Leadership

I was just watching Invictus and it got me thinking about what a great leader Nelson Mandela was. He suffered so much in his life, yet he never let that bring him down. He always led by example and inspired an entire nation.

Being involved in many different leadership roles around campus I've seen good and bad leadership. I've worked with an assortment- Leaders on power trips (those are the worst, sometimes they just need reminding that they are only in charge of _____ program and not the entire world) on the other hand I've worked with respected empowering leaders who inspire me to become a better person (I would insert names here but don't want to forget anyone- you know who you are- thank you). I've also seen people who were great leaders during the day and then far from it at night. I believe that a leader should always lead by example. They should empower and inspire those around them. I think that a good leader should be enthusiastic, confident, tolerant and show integrity. I don't think that you need a fancy title or position to be a leader. Leadership is all around us. Some of my favorite leaders (besides all my lovely Lehigh staff and friends) are Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, Gandhi, Princess Diana, Steve Jobs and my parents.

"Leaders are just servants to people" ~ Devanshi Patel 

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Gandhi

"It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership." ~Nelson Mandela

"Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better." ~Harry Truman

"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."