I couldn’t sleep after having a deep and honest conversation with a few good friends about leadership. We spoke not just about its power, but also its burdens. The moments of solitude, the hard decisions, and the quiet accountability it demands.
So, I got up and took the Qur’an. I remembered the story of Prophet Musa, the shepherd and the two daughters he helped at the well. I turned to Surah Al-Qasas, and verse 26 struck me again as if I was reading it for the first time:
“Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and trustworthy.”
This verse contains two essential traits for leadership. First is Al-Qawiy (the strong and competent) and second is Al-Amin (the trustworthy and sincere). It was the daughter’s recommendation to her father about Prophet Musa.
The two traits remain relevant today, becoming an eternal guideline for choosing leaders and assessing ourselves.
Leadership Is Not a Title – It’s a Trust
To many, leadership is seen as a symbol of power, prestige, and influence. It is a position to be desired where others follow your instructions, listen to your vision, and respect your decisions. But this perception is incomplete.
Leadership is not merely a title. It is a responsibility. Leadership is amanah, a trust that must be carried with honesty, courage, and accountability. It’s not about personal gain but public good. It’s not about being served but serving others.
With every position of leadership comes the weight of people’s hopes, expectations, and sometimes their silence.
Al-Qawiy: Strong, Competent, and Decisive
The first quality mentioned is Al-Qawiy. It refers to more than physical strength. It signifies competence, confidence, courage, and decisiveness. A strong leader understands the big picture is quick to act in times of need and does not shy away from difficult decisions.
Being al-qawiy means having the mental and emotional strength to navigate uncertainty. It’s the ability to lead under pressure, take responsibility when things go wrong, and act even when the path ahead is unclear.
Unfortunately, in many organisations today, we see leaders who avoid risk. They delay action, avoid hard conversations, and prefer the ‘safety’ of consensus. But what they often forget is:
Not making a decision is also a decision. And in many cases, it’s the worst one.
Indecisiveness creates confusion, erodes credibility, and stalls momentum. In critical moments, people don’t expect leaders to be perfect, but they need them to be present, clear, and courageous.
Leadership requires strength, not in overpowering others, but in standing firm when it’s easier to give in. Not in control, but in conviction.
Al-Amin: Trustworthy, Sincere, and Ethical
The second quality, Al-Amin, is equally important. It represents honesty, integrity, and reliability. A trustworthy leader is consistent between words and actions, transparent in intent, and loyal to the people, not to personal ambition.
Trust is the foundation of leadership. Without it, even the most talented or intelligent leader will struggle to inspire and mobilise others. People follow leaders they believe in. Leaders whose values they can trust.
We have seen capable individuals fail in leadership roles simply because they lacked integrity. Their decisions served private interest, not public need. Likewise, we’ve seen sincere individuals with good hearts, but lacking the strength to act, remain passive in times when leadership was desperately needed.
Leadership is not just about the mind. It is also about the heart.
Nice vs. Kind: A Leadership Dilemma
There is also a confusion between being nice and being kind. Many leaders try to please everyone, avoid difficult truths, and create harmony at all costs. This is being nice, but nice is not always kind.
Being nice is about being liked.
Being kind is about doing what is right.
A kind leader gives honest feedback. A kind leader sets clear expectations, enforces accountability, and makes tough calls when needed, not to hurt, but to help the team grow.
True kindness is built on sincerity and strength, exactly what Al-Amin and Al-Qawiy represent.
The Balance We Must Strive For
True leadership lies in the balance between strength and trust.
Al-Qawiy without Al-Amin becomes tyranny.
Al-Amin without Al-Qawiy becomes weakness.
To be an effective leader, one must have both the competence to lead and the character to be trusted.
As we reflect on Surah Al-Qasas: 26, let us remember that leadership is not about applause or visibility. It is about serving silently, acting wisely, and deciding bravely. It is about carrying the burden with both heart and hand.
To those entrusted with leadership, whether in families, classrooms, companies, universities, or countries:
Be strong. Be trustworthy.
And above all, be brave enough to decide.
Because to lead is not to rise above others, but to carry the weight of their trust, with strength, sincerity, and a servant’s heart.
At the end of the day, all you want is to be able to say to yourself, “God knows, as a leader, I have tried my very best to do what is right, for the people and for the organisation I was entrusted to serve.”
Note: Dr Azizi is a professor at the Malaysian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship and Business (MGSEB), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (https://mgseb.umk.edu.my). He can be contacted at [email protected]
