So you want to be a leader? Good for you! It's an admirable trait in a world where so many abdicate roles and simply choose to follow along. It would appear that there is not a very deep pool to draw from nowadays when it comes to qualified leaders. Kinda makes you ask the question "What really is a leader?" doesn't it? It's election year and we have seen a dozen or so come and go... aspiring leaders that couldn't quite meet muster. They didn't endear themselves to the people. So what makes a leader (or what should?)?
I dare say this is not an easy question, but a few things stand out clearly...
1) a leader is not his own person. We have seen this failure with the current administration, pushing personal agendas and disregarding the people in preference to his own desires and wishes. A leader serves at the will of the people. He does the will of the people. The majority, that is. He lays himself aside in order to do what is right for the whole. And this brings me to #2.
2) A leader must be a man of principle and willing to stand for what is right, using wisdom to discern between the "wants" of the people and the "needs" of the people. This may sometimes bring him into conflict with the people's will, but I believe a balanced leader can walk the line on this and effectively convey this idea in a way that is understandable and acceptable to most reasonable people.
3) He's not afraid to be wrong and owns up to it. All men make mistakes. There is no room in good leadership for spin doctoring. Being a man of principle means that you sometimes take chances and sometimes they fail. Sometimes ideas are not good and you need to go back and start over. This is what a successful leader does.
4) He knows his allies and stands by them. A good leader does not abandon those who have stood next to him (or his country) and cavort with the enemy. His principles keep him above people pleasing and encourage him to do what is right even if your enemy is angered.
5) Taking a stand sometimes means going into battle. This means preparing for a fight, even when you don't want one. Remember Top Gun? Remember Goose's response to the Russian MIG when he was inverted over top of him? We have just had a similar event take place except our roles were reversed. A Russian plane barrel rolled over a US fighter jet. Our response? It was unprofessional. We are being provoked constantly by outside forces and our current leadership's response is not to stand up, but to cry "UNFAIR!". It is the feminization of our country, that we cannot take any real stand against affronts to us. I am not talking about bullying, I am talking about standing up to bullies.
6) A leader realizes that since his life is not his own, sacrifices must be made. This means that his entertainment time is often interrupted for the sake of the people. Leisure is not a right, it is a privilege. One that is often denied to those who serve, and so to should it be for those who lead them.
7) Finally, a leader is a leader all the time. It's not just a job, it is a lifestyle. A leader lives and breathes who and what he is all the time. What makes a man? What he does in private, when no one sees him. Not what he does in front of the world. This is why the Clintons will never be real leaders.
This certainly isn't a complete list, and I am sure there are more. Certainly there is a high cost of leadership. It is no small thing for sure. What do you think?
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