What is a leader, exactly? One who leads, presumably. Right? One who ceaselessly toils in the line of duty, neglecting personal desires simply for the sake of those one leads, right? One who insists on not turning in a completely generic piece of drivel, not on the off-chance that the piece of drivel will actually be read, but because drivel, in and of itself, is silly. Surely not one who looks up the biggest, fanciest words to include in their drivel, on the off-chance that it is actually read. One who has no concept of free time, because the word free has been replaced by band.
One who stops citing ridiculous examples because they make him or her feel ridiculous.
Seriously though, leadership is not to be taken lightly. It's not some natural-born right, or just another reference for a resume, it's a privilege that, honestly, shouldn't be taken lightly. It's for people that understand the difference between being too stiff and not quite stiff enough, and can easily toe that line appropriately. But more importantly, it's for people that can get other people to follow them. Understanding the people they lead, that's key. Some of the greatest leaders in history have also been the most charismatic in history, but most, inevitably, put themselves before their followers. Many still do. The natural-born leaders are just as prone to falling apart as the uneasy. But that's not the point, is it? The point is for the leader to be there when others fall apart, and to put them back together. To lead, if you will, the whole, and prevent it from falling apart. To build such an atmosphere that, even if something does fall apart, it doesn't get anyone down. Upward thinking. Positive thinking. The kind of thinking that
gets you places.
That's what a leader is.
