It鈥檚 an essay on what makes a good leader. Please feel free to add anything you want to it. I originally had it separated in to paragraphs. But I wasn鈥檛 allowed to post so many characters. I know its still a lot to read. I had to write 2 pages.
Everyday, everywhere, we see leaders of all fields all around us, from a President to a class representative, who people are leading us in some way. The word lead is defined in Merriam Webster's as ''to guide on a way, especially by going in advance; to direct on a course; to serve as a channel for''; but, what makes a good leader? According to the wisdom of Chinese philosopher Confucius, the best leaders are often the most reluctant. In other words, too much ambition can get in the way of good leadership. In the world, there is a tendency to confuse power with force; accomplishment with busy-work. We often forget that less is often more, and leadership often justifies itself more by what it doesn't do than by pushing its weight around. The best leaders know when to put on the brakes, when to stand back and let others make decisions and receive glory, when to say less and listen more, when to rule rather than govern. Management breeds contempt, and a truly great leader is one who effectively empowers others. An overly controlling nature makes for bad management. A strong leader knows that it is often better to be on ''stand-by'' and be a good listener, than to rush around trying to prove a point and overshooting the goals of a group. Yet, a good leader must also know when to assert authority and ''take charge'' even if only as a last resort. An effective leader does not aim to make others dependent, but encourages and motivates others towards greater self-sufficiency. Strong nations, households and businesses are built when the individuals within have cultivated a wholesome sense of self confidence. A truly great leader knows how to inspire others to their own greatness. Know What You Believe. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 know what you stand for, if you don鈥檛 know what you believe, or who you are, you can鈥檛 lead anyone.鈥滻t is essential for a good leader to have a vision, to know where you want the organization you lead to go, and not be overly influenced by public opinion. Ronald Regan exactly thought this when he was President. He set and stuck by his beliefs and goals whether or not they were popular, especially regarding communism and large government. So many of his goals were accomplished by him just knowing what he believed in. Martin Luther King, Jr., believed that he could use nonviolence to change the country, and to bring about greater equality. Despite the fact that the civil rights leader鈥檚 idea was disliked鈥攈e had critics on both the Right and Left鈥擪ing stuck with his idea because he believed in it and, like Reagan, he brought about tremendous change in this country. Whether you run a business, organization, or household, a leader is like a captain of a ship who has to have both a destination and a vision of how to reach it. All too often, when a new politician or other official gets elected, the first thing he sets about doing is to make himself look busy, an element to defend his salary and position. This often results in unnecessary, confusing and complicated change to the structure or system he was appointed to steward. The best leader knows the adage ''If it doesn't need fixing, don't fix it!'' More legislation does not make for less crime; more busywork does not make for better accomplished goals. So often, the best a good leader can do is to trim an already over-bloated body politic, or to simply stand back and grace his subjects with some breathing space to review their own problem. More often than not, the problem is with an imperious system of power that has discouraged its people from thinking for themselves. Most importantly, a good leader is a ''peacemaker.'' A peacemaker knows how to exude calm when calm is needed; knows how to nurture and soothe relations between others and is a means for trust. A good leader acts with honor and dignity in any conflict, setting an example for others to do the same. That is the kind of leader that can truly be looked up to. But why do some leaders shine under pressure while others fold? What was it that former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani harnessed that allowed him to lead at his best during the infamous terrorist attacks on American soil? Rudy Giuliani said, ''Courage is about managing fear.'' On that September morning some years ago, a memory of his father came to him. In it, the Brooklyn plumber and bartender was telling his only child, ''In a crisis, you have to become the calmest person in the room.'' Giuliani became more than that. His suit coated with ash from the wreckage, he stood defiant, promising that New Yorkers would show the world the meaning of courage. He soothed victims' families, attended funerals of police, and firefighters rallied his fellow citizens on radio and television. He'd overcome hardships before, including a bitter, public end to his marriage, and a battle with prostate cancer. Alongside the terrifying challenges of 9/11, they're the kind of events that could shatter anyone's public and personal life. But Giuliani's determination to triumph was stronger than ever. Leaders are great people. Leaders can have a great influence over the lives of the people they lead. Great leaders challenge their people to attempt great things they would never try on their own. They inspire their people to go places they never would go on their own. They inspire their people to think thoughts they never knew they had.
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