LEADERSHIP ESSAY

Submitted by
Iqtidar ul Hassan
Submitted to
Dr Liegh Hersey
Theory and Practice of Nonprofit
PADM 7641
My Motivation for Nonprofit Leadership
It may seem subtle, but we have to be philosophical to dig out the true sparks of
motivation that lay deep in our intricate nature. According to Lindeman (1926), modern
adult is in quest of meaning in life. His/her meaning lays, beside other things, in
intellectual growth, recognition and contribution. So this quest for meaning-making leads
him/her to learn, to have appreciable achievements and also to play a role in others life.
Looking at these meaning-making tools collectively gives us an impression of an organic
leadership, which stands for an intellectual selfless leader dedicated to service to
humanity. I feel this urge to lead have role in others lives intrinsically, and this seems to
me my first natural response in my interaction with people.
An existential imperative connects us with all other human beings in a
relationship of compassion, love and kindness. This fact rendered every human being
feels the suffering of others. But like intellectual superficiality there is an intuitive and
emotional shallowness too. Sometimes our instinct does not have that urge to succor the
sufferers. That would be considered a distorted nature. I am intellectually aware of the

depravity, ignorance, poverty and discrimination from which people suffer, and I feel an
urge to come forward to help them with the expertise that I have. This is the most
powerful and sustaining motivational factor that I have to be a leader of the nonprofit.
Since it is an established fact that government cannot access all segments and all sectors
of the society, and that is why development is not uniform across the society. There are
lots of factors which are responsible for this unequal distribution of the dividends of the
governmental enterprise. Whatever they are the fact remains that government needs the
partnership of the third sector to fill this space. In case nobody comes forward to play the
role in equitizing the benefits of collective living, it would be similar to perpetuating the
sufferings of humanity deliberately. This is the fact which motivates me to come forward
and do what is not done for those who deserve it.
Employers in general and nonprofit leaders in particular see for leadership,
teamwork, innovation and contribution to society in a candidate. I can prove my
propensity to nonprofit through my philosophical outlook that I have described, and I can
demonstrate the required skills through my success stories.
To be a leader in a nonprofit does not need only the required motivation. It
demands skills to lead. I can demonstrate traits that a nonprofit leader requires. Beside the
needed motivation I have the experience of leading of organizations a couple of time. I
have been able to successfully accomplish projects through good teamwork within less
time and little resource. I can demonstrate I have been able to brought in the inputs not
mentioned in the plan and thus saving organizations, assets while accomplishing their
projects. I can also demonstrate that I have taken certain initiatives on my own through
nonprofit venture.