Leadership within every organisation is both a privilege and a responsibility. It is not simply about holding a title or a position, but about playing certain critical roles that help your team and organisation thrive.
From my own journey leading the Recruitment & Youth Engagement function at my current organisation, I have come to learn that there are four essential roles every leader must play in an organisational context. Permit me to share them with you, not only as principles, but as practices I am striving to live out daily. I believe you would pick insight from them.
1. Modeling
Leadership begins with example. I have learnt that people pay more attention to what you do than what you say. As a leader, you are always on display. This means demonstrating personal character through consistent habits, integrity, trustworthiness, and disciplined thinking. Leadership begins with self. It is what you do that gives a platform for what you expect others to do.
When your team sees you act with honesty, humility, and diligence, they are inspired to follow suit. Modeling is not about perfection but about authenticity – showing that you are accountable to the same standards you set for others. In essence, you are the blueprint your team studies.
It is my role to model the expectation from the team. It is the leader’s responsibility to first DO before you expect others to DO.
2. Pathfinding
Every team looks to its leader for direction. For me, pathfinding is about seeing ahead, defining the direction, and charting a course for the future. It is not enough to just set a strategy; it is equally important to involve your team in shaping that strategy.
Personally, I believe that when you involve people in problem-solving and decision-making, they become emotionally invested in the solution. A shared vision ignites collective energy. Pathfinding is, therefore, about articulating a clear, focused strategy and walking the journey with your people.
Together with your team members, do the pathfinding work – define and shape the future.
3. Aligning
Once direction is set, the leader’s role moves to aligning the team and the systems that sustain progress. This means setting up structures, creating clarity, and ensuring that everyone understands how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.
I realise that aligning is actually daily work because people can easily drift from the direction set. Leaders must do the work to ensure we are all on the same page always.
Alignment also involves empowering others – sharing power, inviting collaboration, and removing silos or bottlenecks. It is about fostering synergy so that the efforts of individuals combine into something greater than the sum of their parts. A well-aligned team moves forward with less friction and more purpose.
For example, as a leader, I ensure there is a weekly Monday team meeting where we agree on priorities for the week, so that everyone’s energy is aligned to achieve organisational goals and once in a week, I try to check on each individuals assigned task. My Boss once taught me that “Leaders are trackers. Managers are trackers”. It is not enough to set the direction, as leaders we must also ensure we are on track.
4. Empowering
Finally, true leadership is not about control but about unleashing potential. As leaders. Our empowering role is about recognising the unique talents of our team members and creating an environment where those talents can thrive.
Even though I have my individual task as a team member or a leader, my leadership function demands that I am always looking out for ways to support each team member, remove bottlenecks, and make them better. Because the leader is only as good as the success of the team members.
It requires giving support when needed, coaching for growth, and then stepping aside to let people deliver results. Empowering also involves building organisational capabilities, managing change effectively, and trusting your team enough to let them take ownership. When people feel empowered, they not only perform better but also grow into future leaders.
This week, I want to remind you that Leadership is a journey of constant learning and adaptation. These four roles are not one-time acts but continuous responsibilities. Today, I am not perfect in all 4 roles but I remind myself of these regularly to stay focused on my leadership responsibilities.
If you are a young leader, begin by asking yourself: Am I modeling the values I expect from others? Am I pointing the way forward? Am I aligning my team around a shared purpose? Am I empowering people to succeed?
The answers to these questions will guide you towards becoming the kind of leader your team needs and your organisation deserves.
Please stay committed to growth, and never forget that leadership is less about power and more about service.
I am rooting for you,
The Great Owete