“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.” — Douglas MacArthur One continuous message that came across throughout the Kukin lecture series is that leaders in the business world come in all shapes and sizes. Most of us have an image of what a typical successful businessperson looks like; however, this image was certainly altered after hearing from the various speakers we had the privilege to learn from in our Contemporary Problems in Business class. Many of the speakers took a roundabout path to get to the place they are today, and others never expected to find themselves in the business world whatsoever. One of our first speakers, Vivien Glueck, is the CEO of a multinational company; however, she began her career working for NASA and never envisioned herself taking over her fathers’ company, Citromax. Similarly, Ziel Feldman started out as an attorney and eventually became a huge player in the real estate investment world, while Lance Hirt majored in Biology in YU before becoming a partner at a private equity firm. Some of our speakers, such as Howard Jonas and Lazar Kornwasser, displayed a laid back and approachable temperament that was both unexpected and made them much more relatable as people, as role models and as leaders. The “American dream” of having
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.
There are a variety of ways to define both leader and leadership. There is not, however, a clear definition of how to become one. There is no set list of mandatory traits, either innate or learned, that a person must embody to be considered successful or proved a failure. What I feel it takes is the right mix of strengths and weaknesses in a given situation to demonstrate effectiveness. No one person has abilities without accompanying deficiencies. It’s all in the way they are balanced. The balance in the way one uses his or hers’ abilities will ultimately determine the type of leadership one has throughout time. To support these claims I will examine a well-known leader throughout the military, General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. This essay
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." This inspirational quote came from the sixth president of the United States of America named, John Quincy Adams.
Leadership can be viewed in many different ways and possess many different qualities. There are courageous leaders, respectful leaders, terrible leaders, and seemingly insignificant leaders but leaders nonetheless. But what is it that differentiates between a strong leader and a weak leader, or a powerful leader and an insignificant one? Is it the qualities in the leader or the decisions they make in key situations that define good leadership qualities? Some would define a good leader by their ability to do the right thing even if it is not the easiest choice. Others might define a good leader as one that possesses great integrity and leads by example. The military possesses many great leaders through a process of development and molding individuals to meet expected leadership qualities like honor, courage, commitment and integrity to accomplish any mission or goal. However, this process doesn’t always create the desired effect. So, let’s examine some good and bad examples of leadership qualities and break down what and how we can emulate them.
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power” Abraham Lincoln. Leaders move their audience, create hope for them is a tough situation, and make sure they know the situation and how to handle it together. Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry were great examples of great leadership skills. Both gave speeches that many look at today and to read their speech that they preached about shows how powerful and moving they were to change everyone minds about their decisions is just amazing.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C. Maxwell
An Army Leader is able and willing to act decisively, within the intent and purpose of his superior leaders, and in the best interest of the organization. Army leaders recognize that organizations built on mutual trust and confidence, successfully accomplish peacetime and wartime missions.” (2006, P. Viii). Balance molds a leader and in turn, an effective leader is a proactive person who works a whole lot smarter. President George Bush (1997) states, “Leadership to me means duty, honor, and country; It means character and it means listening from time to time.” (Adrain, p. 35).
Leaders should be able to make these big decisions with all his confidence projecting out with his military bearing. A leader should look like a leader, disciplined, confident, and has the skills and abilities to persuade and provide their subordinates with the motivation, direction and purpose so as to accomplish a mission without being easily rattled by problems that arises.
“In order to be a good leader, there are two things to remember. Lead from the Front and always set the Example. From these two leadership principles, everything else will fall into place.”
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” This quote from Billy Graham shows the importance of someone standing up for something they believe in. That is the definition of a leader. A great leader takes that stand and runs with it allowing nothing to stop them.
I believe that to be a good leader doesn’t necessarily define as someone who sets a goal and directs people to achieve it, but as someone who may have to adapt to change based off their surroundings and situations. A leader should be someone who is able to guide with not only direction but also logic, understanding, and an open mind. Oskar Schindler proved with continued leadership that even the most dismal situations may be able to change your values and based off those values change your actions and the direction in which you choose to lead and how you influence.
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because he wants to do it”. -34th President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
In order for a leader to be a leader he/she must begin with the assumption that you are the one who matters most. As a leader you have to possess that level of confidence in yourself that you are capable of leading yourself “before you can lead others”. And when you develop this belief then you are better able of affirmative influence “on others”.
Throughout history our country has had many leaders. Whether you’re the leader of a business, military platoon, or the leader of our great nation you were withheld with the honor and trust to govern the actions and best interests of fellow Americans. But just because you have achieved the title of a leader does not by default make you a good leader. A good leader is a person who has risen above and beyond to show cooperation, perseverance, and respect to decisions made by those still above you at one point in time. “As a seasoned member of the military, you’ve risen through the ranks because you understood your mission and performed your duties with distinction. At this stage of your career, your most important contribution may be how well you take care of the service members and