Good leaders can come from just about anywhere. They can be found in nearly every aspect of society.
For example, a teacher might help shape a generation of students. Or a religious figure can bring enlightenment to an entire congregation. A CEO might lead a company to grow and positively impact a community. A sports figure can inspire children from many places and backgrounds to achieve. And a politician just might inspire us to become better citizens.
What do these, and other, good leaders have in common? What traits do they share? Is the role something that can be learned or fostered? Or conversely, is it a naturally-born characteristic? What can you do to become a more effective leader in your everyday life?
What makes a good leader?
Related questions: Where does authority come from? How do you know who to trust? Which historical figure would you like to meet? Who inspires you?
Succinctly, a leader possesses a vision and inspires others to join in a plan to reach the overarching goal.
A leader can be good in two ways. Firstly, their vision and how they inspire others can be laudable. The world and/or their community will be a better place because of the vision, the plan, and how they encourage others to contribute. Secondly, a good leader may be good at recognizing the skills and/or talents of others and how these qualities can be put to good use.
I must admit, something in the context for the question rubs me the wrong way, particularly the example of the athlete — a celebrity of most any sort can be inserted here. I think that while good leaders can be good role models, good role models are not necessarily good leaders … or leaders of any value. (Role models don’t necessarily lead anything.) While good leaders often serve as role models, this doesn’t have to be the case. Good leaders don’t always live a life worth echoing. True, once a community discovers that a leader possesses deeply-engrained flaws, the group of followers may begin to dwindle. This, in turn, can reduce or extinguish the role of the leader.