What Makes A Leader A True Leader

When I think of the word, leader, so many things come to mind. For example, people like Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Jesus, and Nelson Mandela. People like Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong Il, and Fidel Castro come to mind as well. There are many types of leaders and leadership styles in the world. There are monarchies, dictatorships, republics, theocracies, and autocracies. Preachers, teachers, and even parents are leaders, even though how they lead is less publicized. I think that there are only two types of leaders in the world, leaders who make a difference for the better and leaders who do not. I want to focus on the true leaders, the ones who make the world a better place.

Honesty, confidence, responsibility, enthusiasm, reliability, patience, decisiveness, determination, loyalty, and courage are all vital qualities a leader must have.

Honesty- If a leader is not honest, then people won't trust the leader.

Confidence- A leader must have confidence in everything they do. It kind of goes back to the trust, if a leader doesn't trust them self, then why should people trust them?

Responsibility- A leader should be accountable, not only to the people, but to them self as well. So they should hold them self responsible for their actions, and not blame other people for their mistakes.

Enthusiasm- A leader should be excited about whatever they are doing. If the leader is excited, then the followers will get excited. Enthusiasm is contagious

Reliability- A leader should always be there when someone needs them. Also if a leader says they are going to do something, then they should do whatever they said they were going to do. It all about TRUST.

Patience- Honestly, who wants a leader that blows up at people all the time? Who wants a leader that never takes time to things carefully, because they don't want to take things slow? That's right, no one does. So a good leader must have patience.

Decisiveness- A leader should always make a decision and stick too it. No one wants to follow someone who is always changing their mind. People want stability.

Determination- A leader should always finish what they start. A leader must NEVER give up, no matter what the obstacles are.

Loyalty- I feel like this one is a big one. It goes back to the trust thing too. People want a leader they feel will stick the tough times out with them. People don't want a leader who will leave them, when the road gets a little bumpy.

Courage- A true leader must have courage. A leader must be strong enough, to stick with their followers. They must be strong enough to make decisions, and admit their mistakes. They must be strong enough to keep going, when the future looks bleak.