A Genuine Leader Cultivates Leadership Qualities in Their Followers, Says Chairman of Minhaj-ul-Quran International Supreme Council
He Addresses an Academic Gathering of M.Phil. and Ph.D. Scholars at the College of Shariah and Islamic Sciences.
Speaking at an intellectual session titled “Leadership Development” organized by the College of Shariah and Islamic Sciences at the central secretariat, Professor Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, said that a true leader prioritizes values over power and nurtures leadership qualities in their followers. He emphasized that one who does not listen cannot truly understand, and that positions, authority, and resources are trusts entrusted to individuals.
He stated that when leadership becomes devoid of character, nations fall apart. Leadership is meant to guide nations out of crises; if crises continue to worsen despite the presence of leadership, it is a sign that leadership is being misused and people are being deceived in its name.
Dr. Hassan Qadri said that a genuine leader develops leadership qualities in others and empowers them to become leaders themselves. A leader is not someone who treats every virtue as personal property and confines it to themselves. Leadership is not about issuing commands and hurting others; rather, it is about persuading and inspiring people through good character and sound reasoning. A leader is generous and broad-minded; a narrow-minded and miserly person cannot be a true leader.
He further explained that every individual is a leader within their sphere of influence. A father is the leader of his household, a manager is the leader of an office, and the captain of a team is the leader of its players. Leadership exists at different levels, and each level carries its own responsibilities and significance.
He noted that if public leaders truly understood that the authority and resources entrusted to them are the nation's trust, they would never allow even a single penny of the people's hard-earned money to be wasted. A leader is recognized by knowledge, wisdom, competence, integrity, trustworthiness, patience, and self-sufficiency. A leader not only speaks but also listens. A true leader is neither impulsive nor deceptive; their speech is sound, and their thinking is progressive.
According to Dr. Hassan Qadri, a leader possesses the God-given insight to see beyond immediate circumstances and is concerned not only with the present but also with ensuring a prosperous future for coming generations. In accordance with the Prophetic model, every responsibility, authority, and resource is not a privilege but a trust.
Advising the students, he urged them to become servant leaders, explaining that a servant leader places values above power and regards authority as a means of service. A good leader has the patience to listen and leads with compassion rather than harshness.
The seminar was also addressed by Dr. Mumtaz-ul-Hasan Barvi, Principal of the College of Shariah and Islamic Sciences.
Among the distinguished participants were Mufti Abdul Qayyum Khan Hazaarvi, Al-Haj Abdul Ghafoor Qadri, Professor Dr. Muhammad Akram Rana, Professor Dr. Shafaqat Ali Baghdadi Al-Azhari, Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Najm, Brigadier (Retd.) Umar Hayat, Colonel (Retd.) Khalid Javed, Noorullah Siddiqui, Professor Dr. Faizullah Baghdadi, Maqsood Ahmad Noshahi, along with numerous scholars, faculty members, researchers, Ph.D. students, central leaders of Minhaj-ul-Quran, and heads of various departments who attended in large numbers.
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