What Makes A Leader?

“I am thankful to those people who didn’t try. It is because of them I succeeded.”

Einstein was absolutely right. Leaders are not Martians. They have two eyes, one nose and two ears but what separates them from others is effort and determination. Leaders struggle throughout their lives to convert dreams into reality and are not put off when people label them as “eccentric”. It is their boldness to be different which makes them such an icon.

A leader is someone who people look upto because of his individuality. He is an innovator. He not only dreams it, he becomes it. He is able to inculcate his uniqueness into his successors. He leaves a new generation of real leaders behind him, to follow in his footsteps. And not just one, not just two….. ….

It takes a lot to make a leader. The notion that leadership is an inbuilt phenomenon is drivel. Rather leadership is infused into the person while he is growing up. A lot of effort and energy goes into the production of leaders. They are groomed by exceptional people around them: great parents, dedicated teachers and an encouraging society.

Leaders are not born. They are made. They are made just like anything else . . . through hard work. That's the price we have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal. - Vince Lombardi
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Leaders are mirror images of the society they represent. That is because they arise from the society. Whenever, the society starts changing its view, the attitude of leaders also changes.
Leadership is not a one-day thing. It is a constant commitment to excellence, a habit . . . a daily practice. It is the ability to go through troubled times and as Winston Churchill put it

“Never . . . Never . . . Never . . . Never Give up!”

Thus, a leader is a picture of effort, determination, boldness, innovation, principles and commitment. He is a trend setter, a bold decision maker. He accomplishes great things and inspires others to grow in responsibility and skills. He acquires these qualities during his childhood by constant interaction with the society. When he becomes an adult, these characteristic become a part of his genome. He cannot deviate from it. Leaders are made by the society itself. If the ambitious youth are encouraged by the society, then only will great leaders be produced because leaders have to be groomed just like doctors, engineers, and businessmen.