Our society depends on the abilities of our leaders and how well they can do their jobs. A leader is someone that many people look to for direction, guidance, and inspiration, so it is important for our leaders to have the aptitude to make difficult decisions and to know and do what is right for the people. A higher authority is crucial for supervising and regulating others as well as being an example of a hard and dedicated worker. An effective leader has character, competence, compassion, and courage.

Character is, as discussed in class, possibly the most important characteristic of a leader. A person’s true character is who they are when they are put in a difficult situation. It is the decisions and the morality of a leader that gives them the respectable character that others look to follow. It is essential for a leader to have character because a leader needs the ability to see what other cannot, the sacrifices that must be made, even if the sacrifice is their own, or another person’s life.

The second characteristic is competence. Having Competence means that one knows what must be done. It is possessing the skills to do ones task properly. This quality is vital for a leader because they are the people that command others. If they themselves do not know what their job is, it will be difficult to properly instruct others.

Thirdly, Compassion is important for a leader to have because when the people see that the leader cares for them, they will be more trusting of the decisions that he makes. Also, recognizing and taking the time to acknowledge them will make the people want to do their job properly and to the best of their ability. They will know that the leader is concerned with each person’s weaknesses and will take them into account when making decisions. True compassion from a leader will inevitably lead to trust from their followers.

The fourth aspect of an effective leader is courage. Courage is described as having the strength both mentally and physically to do something that most people could not do. It is imperative for a leader to have courage because as a leader, they have to make decisions that are dangerous or harmful. It takes true courage to not only make the decision but also to fulfill it. An example of this is when the captain in the movie “Master and Commander” has a crewmember fall overboard along with a part of the ship, which is pulling the ship down like an anchor. The captain, Jack Aubrey, has to make the decision to cut the ropes, saving the boat and crew, but losing the man who fell overboard. While he did the right thing, many people would not have to courage to take a life, even to save others in the long run.

To conclusion, an effective leader must have character, competence, compassion, and courage. These characteristics are the components of ones personality that gives them the capability to successfully lead a group of people in the right direction. Character allows you to make the right choices. Competence is the ability to know your job and what needs to be done. Compassion is a fairness and respect for co-workers and followers. And lastly, courage is both mental and physical strength to do what is right even though it may be the hardest. These characteristics are what makes a leader worth following and worthy of a leadership position. “Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything”, and a leader with these traits knows what to stand for (Alexander Hamilton).