Answer:
The title of the poem The Leader and the Led by Niyi Osundare speaks to the various dimensions of attitude within the ambit of Leadership.
It speaks to the indivisible union between leadership and followership.
In the first line, he opens up the poem by describing the attribute of the Leader as a lion who is unafraid to stake his claim. He contrasts that with the Antelope who is always fearful and reminded of the paws of the Lion.
It speaks therefore to the requirement of the Leader to be strong when he or she has to be. It also indicates that the leader cannot always be nice.
By an Ironic statement in line 9, he points out the reason why a duplicitous person cannot lead. He likens such a person to a Zebra. Duplicity equals the inability to inspire trust. Trust is an essential and critical quality for a leader. In line 10 he communicates that the followers are not as powerless as they have been painted to be in line 6 as fearful Impalas, for they also have the ability to finger the flaws of a leader to limelight and remove their following from he or she.
Lines 19 and 20 suffices in the description of a balanced leader as one who must be firm when it is required and gentle when the occasion calls for it.
The entire imagery painted by the poem is a fine depiction of leadership using metaphorical analogies of the animal kingdom.
For as in the animal kingdom, animals have leadership and following, so also do humans.
