What does it take to be a leader? How should leaders act and can anyone be a leader? I think leadership is an acquired skill and you do not have to be, born to be a leader, to be one. These are my opinions about leadership.
Leadership is about character, integrity and courage more than about being the smartest, strongest or the best. The foundation of a leader is integrity. The dictionary states integrity as; soundness of moral character; honesty. Simply put integrity means true to your word, owning up to your mistakes, not making excuses and taking responsibility for your actions. Courage is doing the right thing, for the right reasons even when no one is around. To act on what you know is right is truly courage, courage is about action.
Do what you say. The saying, lead by example, are true of a great leader. Think of someone you have personally known that sounded like a good leader, but wasn’t. They were saying all the correct things and you probably believed them, but what they were doing didn’t make sense and it did not reflect what they were saying. This is a leader who acts only for themselves or their hidden agendas. They do not really want to help people and are looking out for their own skin.
Do not avoid failure. Many leaders have failed countless times and that is how they have learned. It is ok to be afraid of failure, but if you try to avoid failure, you will also be avoiding action. The ability to persevere and never give up is how you become a leader.
Integrity, lead by example and perseverance these are the qualities of a great leader. The greatest leaders are also compassionate, but are not easily influenced. I will now leave you with a quote that shows the power a single leader can produce. “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion”… Alexander the great
How should leaders act?
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Zirahnliz's Blog 
Well-stated! Integrity is the distinguishing characteristic of purposely acquiring and steadfastly adhering to a set of high moral or professional principles. It establishes a foundation built on the cornerstones of personal and collective accountability, mutual respect, open and honest communication, and credibility.
A wise start. Any one else?