Misconceptions Of A Great Leader In The 19th Century

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The word leadership is dynamic with Its definition changing with temporal continuity. The people of the time are the ones who define the word’s meaning and because of that, there is no true framework on what makes a great leader. With that said, what is a great leader? A great leader to one may be a horrible tyrant to another. With such a fluid meaning behind itself, being a great leader really is dependent on the time and the people.
Many great minds throughout history have tried to describe what truly is a great leader. Two of such are an Italian from the 16th century, Niccolò Machiavelli and an American from the 19th century, Henry David Thoreau. Both men carry merits of their own and what they say should be held to high regard. Machiavelli believed that a great leader derived his authority from the fear of his people while Thoreau
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First impressions do mean a lot. Take a look at the two photos below.

The photos above show two men. Just by taking a psychological approach, your reaction to both of them will be different. Statistically speaking, you’re more likely to say that the man on the right is a better leader than the man on the left. There are many reasons why we say that. We as a society today have these notions of what a great leader is. The man on the right exemplifies those notions. Now for the truth, the man on the left is Elon Musk, a modern day Tony Stark while the man on the right is Fidel Castro, a Cuban leader who has a debatable history in leadership.
The most important thing to know about leadership is to know that it is a loosely defined term. A person can learn how to be a leader of any situation. Being a leader for yourself is just as important as being a leader for your country. The first step to being a leader for a country is to be able to successfully lead yourself. Introspection, continual education, and being an active listener are the keys to becoming a good