Which Path Will You Take?

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles...they don’t flock, you find them one at a time.” Who wrote these profound words? They come from a high school student’s final exam on leadership. Leaders know that there are always two choices to make; the easy way and the more difficult. The reward for taking the easy path is that it’s easy. The more difficult path requires hard work and dedication, which will make you a better person both mentally and skillfully. When workers see a leader working hard, it increases their respect and makes them want to work harder too. Leaders motivate others. People find themselves working harder when they know that they get something out of it. When people hear a few motivating and encouraging words, they respond by working harder.  Leaders are usually the ones who ignore their own accomplishments to commend others for theirs. Leaders keep everybody’s spirit high as they work harder and harder. The number one thing that a leader does is to avoid making people feel guilty or to look down on them. As a noble person once said, “There are high spots in all of our lives, and most of them come through encouragement from someone else.” In Max DePree’s book Leadership is an Art, we learn, “When we truly believe in the potential of people, they rarely disappoint us.” He recommends becoming “abandoned to the strength of others — of admitting that we cannot know nor do everything.” When one person works hard, it makes others work harder. Fierce dedication shows others that success comes through hard work. Encouragement and support makes others feel good about themselves and give them something else to work towards. These are all very significant traits that a leader must possess. Don’t wait around for things to happen, make this world what you really want it to be by being a leader.