Leaders are innovative: Sometimes as leaders, we know what we have to do; we just don't seem to have everything we need to do it. This is where innovation comes in. Billa and Meliga had to think outside the box in order to be able to meet up with each other. Without this innovative thinking, their villages would never have been unified. They could have simply looked at their situation and given up, but they went out of their way to come up with a solution to their problem. With innovation and the right attitude, almost anything is possible.
Leaders complete tasks to the best of their abilities: The hermit did not know that his drums would be the force that would unite the two villages together – he just did something he was good at, and he did it well. Had he not done a good job, the villages wouldn’t have noticed their sound and would have continued fighting. Leaders strive to be leaders in everything they do, not just the task of being a leader itself.
A leader makes use of their talents (and brings out those in others): If the hermit had kept his talent hidden and did not make the drums for Billa and Meliga, the two villages might never have been united. You never know where your talent can take you - and we all have one talent or another. As leaders, you also want to be able to bring out hidden talents in those around you so that everyone is the best they can be.
A leader makes a positive influence: In the last chapter, Meliga and Billa led all the children in their respective villages in merrymaking accompanied by the playing of drums. As young leaders, they influenced their fathers who did not exhibit good leadership qualities in solving their conflict and therefore influenced their society positively. Here, we learn that we do not need to be adults to influence our communities in a positive way. Young as we are, we can contribute our quota in influencing our societies positively just like Meliga and Billa (our young leaders) in the story did.
A leader does not pull others down to preserve him or herself: Despite threats from his wicked uncle, Billa refused to pour poison into the source of water Meliga’s village drank from. Meliga and Billa were determined to keep the friendship they had found regardless of the punishment they knew awaited them if caught. This helped them achieve success in the long run; their friendship led to the peace between their villages. As leaders, it is important to remember that pulling others down is beneficial only in the short term.
Leaders show kindness and compassion: When Billa and Meliga came across the hermit, they had never met him before in their lives. He was tired and found it difficult to see because of all the dust. Billa and Meliga didn’t think twice about helping him; they carried his load, took him to the water hole and fetched water for him to clean out his eyes. Like Billa and Meliga, leaders go out of their way to help others.
A leader must strive for peace: The fact that there was constant tension between the two villages meant that they could never work together. The more people you have working together to achieve something, the greater your chances of success. As leaders we must be able to quickly resolve conflicts to ensure you can get the best out of everyone. Where would the Black Stars or any other team (sporting or otherwise) be if the members of the team decided not to cooperate with each other?
Leaders give good counsel: When Billa and Meliga noticed that their villages were on fire due to the fighting that had broken out, each wanted to rush back home. Kange the hermit had other ideas. He realised that it was not safe for them to go and advised they wait a while instead. It’s easy to panic when a bad situation arises, but leaders are able to see through that and find the best course of action to take. When they do, they share with others instead of keeping it to themselves.
