In the Iroquois Constitution, several important leadership qualities are mentioned. What do you believe is the most important quality for a leader to have? Why? Do you believe we actually see that quality in our leaders today? Why/why not?
PS--there's also a informal poll on the left side of the blog that I'd like you to take. Only vote once!
31 comments:
I think the most important part of a leader to have is their commitment to be one. If a leader has no commitment, everything will be accomplished with lesser results then a Committed one would. Leaders would also need to place themselves in the followers shoes. They would then see if they were to easy, harsh, understandable etc... A good leader would try to get as much as he/she can get done, but must know the limit. If what he does pushes or works his people too hard they would lose morale and would lose the spirit of following the leader. A leader would also need to think clearly, in todays reading Dekanawida planted and grew the tree of Great peace for his people. He changed they way the natives lived for the next 2 years after he vanished. I believe everyone today has strong leadership skills, but since its buried deeper in some people than others, they would need to train themselves to unearth the skills. The more one can find new ways to lead, it adds to their leadership abilities. One who never looks into their leadership will never be able to unearth their skills because they have not bothered to touch it. I think leadership is in everyone, it just needs to be trained... like by doing it yourself or following another leaders footsteps.
I would first like to point out that I enjoy the "Welcome to the Craziness" heading. Do you think that we could change this to "Welcome to the Awesomenessocity" next time? **Ask Katie for pronunciation guide...
Moving on...
I think the most important quality of a leader is understanding of the people. This is especially important for leaders of many. If a leader forgets that they are just as human as those they are leading, then they forget how to relate to their people. People don't like to follow someone that they believe doesn't understand them. A leader can't lead if no one is following, so it is very important that they always put their people before themselves and try to relate to them in a peaceful manner.
I don't believe that this quality is prevelent in leaders today. This is because the stakes are higher. There is more money for the bigger leaders, more power, more fame, and more glory. Often times, leaders become more focused on their own personal goals than on the reason they were elected to be a leader. Because of this, bad relations form in or between countries. In the end, it is the people who will suffer most for their leaders. It is wise for leaders to remember this and always strive to do what is best for their followers.
I believe the most important quality in a leader is wisdom, experience is a close second. It is extremely vital that a leader makes the correct decision 100% of the time. I believe that our leaders today have trouble with this, and because of it, our country is worse off than it really should be. A real leader should know how to keep his people loyal and supportive as well, he shouldn't let them become unruly. Also, a good leader must know what their limits are.
I believe that the most important quality for a leader is to have a good personality. One's personality greatly contributes to many other qualitites of a good leader. A good leader is committed to the job, understands the people under him/her, knows the limits, has a good work ethic, and doesn't misuse the power. These are just some things that are part of a good leader. A leader with a good personality will get better results compared to a dictoral leader. Even though the dictator will get results, they are just there because the people under him/her are scared of him/her. If a person has a positive attitude and personality, they will be able to look at both ends of a situation and take care of it in a considerate way without getting beat up... I see good, positive personalities and attitudes everyday!!! It puts me at ease because many of the band leaders and have the quality that I chose. I notice that the people with a positive, encouraging, and fun personality are successful leaders in everything they do. If we find a mistake in the music or forms, we don't lie and sugar-coat everything we say, but we don't make them do cymbol laps either.(as much fun as that would be...) Anyway, we couldn't get some of the great leaders we have now without the help of previous leaders, so that just proves that there have and always will be great leaders in band!!!! This doesn't just go for band; it also gowes for all of the sport teams at KHS. The teams wouldn't do as well as they do if they didn't have the great leaders that they have now. Leaders have to know when to stop pushing and be a regular person in the ranks again otherwise they will over do it and the moral of the team/whatever will go down. Leaders have to take responsibility for their actions, so they have to try and plan things out before hand. Leaders have to be caring and sensitive or they might make people feel left out and hurt. I do believe that a good personality is key to a great leader. I have witnessed it in band just like Katie, Adam, and the other leaders in this class. We know how great we can be if we try.
I believe that the most important quality in a leader is the ability to stand and think clearly in times of pressure and caos. They have to be able to make good decisions and stick to it when everyone around them is pressuring them to make a some kind of decision. I beleive there are some of leaders who have this quality, but a lot of them would fold under pressure and just lose it. This was shown in the recent war how a decision, but a few months later because of pressure from citizens and others was looked upon as a bad decision. Most of them want to pull out the troops immediately, but if they do that then the Iraquis will be left to stand for themselves and im pretty sure they won't like that. Most of our leaders don't really think before they talk and it can cause problems.
I notice how when a group gets to choose the leader, it's always a popularity contest. Sure, the people like the personality of the leader and everything, but is that person really going to do good for the people just because he/she is a nice person? What happened to the skills and decision making? Those are important. I agree with Gilly that leaders should stick to what they believe is the right thing for the group, even if they don't like it. They chose the leader then they should trust the leader, no matter how hard the decision starts out, there's gotta be a reason he/she made that choice. In the end, i believe people will see the benefit. I really don't think leaders should just be nice and make people happy, they should push the people when needed, because only then can people show their full potential.
Honestly, i don't pay attention to politics and i don't know if the current leaders have these qualities, but i don't like the process of choosing leaders, whether its a presidential campaign or students choosing representatives. No one actually takes time to analyze whether these people will represent us or do the right thing. Well, at least I don't think so. I think that might be the bad side of democracy. The leaders feel pressured to represent the people but no one knows if the people are making the right choices. I mean they don't know how big of a deal it is that each choice affects the whole region/country/world/universe. They also don't have the experience or education the leaders do that helps them make decisions. Most people don't anyway.
dang it! i meant to hide the last part...
I think all leaders need to be able to listen to the people their leading and accept their advice. They need do actually accomplish things and keep the promises they make. A leader needs to be trustworthy and smart and willing to take action. I think a leader needs all of these things so th epeoplel they are leading are able to trust them and are able to rely on them. We definetly see some of these qualities in our leaders but not all of them. Why? because nobodys perfect.
in my opinion, the most important part of being a leader is being able to listen to the people. When a person is elected as leader, it is so they can help the people. therefore, they need to be able to hear what the people want and then make it happen. There is nothing worse than a leader that just does whatever they think is right and not what the people want. the people are the reason they are there so the leader cannot forget about them.
as for whether our leaders have this quality, i think that they like to think that they do, but often times it is more about what they want. There are some leaders out there that try to listen to the people, but they get caught up with everything else and forget why the people wanted them in the first place.
The most important leadership quality for a leader is to have the respect of other people. The person that I think of when I think of a good leader is Mr. S. In jazz band we have fun just picking at each other but when he tells us what to do we do immediately because we respect him. In today’s world I don't really have any respect for our leaders because they are always trying to be the president or something. While they are trying to be one of this people they are stabbing each other in the backs every step of the way. I just can't give someone respect when they are stabbing there competitors in the back.
Have you ever met someone that always has the right words to say?They have like the abilty to make ne one cry or ne one laugh? They always know exactly what to say when times get you down. They jus no how to connect with everyon...well I think that that would be the most important quality for a leader to have. I agree with the hippie on this, that is so important for the leader to get through with there audience because if a leader can not connect to the ppl they are talking to, then no one is going to listen. The people need someone who is going to make them feel better and understand their feelings too.
i don't believe that this quality is present in our leaders today. Most of the time they are jus in it for the fame and money. They don't think bout everyone else, they jus think bout themselves. They often get caught up in their own personal goals to win, instead of setting goals for their country and then helping them acheive them. I think that our leaders today need to learn how to connect with the ppl and know the right words to say.
I think everyone’s points so far have been pretty good, and I agree with all of them. The most important quality for being a leader is the ability to be selfless, which encompasses many of the other points people have made. If a person wants to be a leader, why do they feel the need to backstab the other potential leaders and concentrate on their weak points? Yes, I know, it’s a necessary part of politics, but seriously, if a person wants the best for the people he/she wants to lead, why bash everyone else who wants that opportunity? I’m not saying potential leaders need to say “Vote for the other person since they’re better than me,” but do they need to say “Vote for me because the other person will seriously stink?” Their opponent(s) would not have made it that far if they weren’t qualified and good for the job.
Another thing-how much are our leaders getting paid? The governor of Nebraska gets paid $105,000 a year. Our president is getting paid $400,000 dollars a year, plus other benefits, like $19,000 in entertainment money. WHAT? I like where my tax money is going… ha. I understand that he has an important job, but if he wanted to be a good leader (in my opinion), we wouldn’t have to pay him so much. Other presidents have given away their salary or only asked for a portion of it. I like them. Senators and members of the House of Representatives are paid about $169,300. Oh, and by the way, they get a nice little pension plan for the rest of their lives, too. Regular citizens somehow get by with $40,000 to $50,000 a year. Why can’t they?
One other thing completely irrelevant to the selfless quality-they should write their own speeches. We did not vote for the leader’s speechwriter into the leadership role. I don’t care if someone proofs the speech or tweaks it, but it’s not the leader’s words coming out of his/her mouths. Yes, I understand that the speechwriter uses the leader’s ideas, but it’s like me telling my mom “Yeah, I have this English project to do. Here are the things I need in it. Have fun.” Well, not really. Add “Oh, and you get paid between $50,000 and $100,000 dollars a year.” There we go. By the way-the White House has four speechwriters. FOUR! If one speechwriter’s getting paid $100,000 a year, he can write a few speeches a day.
By the way-I might have solved my small box problem. Maybe using Microsoft Word will help.
No. I still despise the little box. Epic fail with Microsoft Word. :-(
AHHHH! THE PARAGRAPHS ARE NOT CLEAR! THERE ARE THREE PARAGRAPHS! Please pretend that there is a blank line above the paragraph that starts "Another thing-how much..." in my first entry. Thank you and have a lovely evening/morning/lunch.
i think the most important trait for a leader to have is intelligence. they need to be able to make quick decisions and do it with everyone in mind. obviously the leaders that we have today dont have it.....just look at our current president for example i think that the reason we dont have smart people in office is because the public tends to vote for the more popular one the one with more money or whatever
The most important quaility that a leader should have is dedication.
Of course, it's always a good idea for a leader to have some intelligence, but let's just say the leader in question is already a smart person. If a leader is dedicated to his or her cause/beliefs, then he or she will stop at nothing to make sure that the goals are met. Even if the leader is not the most popular person in the world, that wouldn't matter because the person would be dedicated to what he believes and he would (in the words of Larry the Cable Guy) "Get 'er done." Having a dedicated leader would be great because that would mean the leader is committed, good for the people, and good for the country.
I don't really know much about our leaders, but it seems to me that politicians always make promises in elections that never seem to be kept. This kind of irks me off a bit because we elect them based on what they say they will do for us, and once they are elected, they twist their promises into something completely different that we never would have wanted if we knew what the person truly meant. So I guess honesty goes along with dedication, because a leader may be a terrible person, but if he's dedicated to being terrible, then he's gonna do it, but if he was honest and said he was a terrible guy, then he never would have been elected in the first place. Get it? (Nothing against guys btw, it's just too much work writing 'he or she' all the time.)
I could not think of just one quality to be the most important for a good leader to have. In fact the most important quality for a leader to have is to have many good qualities. A leader must be well rounded in all aspects or they won’t get very far. One quality a leader needs is to be able to stay focused on the goal at hand and work as hard as possible to achieve that goal. If a leader doesn’t work as hard as they can then how do they expect their followers to work hard. Like I said before a leader needs to work hard but only to the point where the people their leading can still handle it. A leader shouldn’t want to exhaust others, they should make sure everyone is trying their best but not over work them so they want to quit or their not having fun. That brings me to my next point. A leader needs to know the balance between work and fun. They need to know when to mess around and make jokes and then be able to stop as soon as it’s time to get serious. A good personality would help make it easier to have fun. Leaders also need to be able to work well with others. If they can’t and someone is having a problem then the leader won’t be able to work with them to fix it and move on. A leader must always stick with their argument and take the blame if their wrong or share the reward if they are right. All of these qualities listed, I think are equally important because if one is taken away the leaders quality would go down drastically because they all go together.
I think our leaders today have these qualities today because if they didn’t then things would fall apart. For example, although not everyone likes our current president, he makes hard decisions not all of us could make and the country still stands. Another example of how leaders today have these qualities is the Kearney High band. I’ve seen leaders in our band with these qualities and it’s shown by how much we have achieved in the small amount of time we’ve had while still having fun.
I think being a leader is a very difficult thing. A leader has to believe in their cause and especially themselves. Although they have to be willing to take other people beliefs and thoughts into account. I believe that the most important quality for a leader to have is being truthful, doing the right thing, and believing in their cause. These qualities are very important because it is what makes a leader admirable. In my opinion that's what I see in a good leader. A leader that lies, does not have a mind of their own, and if they do not have indiviulity that does not appeal to me. Sometimes for me its hard to see that in our leaders today. It really does depend on the situation. Leaders sometimes just want to be liked and do what everyone else is doing. Or what they have or their family has done in the past effects how they are. In today's age I see that its what people have done or how much money they have. In a way its not really about what good they can do its what they have done that matters. But there are good leaders out there we just have to look for them.
Leaders are looked up to everyday; you may even be a leader to someone else. I think a true leader should have honesty, knowledge, and kindness. I belive this because first you really have to be honest. If you are not honest people will not put their trust in you and will not follow you as a leader. And second knowledge. It is important to me to know what is going on and to know alot about different things. Like if my countries leader was put in a situation where they had to make a difficult decision and they didn't know much about the situation or what was going on that would put my whole country in jeapordy. And lastly I believe kindness is also a factor. To be a leader you have to care. Kindness involves many things. A leader can't not have a concious or not worry about other people;things just don't work that way. You have to care about the people and that involves kindness and caring. Today I believe in some light we have lost these qualities in our own leaders. Today it seems people really care more about who they think a leader is by their background. They don't really care what a leader is trying to do or trying to improve. They are kind of just more worried about what they have done or what family they are from. These days it seems that way. I hope in the future it changes and we as a country can look past where someone is from and what they have done and just concentrate on what they are really honestly trying to do.
I agree with Adam I guess. The most important quality that comes to my mind is probably their commitment to a cause. The best leaders have to be super commited and willing to do what ever it takes to accomplish the goals of their cause. If a leader is not willing to do whatever it takes they really aren't a leader. A leader has to be able to step forward and start a revolution even if no one else is willing. This qulaity is somewhat seen in our leaders today but there are so many regulations on ther president that, they can not nessecarliy accomplish what they would like to.
On the other hand, today we do not use these qualifications as a judge for our leaders. I know that in highschool for sure, it is mostly a popularity contest. Whoevers name is most well known gets the most votes therefore wins student government roles. I also believe it is somewht this way for our national government. Some people, few actually, are focused on the issaes while others worry abotu the politician's other qualities, such as race and sex in this coming election.
The politicians of now know very well how the American people work, so they too can be untruthful to sway votes, most politicians are untruthful at one point of another. SO even those few people who do focus on the issues aren't really getting anything sccomplished.
So I only really read Andrew's and Will's entry because they were the first couple entries that were really short :). I agree with both of them when they say that we need leaders who are both intelligent, and can stand up for everyone in a calm matter even when things get out of control. I also believe that our leaders need to be sincere enough to listen to others opinions and maybe make an effort to please the people as well. I do think that we have leaders with those qualities, however, we have leaders who don't. As for our leaders without those qualities..well, to tell you the truth.. it just kind of sucks for the people being controlled by them.
Marisa Coello
Crud.. my entry was really short compared to everyone else's.. but I answered all the questions. and maybe this entry will male it seem longer.
make*
I think the most important quality a leader can possess is integrity. But I also feel that the qualitys that are most important, are often the ones that are overlooked. There is a difference between the important qualities of someone, and the qualities that make them more appealing to society. To me, there is only one thing a leader needs to do. Inform the people of his TRUE ideals, morals and beliefs and then stick to them. This is a great example of how we can learn from history. The leader that changes his policies the minute he gets elected to power, consistently ends up a corrupt dictator. So I guess honesty also plays a big role. This is why I'm personally always suspicious of the candidate that seems more marketable. Elections have a weird way of taking advantage of the unthinking masses.
Important qualities don't always show through. Society needs to ignore fox news and form an opinion from their own thoughts.
I think the most important quality in a leader is the ability to adapt to changes with multiple solutions to a problem. For example, the war in Iraq. If we just decided to withdraw from Iraq, all the money we spent on that war would be stupid. We need multiple plans to get out of there WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. One problem with this is that sometimes you have to make the decision under pressure. I have a feeling that one of our presidential candidates would collapse under pressure because he wouldn't be able to use his charismatic appearance to decide. We need a leader that can listen to what the people want and take it into consideration, but ultimately making his/her own decision. After all, what's the point in having a fake? Beautifully written lies or realistic truths?
I think that the most important quality for a leader to have is the ability to keep their head in a time of chaos. if we have a leader who would have no clue what to do if faced with a tough situation and not much time to act, he would not get any support or respect from the country. people need to be able to look up to and support their leader. The leader would also have to be able to make decisions for the good of the nation under a lot of pressure. Being charismatic is a very good skill for leaders to have, but it wouldn't help the person make important decisions. the leader would need to do what is right for the country, under any circumstance. For the most part, i agree with the rest of the class, but i do not think that being charismatic should be the reason people vote for a person. anyone can pretend to be someone. before voting, people should really listen to what the leaders' views on things are. the presidential election should not be a popularity contest. we need to have a leader who is right for the country.
I think to be a great leader you have to have many qualities, but most importantly you need to be respected and have people like you. You could be the smartest, most talented, and caring person, but unless you have a lot of support from the people, you're going nowhere. For example, look at George W. Bush. I believe that he really was a great president, he just was our leader for too long, that he became unpopular. He made the decision to go to war with the middle east (which at least 95% of America agreed with at the begining of the war) but then when America realized that our people would actually die (who would've thought) they started to disagree with the war and the president. As long as thee people like and respect you, they will follow you anywhere. You could do anything you wanted to the country and you would get away with it as long as the people think you are a god.
I think one of the most important quality for a leader to have is a good code of ethics and morals. Also, a leader should be able to understand his people, and where they are coming from and how they will react to his/her decisions. In addition, a leader should not let personal feelings or grudges affect his/her decisions or blur their perception of reality. They should always do what is best for their nation.
I think SOME of these qualities can be found in SOME of our current leaders, but definitely not all. Barack Obama, for example, is an excellent showman, and most people can relate to what he says and proposes to do. However, the real test will be whether or not he will follow through if/when he is elected to office.
I'm
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Ha.
Haha.
Mwahahaha!
Btw this is Jake.
I'm leaving now.
Buh bye.
See you in class.
:P
Part One:
God! Cast down some extra-terrestrial leader so thine States of the United may be free of such dangers! One with such qualities like: loyalty, dedication, and the ability to lick his elbow. This divine leader must also like the Cheesecake Factory and listen to screamo music whenever he/she/it is lonely. Oh happy day! Let us rejoice with this new chief, for he will play the game that ties you up in knots (Twister, Hasbro Inc.)! Many more joys will follow. UNO ATTACK (Hasbro Inc.)! Crimson sunsets and luxurious “Kum By Yah” moments around the camp fire will proceed these festivities and the world will be saved. For now.. WoOeEoO!
Reminder:
Don’t forget to buy my book: MWBOOTHWABB. More information will soon be revealed to you common mortals. Website currently under construction. Visit Barnes and Noble.
Dr. Nefftly Natoppes Gassawy Nikenbojen
Bonn University
I think the most important quality in a leader is their ability to understand and relate to their people. If there was a president that wasn't from America and was running the country, he/she might have different views than Americans on things. For example, if we had a leader from Iraq, I'm sure he would go crazy seeing all the women outside doing whatever they want. I think that we do see that quality in our leaders today because I wouldn't want to look up to a leader who had no idea what I was about or how people think and operate.
I believe that the most important quality in a leader is good character. I believe that the way a person acts is what determines their personal success (in life, politics, etc.). It is a quality which I am attempting to gain, but until recently have not realized how to. I now know that to gain the character I need to help me succeed I must work harder than I have been working. But that is completely off topic.
anyhow...
I personally do not see much good character in any of our current leaders. It seems to me that the current presidential candidates are more interested in fame than running our country. It doesn't seem like any one of them really cares about helping the society anymore. They all just want the shot at being another face on the dollar bill.
thats just my opinion thou
love,
Sonja
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