Leadership is never without its own attendant challenges just like every progressive cause on the face of the earth.
It is therefore not peculiar to one person to have had a set of challenges, rather it cuts across and put in the right perspective; throws up a couple of lessons for the learning.
In this particular discuss, it would be highly effective to create a great scenario possibly a real life happening where you have a boss, a team leader and the volunteer team.
The boss is the head of the whole unit, but has chosen to delegate leadership to the team leader for the purpose of coordinating the team to achieve certain set goals.
The team is also made up of volunteer members who have a mind of their own, although willing to work together to achieve the set goal.
It is worthy of note that they want to be included in the decision process and not have anyone lord it over them in a dictatorial form.
The scenario unfolds and as it gets clearer, we have a rare kind of triangular cycle on our hands.
The cycle is pictured thus: from the team leader to the boss, and from the team leader to the team.
Picture a three layer diagram, where the boss is the first layer, the team leader as the middle layer and the team is the lowest layer.
Clearly it shows that the team leader is caught in the crossfire, often having to absorb pressure from the boss, having to deal with it without transferring aggression to the team.
He has to learn to strike a balance between what the boss wants done, and a diplomatic approach to get the team to do it even with their own input, giving them a feeling of belonging in the final analysis.
Most times, the team leader is caught in the dilemma: to run with as much pressure as the boss is bringing on or to give the team the necessary window of participation they deserve as volunteers.
A good balance gets the job done, creating a win-win-win scenario.
Although the boss wins, the team wins, but the team leader's win may have had to absorb all the heat; technically with the goal achieved a win is a win.
In this up and down process, the team leader is the brought to the fore as the main focus of attention.
He has to take the blame when the boss is not happy, and he also to absorb the criticisms when the team feels the job is on the drag.
It is best more often than not to put your will aside, even when you have a strong opinion, the sacrifice must come from your end as you can explain it away to yourself and come around to deal with it.
Never an easy thing to do as you will find out, but it is best you take the fall rather than let any of the other two parties do it.
Clearly a dilemma leadership throws you into, leaving you to make the hard choices but the right values can be a very good aid in the toughest of moments.
It all boils done to battles you have to fight and with the high standards you must have set for yourself, defeat might be conceded in the interest of the team but it would be worth it if the team members feel, they shelved your will and had their way because it gives them the participatory feeling which is one of your ultimate desires.
In the same vein, even the boss gets the feeling that exact orders are being carried out.
In political terms, with the boss it is autocracy but with the team its democracy.
The team leader is left with the responsibility of conjuring up a balance point.
You may have to be tough on some stances, maybe even having some decided before hand, but because you let the team have their way too at different times, they would cut you some slack and concede to you at times when you need them to.
Be informed that you might get funny comments from one or two members of the team after, but the majority who consider the big picture would declare that you have done a good job especially having to deal with so many individual wills, even when people tend to fraternize just on the mere basis of familiarity.
It is your job as the leader to almost disappear sometimes and just be another member of the team; remember it does not change the fact that you are still the leader.
Thus it only creates the impression that whilst you are the leader, you are first the servant.
Service is the hallmark of leadership and it demands a lot of sacrifice.
At the end of the day, it boils done to stooping to conquer.
An effective analogy to drive the latter point home, would mean stoop from your throne, and reach out; one who wants to be helped up would stretch out the hand.
Do not come down to the ground in a bid to help someone up as you may never be able to get back up.
They might keep you on the ground, getting satisfied that you all are on the same level.
While you are stooping, if you notice they don't want to be helped up, you can go back up, with the option of trying again some other time.
In summary, the scenario looks like this: your boss piles the pressure, you are in the one in the direct line of fire, clarify all you can, so we are clear.
Apart from clarity, the boss gets the impression he is in control by interpreting every bit of the way.
Even at some point, you might even get the comment, "I know you are not dumb, you can use your head.
" Painful as it may sound, it is worth every bit of the pain, as they say "he who asks questions never goes wrong".
It paints a good picture, an opportunity to pick the logic and the grace to interpret it your own way to the team.
Everyone gets to win and it would have been worth all the effort in the end.
As mentioned earlier, your own part of the win may take the heat but the justification derived bolsters the win of itself and the vindication just keeps up the joy level in your heart.
This is a peculiar kind of joy enjoyed by achieving a set goal even against all odds.
Leadership is never easy, constantly demanding diplomacy but experience and a will to always learn and get better would easily help to find the way out.
They may look like courses uncharted before, so you don't have previously written tutorials, but pragmatism, open eyes and a brain that is alert can get you through it all.
"No pain, no gain" should be the popular motto of one who wants to lead and continue rising to the zenith of his or her potentials in leadership.
Ultimately purpose would have been fulfilled.