Qualities of Great Leaders Essay Example

The definition of a leader is someone who sees how things can be improved and who rallies people to move toward a better vision. These are normal leaders, but great leaders are that and more. They have many different qualities that make them a great leader. In “Suleiman the Magnificent” by Jane Simmons, “Nelson Mandela Inaugurated President of South Africa” by Matt Darvil, and “Accomplishments of Queen Elizabeth I” by Amit Carter all show different examples of great leaders and the qualities that they had. Great leaders have many different qualities, including being determined, being focused on education, and being focused on expansion.

To begin with, one of the qualities great leaders have is that they are determined. Being determined means that someone finishes what they started, without changing their goal midway. An example of determination being a quality is in the article by Darvil. The quote states “Mandela used every opportunity he had to speak out against the injustice of white domination.” (Darvil 19). This quote shows that he wanted everyone to know that white domination was not right and was determined to let everyone know. He used this opportunity to share his thoughts on the injustice and wanted to speak his mind any chance he had to.  Another quote that shows this is “Mandela was held at the notorious Robben Island prison.  Conditions were harsh-bare cells, meager food, manual labor, and scarce contact with the outside world.  And yet Mandela never lost his spirit or determination.” (Darvil 20). This quote shows that he withstood conditions worse than what people normally would. He went from being in a notorious prison to being named president. This shows determination because he went from being in a very bad situation to getting out of that situation and becoming president. He was determined to speak out and being president was his best shot. This is how determination makes a great leader.

A second quality that a great leader has is that they are focused on expansion. Expansion is when someone adds to something they already have. For leaders, it’s normally when they add land to their empire. An example of being focused on expansion being a great quality is in the article by Simmons. The quote states “Suleiman’s warriors raced forward to attack one of the most highly fortified cities in Europe.” (Simmons 3). This quote shows that no matter the defense of the city, Suleiman would go and try to conquer it. It shows that he was focused on expansion because he wanted to get the land for his empire. By getting land, he helped the empire grow and flourish. Another example of great leaders benign focused on expansion is found in the article by Carter. The quote states “She greatly expanded the British Empire.  She financed the explorations of such great explorers as Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and Sir Richard Greenville.” (Carter 26). This quote explains how the British Empire expanded because of Queen Elizabeth. She was very focused on expansion because she financed many explorations to find land to expand the empire. Expanding the empire allowed them to discover new things and new ideas. These two examples show how being focused on expansion is a quality of a great leader.

Finally, a third great quality is being focused on education. Being focused on education allows the empire to have more knowledge. This is important for leaders because education allows the rest of the empire to have more knowledge as a whole. An example of this can be seen in Carter’s article. The quote states “...a widespread increase in literacy and great achievements in the arts.” (Carter 25). This quote shows that while Queen Elizabeth was the leader of the British Empire, there was an increase in literacy. Literacy is taught in school, so for there to be an increase in literacy means that people were going to school and learning, thanks to Queen Elizabeth, who wanted there to be more education. Another example of a leader being focused on education is in Simmons’s article. The quote states “Suleiman himself was a prolific poet and writer.” (Simmons 10). This quote shows that Suleiman was a great writer, and writing is a big part of education. Not being able to write is very bad as most things require something to be signed or to be written. Suleiman being focused on writing helped his empire grow because they could write legibly. These examples show how being focused on education is a quality of a great leader.

In conclusion, great leaders have many qualities, which can help them lead their country, empire, or group. Some qualities that great leaders have are that they are focused on education, they are focused on expansion, and they are determined. These qualities show that the leader cares about the people, since being focused on education and expansion helps the people a lot. Having these qualities helps the people because the leader is there to guide the people. Having great qualities allows the leader to be more respected as well.