The Quran
“And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only).”[Quran; 21:73]
“And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs.” [Qur’an; 32:24]
Hadith
(See Conflict Resolution)
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: It is obligatory for you to listen to the ruler and obey him in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and displeasure, and even when another person is given (rather undue) preference over you. [Sahih Muslim]
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Malik that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad visited Ma’qil b. Yaser in the latter’s illness. Ma’qil said to him: I am narrating to you a tradition. If I were not at death’s door, I would not narrate it to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) say: A ruler who, having obtained control over the affairs of the Muslims, does not strive for their betterment and does not serve them sincerely shall not enter Paradise with them. [Sahih Muslim]
“Avert the legal penalties from the Muslims as much as possible, if he has a way out then leave him to his way, for if the Imam makes a mistake in forgiving it would be better than making mistake in punishment.” [Tirmidhi]
“O `Abdur-Rahman! Do not seek to be a ruler, for if you are given authority on your demand then you will be held responsible for it, but if you are given it without asking (for it), then you will be helped (by Allah) in it. If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that something else is better, then you should expiate your oath and do what is better.” [Sahih Bukhari]
Two men from my tribe and I entered upon the Prophet. One of the two men said to the Prophet, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! Appoint me as a governor,” and so did the second. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “We do not assign the authority of ruling to those who ask for it, nor to those who are keen to have it.” [Sahih Bukhari]
“Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise.” [Sahih Bukhari]
“It has been reported on the authority of ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Samura who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: ‘Abd al-Rahman, do not ask for a position of authority, for if you are granted this position as a result of your asking for it, you will be left alone (without God’s help to discharge the responsibilities attendant thereon), and if you are granted it without making any request for it, you will be helped (by God in the discharge of your duties).” [Sahih Muslim]
Leadership is a social exchange process. There can be no leader without followers and no followers without leaders. The leader is the visionary of an entity and must communicate the vision clearly and with confidence. The followers must share the vision and be willing to collaborate for the achievement of that vision.
During the process, the leader plays the role of a motivator and coach, yet he cannot force others to change. They must be inspired to change. Leadership, therefore, requires the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor that binds a group to work together.
Further Resources
[Video Collection] Simon Sinek
[Video] How Great Leaders Inspire Action
[Video] Top 10 Rules for Success
Girl Up Leadership Development