What's the common characteristic of great leaders, if there is one?
As Martin Luther King stated, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder for consensus.” Leadership is often described as the ability to dictate and be socially influential for getting aid and support to complete some task. All great leaders were bound by greatness which allowed the country or its people to grow. A leader is the guiding and dictating head of a group, army, political movement or a country. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John Maxwell.
The predominant quality of great leaders is that they think about the future most of the time. They think about where they are going rather than where they have been. They maintain a positive attitude and think about the opportunities of tomorrow rather than focusing on the problems of the past. Top people maintain a positive attitude and are long-term thinkers. Average thinkers think only about the present, and about immediate gratification. But great leaders think about where they want to be in five and ten years, and what they have to do each hour of each day to make their desired futures a reality. Great leaders inspire other people, their friends, customer, associates and even their children because they are inspired themselves. They are excited about the possibility of creating an exciting future for themselves. They get up every morning and they see every effort they make as part of a great plan to accomplish something wonderful with their lives and push forward with a positive attitude. Leaders are optimistic. They see opportunities and possibilities in everything that happens, positive or negative. They look for the good in every situation and in every person. They seek the valuable lessons contained in every problem or setback. They never experience “failures;” instead, write them off as “learning experiences.” Most of all, great leaders have a sense of meaning and purpose in...