Leadership

High positions of authority over others are seldom referred to as leaders. The military has ranking officers by the entitlement of general, captain, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, etc. Leaders of businesses hold the titles of, CEO, CFO, General Manager, etc. Leaders of teams are referred to as coaches, or managers. Other distinguishing titles leaders are recognized as are: president, instructor, chief, etc.

In my opinion, a leader is not a concrete title, but rather a title given to someone that has authority and control over others. The president must govern a country of over eleven billion people. A student, who works with people for a project, must govern a small handful of people. What is the president? He is the leader of the country. What is that specific student? He or she is the leader of the distinguished group. But, each of these individuals must oversee operations and be in control of those who adhere to them. Furthermore, the process of leadership is where one person holds influence over the others.

When I think of leaders, certain people come to my mind. Adolph Hitler is the first one that strikes me. Some people would be baffled that I think Hitler was a great leader. Although I do not condone any of his barbaric actions and governing style, he to a select few individuals, is still regarded as the greatest leader in world history. But, he had the ability to govern people, and see his will carried out. What made him so influential that millions listened and reacted to his message? If I saw Hitler today, I would not perceive him to be an influential person. He does not strike me as a stern dictator type character. But, for a long while, he was a very recognizable and respected figure. In my opinion, Hitler was fearless, and was a risk taker.

Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated vehemently, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Roosevelt is another person I view as a great leader. He, like many other people had flaws, however, he was a brilliant figurehead and the country was in a very stable state when he was in power. It is rumored that he had several mistresses, and drank excessively. But, would you consider him a great leader? My argument is yes. He is the only president in United States history to be elected to three consecutive terms. He passed away during his third term serving as president. What does the fact that he was so well known that the government made an exception to the rule and allowed him to be inaugurated three times tell you? That conveys a message of respect, trust and likeableness to his character. Some argue that he was the finest president this country ever had, and the United States will not see another one like him.

To parallel great leaders to sports, Paul “Bear” Bryant, coach of Alabama University for twenty five years, is arguably the greatest coach in College Football history. He appeared to be a ruthless dictator, and did everything necessary to win. He has the reputation of working players to the point of injury. But, some of his credentials include: six national titles, thirteen SEC Championships, and an accumulation of 323 career wins. Many of his coaches have gone on to coach at other programs and he graduated almost 99 percent of his athletes. His career credentials mirror the fact that he was an influential leader in the game of football.

To break down my definition of a good leader further, I believe that there are four qualities a good leader must possess, and I have just finished mentioning three of them: respect, trust and likeableness. The fourth and also the most crucial is confidence. Leaders must be confident in their abilities and their decisions. If they make mistakes, they must be confident to admit their faults and lift themselves back up. I find it very respectable when “leaders” of certain groups can face the media or large groups of people and admit that what strategy they implemented was a mistake. Admitting that you’re wrong and being willing to resolve a problem, in my opinion, is a very rare quality in people today.

I like to relate the concept of leadership to longevity. Many of the great leaders in sports have had brilliant careers and rarely have found themselves at the bottom of the pile. Certain college basketball coaches are an example of longevity in the game. “Coach K” or Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University executed his brilliant philosophy and implemented great strategies into that program. Since taking over the program in 1980, and as of November 25th, he has posted a career mark of 709 wins compared to only 202 losses. That is a win percentage of .778, a phenomenal number. Before he accepted Duke’s head men’s basketball coach, he coached Army’s men’s basketball team. He had success there too, but what he has done with Duke University is nothing short of amazing. Duke remains one of, if not the most prestigious men’s college basketball team in the United States. With that job comes great pressure and responsibility to maintain Duke’s prestige as a team. Since 1983, Duke has made the NCAA Tournament every season. Countless members of the team have graduated and pursued great careers in basketball and other endeavors. Glancing at the amount of wins he accumulates season by season, you see figures such as, 22, 32, 35, 34, 27, 28, and 31 to name a few. Has he found success year in and year out? He absolutely has. Not only have his credentials in the game of basketball, but also his demeanor and personality made him a great example of a leader. He makes Duke Basketball a very appealing place to pursue the game for potential athletes.

A recent article has praised enthusiasm and emotion, especially in professional football. A certain team, who posted a phenomenal 14-2 record a season ago, is now fighting for playoff contention. The writer of the article attributes this dramatic turnaround to the fact that the head coach of last years dominant team was very vociferous and emotional when the team reached a high point. He was always uppity and communicative with his colleagues and players. A giant question mark surfaced when that head coach was terminated, and a different coach was hired to take over. The current coach’s personality is comparably opposite of the previous coach. The team did not change much, returning 20 out of 22 starters, but a new atmosphere followed the coach and had players not responding well to the system. The argument was made that this current coach, who has had stints with other professional teams with little success, changed the team’s emotional level from high to low. This is an example of different leadership styles and