If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
Good leaders make people feel that they’re at the very heart of things, not at the periphery.
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 
Lovely! We seem to have a shortage of leaders in the world right now. Maybe we could clone some? 🙂
May be it’s possible to ask some good leaders to come back. 😉
Zombies?? That’s worst than clones 😉
Sorry, have no experience with both. 😉
Tell all that to Australia’s “leader” …
As soon as you tell it to our leader. 😉
To me leaders are people of action they take the lead with little fanfare and fewer words. They are often unheralded, sacrificing their needs to meet those of others. The word hero comes to mind in conjunction with leader. They lead by example, “Do as I do not as I say”! They were my parents.
And my grandparents.
I didn’t recognize what my parent meant to me until adulthood when I was a parent. They are unsung hereos for sure. Ditto, grandparents.
Yes, they are!
I have known some really inspired leaders in my time … trouble is not a single one was in charge of a nation 😉
We need a world full of new leaders ~
Real leaders!
All three quotes say the same thing to me – that real leaders lead by example, a well known phrase, also used by bobmielke above. There have been many such leaders throughout history, and of all nationalities. But, unfurtunately there have also been many quite the opposite. I also agree with Osythe that often the best leaders don’t reach the highest positions of command, whether through political systems or whatever.
Somebody said that people deserve leaders they choose.
That’s probably true! We never seem to learn from past mistakes – or perhaps we;re just conned by those who know how to ‘talk the talk’!
To get good leaders in my country we need to change the election system and
laws about citizenship and stop online fundraising (it allows even hostile
country to fund elections in US).
I can’t profess to know enough about the U.S. electoral system to comment on that, JF. The British system is far from perfect, and there have been numerous debates over the past years about changing it. But I won’t hold my breath on that score. I doubt whether any country has reached ‘perfect’ in this.
Millie, I don’t believe in word “perfect”. Everything can be improved! So
we need just “good”, “appropriate” leaders. They must not serve only people
who voted for them and they must be competent enough and able to govern.
All leaders should serve the people, I fully agree. And I know that perfect is a state that few – if any – could reach. You are right that the most we could all hope for is competent and able. Unfortunately, our ‘leaders’ don’t seem to be able to rise to that status! How things can be improved, I really don’t know. I’m not what they call ‘a political animal’!
😉
Nice. My personal ranking: Maxwell, Adams, Bennis.
And we are in dire need of leaders.
Don’t see “none” around. No Siree…
We need drastical improvement of the election system.
Yes indeed. Maybe go back to a Roman republic citizen government? Elections anywhere seem to push the wprst candidates forward. Maybe a civil version of the military service? Like one year obligatory citizen participation in city or county affairs… Food for thought.
There are many possible ways to get better leaders if people want it.