Option 1
(384 words) Many of us would like to develop leadership qualities, but not everyone knows what exactly needs to be developed. Leader is not a synonym for “boss.” This concept implies the ability to unite other people around oneself and lead them towards a common goal. This could be a person outside the system who simply has the appropriate talent. To more accurately define the meaning of this word, let us turn to fiction for examples.
Thus, M. Gorky in the story “Old Woman Izergil” described a hero who was able to unite all his fellow tribesmen and lead them to a common goal. People were driven out of their lands and became lost in the forest, fleeing persecution. But nowhere did they find a place suitable for a settled life. They had already lost hope, when suddenly among them there was a man who took responsibility for the future of the tribe. At first, the travelers walked without hesitation, because Danko infected them with his faith in success. But along with fatigue, doubts also appeared. The heroes began to grumble and blame their guide for the failure. But Danko was not at a loss here either: he took the flaming heart out of his chest and lit the way for it. People found a way out and achieved their goal only thanks to Danko’s resourcefulness, courage, determination and responsibility. All these qualities indicate to us the leadership inclinations of the hero.
No less responsible and courageous person was Taras Bulba, the hero of the story of the same name by N.V. Gogol. The colonel became a full-fledged leader for the Cossacks, because he commanded his comrades and embodied all the best traits of the people. He proudly carried the banner of the Cossacks and sacredly respected their interests. Taras was respected by everyone for his military exploits, dedication and willpower. He had infallible authority in his environment, so he was even able to change the Koschevoy when he needed to do so. Bulba fearlessly led the soldiers into the attack and no one doubted his right to give orders when the Cossacks suffered significant losses and began to take revenge on the Poles with short raids on their settlements. Taras led a rebellion against the Poles and fought with them until his last breath. Even during the execution, he directed his comrades to salvation. His determination, courage, authority, ability to manage people - all these qualities indicate that we have a real leader.
Thus, it is not necessary to hold a formal position to become a leader. On the contrary, someone who knows how to manage people may not have a corresponding post at all, but the team will still be in his control. Such a person always has courage, determination, charisma and the ability to take responsibility for the future of his subordinates into his own hands.
What is a modern political leader like?
High moral qualities and, above all, loyalty to public duty, concern for people, the public good and justice, honesty - all these qualities should be possessed by a modern political leader. Given the importance of the concepts of leadership and management, hundreds of books, textbooks and monographs have been written on this topic, in which the authors try to provide answers to the main questions: Who is an effective leader? What role does he play in public life? What problems should he solve? In my opinion, this topic is relevant today, since it is important for the population to know which leader to follow, and in general, whether it is worth listening to him. In public life, a leader, as the central, most authoritative figure in a specific group of people, can be identified in almost every type of activity, and in any historical period. The term “leader” has two meanings:
1. an individual who has the most pronounced, useful qualities, thanks to which his activities are most productive.
Such a leader serves as a role model, a kind of “standard” to which, from the point of view of group values, other group members should adhere. The influence of such a leader is based on the psychological phenomenon of reflected subjectivity, i.e. ideal representation of other group members;
2. a person for whom a given community recognizes the right to make decisions that are most significant from the point of view of group interest.
The authority of this leader is based on the ability to rally and unite others to achieve a group goal. Such a person, regardless of the leadership style (authoritarian or democratic), regulates relationships in the group, defends its values in intergroup communication, influences the formation of intragroup values, and in some cases symbolizes them. [2]
The position of a leader forces him to be very responsible in everyday and political life, because his affairs, actions, behavior, qualities are constantly in sight and all this is more strictly assessed by people, and the success or failure of that party, that course, that direction largely depends on this whom he serves. The applicant for leadership also faces the danger of complete dissolution, absolute identification of oneself with these interests. In this case, this is no longer a leader, but simply a leader. The first and necessary quality of a modern political leader is his ability to skillfully accumulate and adequately express the interests of the broad masses in his activities. The second decisive ability of a leader is his innovativeness, that is, the ability to constantly put forward new ideas, or combine and improve them.
What is required from a political leader is not just the collection and inventory of the interests of the masses, and the indulgence of these interests, but their innovative understanding, development and correction. The third most important quality should be the leader's political awareness. Political information describes, first of all, the state and expectations of various social groups and institutions, by which one can judge the trends in the development of their relationships among themselves, with the state and various public institutions. Political information should serve, first of all, to avoid overlooking the intersections of interests of social groups, regions, nations and states as a whole. The fourth quality is a sense of political time.
In the last century, political theorists considered his ability to sense political time to be a very important trait of a leader. This was expressed in a simple formula: “Being a politician means taking timely measures.” The experience of the nineteenth century showed that compromise, the king of politics, is a very capricious creature. A leader who compromises before a certain time loses authority. A leader who compromises late loses the initiative and may suffer defeat (Gorbachev and the Baltics). [1] Today in modern Russia such political leaders as V.V. Putin, D.A. Medvedev, V.V. Zhirinovsky enjoy great authority. According to the population, they are responsible and executive leaders who know how to make important decisions at the right time and find a compromise with stakeholders [5-9].
Speaking about the political portrait of V.V. Putin, it is not easy to determine. Despite the fact that he is Yeltsin’s successor, the people consider Putin to be his opposite, that is, the population perceives Vladimir Vladimirovich as a “builder and restorer president.” Putin has a highly developed sense of reality, is capable of making concessions, knows how to find a compromise with interested parties, skillfully makes decisions and takes responsibility for them. Putin is a man of strong character, and in his activities he is accustomed to achieving goals set independently or set by necessity. In addition, he is a person of strong beliefs and values. It must be admitted that it is quite difficult to talk about Putin’s methods. The adoption and implementation of decisions, the choice of one or another state strategy on a certain issue, new beginnings - all this leaves the imprint of Putin’s authority. Putin uses his authority to make difficult decisions, and they are supported by the people, and, of course, the bureaucracy. Authority allows the president to make fateful decisions, including those that without such high authority would be openly called unconstitutional.
And, finally, there is no doubt that Putin is an epoch-making figure in our country: they were waiting for him, they would like to see him as president in the future, and the consequences of the policies he pursued will shape the political reality of Russia for a long time. [10] Thus, a modern political leader must be competent, charismatic, must know his audience and be able to influence it, be able to win the boundless trust of thousands of people with a friendly attitude towards them and caring satisfaction of their interests.
Option 2
(399 words) Being a leader is a very honorable calling that many of us are quick to take credit for. However, not everyone understands that behind this title lies responsibility, willpower and the ability to dominate the environment. Not everyone has these character traits, so good leaders are a rarity. But we can always find them on the pages of our favorite books.
For example, L.N. Tolstoy, in his novel War and Peace, portrayed a talented leader whose name has been etched in history. Mikhail Kutuzov led the Russian army in the fight against Napoleon. As a field marshal, the hero had great power, but he had even more responsibility. All of Russia demanded an account from him for the fact that the enemy reached Moscow and did not meet much resistance. It was very difficult for him to bear the burden of leadership at a time when the weaker and unprepared Russian army was obviously losing to the powerful French troops. However, Mikhail Illarionovich did not care about ranks or the opinion of society. He was worried about the fate of the army and the fatherland, so he humbly endured the attacks of high society and the discontent of the emperor. He was responsible for the life of every soldier. The hero took care of her and did not allow her ambitions to kill people. Every step he took was a thoughtful and mature decision that carried great weight in the army. The soldiers sincerely loved the commander-in-chief and felt his care. Therefore, Kutuzov managed to defeat a strong opponent without destroying the army. This example allows us to conclude that a true leader is a purposeful, gifted and strong person who unites people and is responsible for them.
But you can be a leader not only in a leadership position. Evgeny Bazarov, the hero of the novel “Fathers and Sons,” was an informal opinion leader. He stood firmly in the position of nihilism and preached the denial of generally accepted principles. In his opinion, their generation was destined for the mission of destroying outdated foundations, in the place of which something new and more perfect was to appear. Strong, charismatic and erudite, Eugene attracted many followers. He subjugated Arkady Kirsanov to his influence, captivated Kukshina and Sitnikov, and interested Anna Odintsova. Under the influence of conversations with him, even Nikolai Petrovich began to study new literature and think about current topics. Eugene was a magnet for people of different classes and views. Even shy Fenechka began to trust him. Bazarov could have achieved a lot, because he had all the leadership qualities: he knew how to manage people, he had determination, fortitude, charisma, and determination.
Thus, a true leader is someone who can captivate a team and earn everyone’s respect and trust. He is endowed with fortitude, determination, determination and courage. Such a person always bears some responsibility for his followers and thinks ahead about the fate of his business.
How to become a leader
What kind of person can be called a leader? A leader is someone who knows how to lead people, captivating them with his example. Leaders have always been necessary for humanity. This concept dates back to primitive times, when the process of creating a state was just beginning: groups of people united into communities, and the strongest became the leader. Back then, leadership was synonymous with power. Many years have passed since that time; in the modern world, the values and priorities of humanity have changed. Now a leader is considered not the physically strongest, but the one who can rally a team around one goal and achieve success. So what should a leader be like in the new millennium?
Leadership is a very responsible matter, and although it often means influence and recognition, not everyone will decide to do this, because the leader is responsible for his actions more than any other person; not only his success, but also the success of the entire team depends on his decisions. The path to success is always thorny, full of trials and disappointments. The main thing here is not to be influenced by emotions, not to allow various surprises to drive you crazy. Important qualities of a leader are balance and prudence, organization, and self-confidence.
A true leader is one who goes to the end, who always remains calm and believes in his own strength, does not allow emotions to take over him and influence his actions, and knows how to make decisions quickly even in extreme situations.
If I am asked the question: “Who is an example of a leader for me?” Without any doubt I answer: “My grandfather.” Grandfather - Viktor Ivanovich Miussky was the chairman of the collective farm “In Memory of Ilyich” from 1983 to 1995. During this time, dramatic changes have occurred in our village. The House of Culture was renovated, which is still one of the main attractions of the village. We carried out renovations at our school. Work was carried out regularly to improve our village. Grandfather had an extraordinary talent for uniting people and leading them to their goals. He was an ardent communist and patriot, giving all of himself to his work and his native village. To this day, people of the older generation speak with particular reverence about the work done by their grandfather. I am certainly pleased to hear these words and know what contribution my grandfather made to the history of our village. I'm proud of him.
I hope that in the future I will make my contribution to the history of our village, district, region, and, perhaps, the country as a whole. I am the leader of our school association “Rovesnik”. In the process of our activities, the children and I resolve particularly important issues in the life of the school, organize holidays and various events, make our proposals for the development of school-wide life, and involve students in community service. Of course, being a school leader is not an achievement. But you need to start small. And I believe that in the future my leadership skills will develop and grow into something more. In any case, I will try to make everything happen exactly like this. My desire and perseverance will help me achieve my goal.
