A leader is a person who has acquired a mandate to direct a group of people to achieve a certain goal. For individuals to qualify to be good leaders they should possess leadership qualities since not everybody can lead people as the achievement of that position is much like a calling. It is traditional for societies to select one person who could guide the rest of the people for a common goal, and the societies without leaders have never succeeded to achieve their objectives. Many are times that the societies have selected people with poor leadership qualities thus leading them into serious problems such as civil wars, poverty, and corruption among others. On the other hand, a few societies that have achieved socially and economically have attributed to the success to excellent leadership qualities. A good example of a person with good leadership qualities is Martin Luther King, who was once a religious leader, and would be remembered for pushing for civil rights in United States.
A good leader must be persistent to push for change that would benefit the society regardless of the risks involved in this kind of endurance. Martin Luther King demonstrated the trait of persistence when he still fought for equality and respect for all black Americans whom the white races treated as inferiors. Despite the imprisonment in Birmingham, Luther King continued to fight for civil rights even after his release. Additionally, Martin Luther King was a brave figure a trait that a good leader should possess to enable the person to address the followers. Martin was brave enough to stand in front of multitudes and tell them about his dream of fighting for equality for all members of the society since the government of America seemed to neglect some races. He succeeded in his dreams, and this is the perfect path for the people aspiring to become leaders should follow that is persistence and courage to pursue their dreams despite the hurdles experienced on the way (Way par. 5; par. 6).
Moreover, patience is a trait the people eyeing for leadership positions should not overlook since the fruits of leadership are not achieved in a single day. Martin had the trait of patience in his heart as he led several demonstrations across America for civil rights of all citizens, and he hoped that one day he would win the battle. He encouraged his followers to be patient as they held multiple demonstrations where so many people suffered in the process. Finally, his patience paid when the government of America assured all the citizens for equal rights. Similarly, he received the Nobel peace prize after he successfully campaigned for equality of all citizens. On the other hand, for one to win the heart of many followers as much as possible the person should be trustworthy. Many followers had complete trust in Martin in his efforts to face out discrimination and prejudice in America. In their minds, several demonstrators believed that Martin would succeed to convince the government of America and the whole world in general to stop discrimination (Way par. 4; par. 7).
Additionally, leaders should mentor the followers in all the endeavors regardless of the obstacles on the way. This was notable virtue with martin Luther king when he inspired many followers to make his dream come true. Martin led several demonstrations in the fight for discrimination of Black Americans, and his idea drew an attention of many people who joined him to fulfill the dream. A good leader should not have a single path of solving a looming problem, and instead the leader should be dynamic and flexible to avoid slipping off from accomplishing the dream. Martin was no doubt a dynamic and flexible leader when leveraging for civil rights he did not dwell on a single issue, but he addressed several issues that pointed back to the main idea of discrimination. He was not tamed by the constant threats and attacks against him that aimed to thwart his efforts of achieving the dream, and hence all the leaders should follow the suit (James par. 3).
When I became a supervisor of a local supermarket, I knew that I had to behave a leader to make sure that the business followed the right direction. There were several candidates selected for my position, but I managed to be the most preferred person for the post. One of the reasons that made people select me for that supervisory duty was because they had a total trust in me similar to the case of martin Luther king where the demonstrators had put trust in him in the fight for equality. In case of any problems in the supermarket, I did not hesitate to gather all the workers and discuss on the way forward to solve the issues, and I gave my views regardless of any form of rebellion or a threat of being sacked from work. I acquired the aspect of bravery from martin Luther king who had no fear of the risks involved when fighting for the rights of the black people in America.
However, I have realized that for me to be a fully polished leader I have to improve on some virtues that I am weak. One of the leadership characteristics that I lack is patience to achieve a certain objective. In several instances, I have failed to accomplish several objectives in my work place because of the idea of rushing for an immediate solution for a problem at hand that could be properly addressed if had been patient. I have learnt that leaders come up with proper decisions when they take enough time, and I think the idea would work with me if I take time trying to solve a problem. Patience and persistence sometimes go along together, and I have a strong feeling that I am not persistent. When a problem is too hard for me to handle I usually give up easily in the process discouraging many people who trust me. If I want to fight this weakness of lack of persistent attitudes, I have to keep trying to look for a solution regardless of the number of times that I fail.
There are several types of leaders depending on the roles they perform in the society and the way they ensure that the objectives are achieved. One type of leader that Gladwell describes is a domineering leader, and the leadership applies mostly in places that require group control. Domineering leaders come up with their ideas and call for massive follow up to achieve the solutions of the issues at hand. Domineering leader look for responsibilities and never fear to make mistakes regardless of the risks that could follow the course of their actions. Martin Luther King would fall under this class of leaders gauging on his attributes to achieve his dreams. Martin was able to control a huge number of followers who trusted him the fight for civil rights in America. He was a brave leader and was jailed for inciting people to demonstrate and even after the release, he continued with his campaigns against discrimination the goal that he achieved later (Heather, par. 1-5).
In conclusion, leadership is a virtue that requires a lot of commitment and determination, as one's idea can either benefit or ruin societal objectives. Not everyone can lead the society because there are certain aspects of leadership that the person should possess to be a good leader. An example of a good leader that people will live to celebrate is Martin Luther King, as he has all the leadership traits, and he achieved he achieved his goal in a society in pushing for a change. I am not different from Martin Luther King because I have successfully replicated some of his traits when supervising in the supermarket but not without several drawbacks. According to Gladwell’s classification of leaders, Martin Luther King would fall under the category of domineering leaders. Therefore, good leadership gives birth to a successful society and all leaders should try to emulate some of the past good leaders to avoid troubles experienced in the current states.
Works Cited
Heather, Mcathur. Malcolm Gladwell’s Formula for Talent Management. 26 June 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. <https://www.octanner.com/blog/2012/06/malcolm-gladwells-formula-for- talent-retention/>.
Way, Allison. The 5 Characteristics of Martin Luther King, Jr. and How to Use Them. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. < http://www.examiner.com/article/the-5-characteristics-of-martin- luther-king-jr-and-how-to-use-them>.
James. 10 Leadership Qualities of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 20 Jan. 2014. Web. . 26 Mar. 2014. <http://brandredresume.com/10-leadership-qualities-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr>.
