How to Be a Great Leader

Andrew Gardella

Mr. Dykes

English 255

24 April 2012

How to Be a Great Leader

“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.”- Henry A. Kissinger. There have been many leaders since the dawn of man, but very few have upheld the reputation of being a truly great leader. No matter who you are or where you come from, there is always a need for a leader. Unsurprisingly, this is not an easy task; it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become someone who is capable of leading others. However, this is why I am writing this paper: to inform you how to lead others. The definition of a leader, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, states that a leader is someone who has “commanding authority or influence”. Throughout the years, there have been excellent examples of people who personify what it really takes to be a great leader. I have selected three leaders who demonstrated brilliant but different leadership qualities in their lives. In no particular order, I chose Alexander the Great, Mahatma Ghandi, and a more recent leader, Steve Jobs. Each of these candidates is a proven leader, but they also have their own unique ways of leading.

One of the reasons why I chose Alexander the Great as an example of a great leader is because he did something that will likely never occur again. He ruled, what was then, the entire known world, and what was even more impressive, he did this all by the age of thirty-two. His empire extended from Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. He is also considered one of the greatest military minds of all time because of his revolutionary military tactics and his calculating demeanor. But what separates Alexander the Great from other leaders is that he led by example. From what ancient historians have gathered on him, his followers admired most because whenever he said he was going to do something, he did it. There were no “maybes” or “I might”. Without a doubt, he set the bar high for future leaders in front of him.

Despite having no military background, Mahatma Ghandi is another great example of how to be a leader. He was a political leader during the Indian Independence struggle during the early to mid-twentieth century. He is particularly known for his ideology of 'Satyagraha' or non-violence, which led to the freedom of India from the oppressive British rule. His beliefs on non-violence have even inspired great leaders of today, like the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. But what really made him a great leader was his ability to communicate effectively with his followers. Nearly everyone who listened to him was inspired because he gave a clear direction of what he believed and his tactics on non-violence. However, a Hindu extremist assassinated Ghandi in 1948 because he believed that he was weakening India due to his beliefs.  Although the assassin may have succeeded in killing Ghandi, he failed in trying to eradicate his beliefs. Ghandi became a martyr to his people and stood for something far more important than himself. He became an international icon for peace.

A more recent leader, who is largely considered one of the greatest minds of his generation, is Steve Jobs. Despite his recent and untimely death, he was still able to revolutionize the computer, music, and publishing industries. As one of the co-founders of Apple, he was able to set the groundwork for what would eventually be one of the most successful computer companies in the world. But what makes Jobs a great leader was not just his creativity and his ideas for innovation, but his persistence to never give up. In the mid-80’s, Jobs had a “falling out” with one of his partners and was left with what he felt was his only option. He left, Apple, the company he helped create. He then went out and started a new company called NeXT Computer. However, only twelve years later, Apple saw the innovative work he was doing, and the company decided to acquire the company. Jobs was then selected as the new CEO of the company. He could have easily have given up after resigning from Apple and lived off his small fortune he made, but that was not enough for him. Because of his persistent nature, he did not give up, and he ultimately became the face of a new generation of technology.

Without these three leaders, I think it would be safe to say that the world as we know it would be much different. All three of these leaders are considered great because of what they have accomplished and for what they have instilled into future generations. However, you don’t have to be a world renowned leader to be great, and that’s why I’m not asking you to do that. I’m here to tell you that if you want to be a great leader, no matter who you are, you should follow these leaders example, and take from each one of them what they did best: the ability to lead by example, have a clear direction/vision, and be persistent. I’m confident that if you can learn from these leaders’ actions, you will become a successful leader in your own right, no matter the magnitude of it.