obstacles, financial difficulties, disappointments, criticism, unexpected changes and setbacks. It is during such moments, he says, that genuine leadership is tested.
Quoting Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” Ozuru encourages leaders to pursue excellence regardless of recognition or public approval.
In the final section of his essay, titled “Pray, Push and Persevere,” Ozuru urges aspiring leaders to combine faith with action and resilience.
He recalls the popular P.U.S.H. expression “Pray Until Something Happens”, but offers his own formulation: pray, push and persevere until something happens.
He acknowledges that not every plan will succeed, but says there is value in surviving failed plans without allowing the failure itself to destroy one’s purpose.
He also highlights the inevitability of criticism, drawing from Abraham Lincoln’s famous reflection on doing one’s best despite what others may say.
Ozuru reinforces his argument with historical accounts of Henry Ford’s determination to pursue automobile innovations that his workers initially considered impossible, as well as Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous command, “AVANCEZ!”, when his soldiers confronted what they considered an impossible military obstacle beyond the Alps.
The central message running through the essay is that leadership is not reserved for people occupying political, corporate, religious or community offices.
Rather, leadership can begin anywhere: in the home, workplace, community, organisation, profession or among ordinary citizens.
Ozuru therefore closes his Independence Day message with a direct charge to Nigerians:
“Do not wait for a title before you lead. Start leading from where you are.”
He urges citizens to lead not for power, prestige or recognition, but for purpose and fulfilment, while seeking divine wisdom to guide their efforts.
As Nigeria celebrates her 66th Independence Anniversary, Ozuru’s essay presents leadership not simply as a position to occupy, but as a responsibility to embrace, beginning wherever one finds oneself.
Happy Independence Anniversary 2026!