The Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Landmark University, Dr. David O. Oyedepo, has called on the University community to maximize their leadership potentials in record time. He noted that there is a leadership seed in every child of God to be cultivated and nurtured to produce fruits. “The star of every man is embedded in himself – 2Peter 1:19. There’s a fountain of blessing in each of us – Isa. 65:8.”

Dr. Oyedepo spoke on the topic “Foundation for Effective Leadership” on the third day of the University’s Executive Advance Programme for Faculty and Staff in commencement of the 2018/2019 Academic Session. He defined leadership as, “taking the lead, setting the pace and blazing the trail in one’s field.”

He stated that leadership is not in the seat occupied but feat accomplished. He added that anyone that makes significant contributions towards effecting a change is a leader. “It’s not occupying a position, it’s making outstanding contributions. Great leaders are not those with chains of degrees but those who change the world. Outstanding leaders are not those with barrage of titles but those whose impacts constitute footprints on the sand of time. Leadership is not about leading people, it is essentially about taking the lead in a given task.

“Leadership is not an endowment, it is an achievement and it cannot be inherited,” he added. 

He espoused that anybody can become a leader if he or she is willing to give what it takes, noting that everyone has to develop their leadership capacity through thinking. “Nothing of value is free. Leadership is at a cost. Leaders are thinkers and all committed thinkers are potential leaders. There is nothing mystical about leadership.” 

While emphasizing the place of discipline and commitment in effective leadership, he posited that the outcome of any man’s life depends on how much he invests today in terms of time, energy and resources in his field. He said that these two indices transcend racial or gender factor or any other. “There is nothing extraordinary on its own, it is man’s extraordinary input that makes it so. Discipline is all about doing what is demanded to deliver one’s desired goal and not what is convenient. Global impact in any field is at the cost of high level discipline. One may make a living by his profession, but we can only make impact by our dedication. Selflessness is the manure with which we nurture the seed of global impact in us.”

In his submission, Dr. Oyedepo identified four vital forces to engage towards the realization of leadership potentials. These are Self-Management, Time Management, Task Management and Resource Management. According to him, they are key to effective leadership. He therefore challenge the gathering to imbibe these principles in their pursuit of academic excellence and career success thereby making great impact on their immediate environment and globally.