Most people who hear the term “leader” associate it with a persistent and self-confident person. An excellent mentor can be not only the head of a company, a successful businessman, but also a common person striving for a good life. While studying the character of activists, it is also necessary to learn what qualities a leader possesses.
As a rule, such people are ahead not only in their business, but also in everyday life. Everyday life. All the “advanced people” are trying to imagine what their life path. And they are developing plans for what they will become in the near future and in many years to come.
Leader Character
What qualities of a political leader must be present in order to win the support of those around him? The character of such a person clearly manifests itself in those moments when the leader finds himself in difficult situations. life situation, and a lot depends on his actions at this moment. The main thing for him is stability and firmness.
As a rule, true leadership is inseparable from involving other people. The trust of followers in leaders disappears if they notice some instability of character. Stable emotionality and fortitude are success in relationships with people.
Qualities a leader should have
Leadership qualities are an integral factor that determines success and failure. The main condition for achieving success in any human activity is the skill and ability to take on certain functions, as well as provide appropriate leadership.
Today it is offered wide choose books on how to develop the skills and qualities of a leader not only in business, but also in everyday life.
Leaders cannot be born, but leaders can become!
When given the opportunity, a person seeks ways to take a leadership position. Many live ordinary life until some situation arose that required them to take a decisive step, as a result of which they accepted the responsibility of leadership with all its consequences.
You can become a “leader” only when, not only in business, but also in everyday life, a person exhibits certain qualities, as well as the norms of behavior that are characteristic of a leader.
What is leadership?
Along with other skills, leadership is the improvement of behavior and attitude through practice through repetition. Such a quality as the desire to lead people is usually fully rewarded. If you are a leader, you will certainly win the support and respect of those around you. Enjoying a sense of large-scale control and personal power in all aspects of life becomes an integral part of you. Goals that previously might have seemed exorbitant are now much easier to achieve.
Is it possible to become a leader?
The more you can apply leadership qualities to yourself, the more positive you will feel about yourself. A feeling of pleasure will come high level self-esteem and self-esteem. Feeling smart strong man with the ability to achieve the best results, you will be able to make changes in better side not only at work, but also at home.
By giving rise to the thoughts and actions that are characteristic of leaders, and by putting all these qualities into practice in your business and personal life, you will be able to attract more and more opportunities to yourself, use all your talents at an even higher level.
It is worth listing the main qualities of a leader, without which it is difficult to stay at the top of the pedestal.
Qualities a leader needs
- Courage- these are bold decisions and actions on the way out of failures and difficulties. Controlling yourself in the face of fear, making difficult decisions, and taking actions when there is no guarantee that success will be on your side are qualities of a good leader.
- Sincerity. To earn trust, you first need to be honest with yourself. Only then can we say that we are open to other people around us.
- Realism. Accept the world as it really is, and not as you would like it to be. This golden rules realism. It is necessary not to allow yourself to be upset because of troubles, and also you should not believe that someone will solve the painful problem for you. Being an example in everything is an essential quality of a true leader. It is common to look up to such people; they are very reliable. If a leader has made a promise, albeit perhaps very tentatively, it is worth trusting that it will be kept.
- Analytic mind- this is exactly what will give you the opportunity to learn valuable experience from failure. In the future, such “full cones” will definitely come in handy and help avoid possible failures.
- Ability and willingness to learn. Personal growth, self-development - all this requires conscious preparation, effort and work on oneself. A leader is one who is always ready for the new and unknown, one who wants to deeply study those nuances that will subsequently make him an even more determined person.
All of these qualities that a leader needs to achieve success must be improved daily.
Psychological qualities
Everyone knows that every person is an individual. But not everyone knows that it is the personality in the process of formation and formation that is characterized by psychological qualities that, as a rule, remain with us throughout our lives.
The psychological qualities of a leader can be positive and negative. This can be influenced by upbringing, society and other factors. For example, people who play sports are likely to have resilience, the will to win, and endurance. We can develop a sense of taste if we read a lot, are interested in art and are creative. And there can be a lot of such examples.
Disadvantages of a leader
Alas, we cannot regard all qualities as positive. For example, the same activities mentioned earlier may have reverse side medals: sport implies serious competition, and it follows that the main quality of a person will be cruelty. This can apply to absolutely any activity to which we are ready to devote our lives, immersing ourselves in them headlong.
Throughout life, a “skeleton” of personality is formed in people. It is sometimes impossible to predict everything; many events happen against our will, but one way or another they leave an indelible mark, which subsequently shapes the psychological qualities of a leader.
Behavior of a true leader
A person who leads others must have the following skills and abilities:
Political leadership
A political leader is a person who, having certain qualities, is able to lead people and the entire system as a whole.
There are three aspects that define the components of personality:
- the instruments by which power is exercised;
- directly the situation.
What character traits do political mentors use to gain trust from others? And what personal qualities of a leader are inherent in a politician?
Distinctive Traits of a Political Leader
Conventionally, all of them can be divided into three groups:
- natural qualities;
- moral qualities;
- professional quality.
The first, perhaps, include willpower of character, the presence of subtle intuition, determination, and magnetism. The second group should include such qualities of a political leader as honesty, nobility, morality, concern for people around and justice.
The third group includes the following leadership qualities:
Taken together, these characteristics pave the way for the possibility of carrying out state and public activities. All these qualities needed by a leader are, as a rule, directly related to his political activity and the ability to stay on top.
Functions of a political leader
The goals that a leader sets for himself are usually related directly to the functions he performs. Situations can be critical and emergency, but it is important to create a program of action that could be implemented under any circumstances.
List of the main functions of a political leader:
- Analytical. She means deep Scan the situation.
- Development of an action program. The fulfillment of this function depends on such a quality of the leader’s personality as the ability to take on greater responsibility. You also need to have determination and courage.
- Mobilization of the country's citizens. The ability to persuade, negotiate, lead the masses and inspire are the main qualities of a leader required to implement this function.
- Innovative: development of improved programs, new ideas, formation of goals and objectives.
- Organizational is a combination of communicative and innovative functions. The ability to organize communities, win the trust of the human masses, regulate reforms and transformations.
- Communicative: serving people, expressing the interests of society, taking into account changes in public mood, opinions that reflect the dynamics of life.
- Coordination. Coordination of transformations, coordination of all branches of government, including the courts and executive bodies.
Once you can master the basic soft skills listed earlier, each future step will become easier every day. All these recommendations will certainly help you get at least a little closer to your cherished dream or simply become more self-confident.
It is necessary to understand that in order to become a leader, you need to go through a long and difficult path, which requires constant work on yourself. It is a process of transformation that never ends. On the path to success, you need to enjoy your own self-improvement.
Finding new options to motivate others is the task of a true leader! Every person can cope with it, just make an effort. This kind of work on yourself should be done every minute. But having learned to enjoy such changes, a person will no longer want to stop and will go to new heights.
Different cultural and historical eras, a set of political, economic, social conditions and standards of society imply the presence of leaders with different character qualities sufficient to solve pressing problems of the group, class, or organization. The demand for such people in our time is especially great, and, therefore, the supply is growing. From this follows the development of a struggle for the place of leader, which can only be occupied and retained by those who possess certain leadership qualities.
2. Passion. When a person is completely absorbed in an idea or work, everything else seems to not exist around him. Passion for what you do is an important character quality, because you can truly achieve success only by doing what you love.
3. Competence. The ability not only to verbally demonstrate your knowledge in a specific area, but also to confirm it with actions, and most importantly, with results, is worth a lot.
4. Long-term vision. People willingly follow only those who have not a momentary idea, but a global vision, a long-term plan for the implementation of their plans.
In turn, the English publicist Cyril Northcote Parkinson identifies the following elements of leadership that anyone can develop:
- Imagination. A leader must have a clear idea of what will happen as a result of his activities and what will happen at the end of the path he has taken.
- Knowledge. The stock of knowledge necessary to travel the road that the imagination draws.
- Talent. Every person is endowed with talent, you just need to realize what it is. Martin Roger, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, believed: “Talent without effort is like fireworks: it blinds for a moment, and then there is nothing left.”
- Determination. This is the quality that motivates a person to action, makes him work every day in order to achieve the desired result.
- Rigidity. Sometimes it is necessary to organize everything and make others work as the leader sees fit.
- Attraction. One of the main qualities of a leader’s character is the ability to be a magnet for people, attract them to oneself, and lead followers.
Leadership Development
Creating a leadership development program on your own is not an easy task, but it is quite possible. When setting such a goal, you must be as determined as possible to achieve your goals and clearly focus on practical steps. Determination and perseverance are important qualities of a leader.
The first thing you need to clearly understand is that it is impossible to become a leader in a day, a week, or a month. Based on this, you should set specific goals for yourself: from short-term (what you need to work on first) to long-term (how you see your life in a couple of years).
Exercise 2.1. The classic “Who am I?” exercise. Write down 10 answers to this question on a sheet of paper. Each answer must begin with the pronoun “I” and be specific. For example, this could be the entry “I am a student.”
After recording your answers, study them carefully. The goal at this stage is to identify what is preventing you from becoming a leader. If among the answers there are options like “I’m a bad friend” or “I’m a quiet person,” think about how you can correct the shortcomings and start working in this direction.
Exercise 2.2 A leader is distinguished by a clear understanding of the goals of his activities. Write down on a piece of paper entitled “My Goal” everything you would like to achieve as a result of developing yourself as a leader. These may be personal qualities that you think are missing or a desire to occupy a certain position at work. Be critical and don't think long about making up detailed plan There will still be time.
As a result, you will receive material for initial analysis and establish what you should work on first. You will understand how you can become better, develop the missing qualities in yourself and begin to work daily on developing a leader in yourself.
Exercise 2.3. Celebrate your successes. Make it a habit at the end of each day to take a few minutes to write down on a piece of paper at least 3 things that worked best for you that day. You need to do this even if you had a really bad day.
This exercise will teach you to see the positive and celebrate it, and not highlight the negative, as most people do. Positive thinking - important element character of the leader. By focusing on the successful aspects of your work, you will also gain additional motivation.
Be a proactive person. Changing your life and changing yourself is in your power. In other words, the responsibility for what happens to you is entirely in your hands. Not happy with what you have now? Take action and change it.
Stepping out of your comfort zone. Do something you've never done before but have dreamed of. Learn to dance or draw, take up rock climbing - do something you never dared to do before. Don't wait for the right opportunity or for someone who will agree to join you. This will teach you to look at things more broadly, embody your ideas and be independent in your choice.
Constant personal growth. Improve yourself all the time. Be interested in the latest developments and innovations in your field of work and in related areas, deepen your competence. Develop creativity and creativity. This will teach you lively thinking and non-standard actions.
Become a leader in life. It is not enough to be a leader only in the office. Be active in non-work relationships with other people, family, friends with whom you play football or tennis. Challenge yourself to be a leader in all areas of your life.
Self-confidence. It is the faith in own strength, not arrogance and arrogance is distinctive feature character of the leader.
Ability to communicate with people. Successful communication skills are essential for leaders great value. We will talk about them in one of the following lessons.
By keeping all of the above in mind and constantly cultivating the character traits of a leader, you will be able to develop them and achieve positive results.
If you decide to become a real leader, then you will undoubtedly need a lot of work on yourself. After all, a leader has a multiple set of psychological qualities and knowledge for his viability.
Leader (from English) leader) - the first, going ahead of the rest of the planet 🙂 - a person who in a certain group of people enjoys recognition, authority and has influence, which is defined as management activities. The leader makes the most important decisions of the group or organization and manages all processes as a whole, while giving direction for further actions.
In this article we will talk not about that, but about To qualities of a leader.
Leader Qualities:
1) Self-confidence
2) Communication skills
Without this quality of a leader it is difficult to imagine the ability to establish contacts and quickly find mutual language with the team, the most important quality is not only in this path.
3) Ability to constantly learn
It's no secret that our world is constantly changing at an ever-increasing speed. It is in connection with this modern leaders you just need to constantly replenish your knowledge and innovate in your business. This will significantly increase your competitiveness.
4) Determination
A very important quality that separates a leader from other people. He always knows what he wants and what needs to be done for it. After all, you will agree to lead the crowd stupidly when you yourself don’t know where.
5) Responsibility
The ability to be responsible for one’s words, actions, and decisions is an integral quality of a leader. Here you can no longer say “who is to blame?” You will have to take on the entire burden of possible failures and failures, but share success with everyone.
6) Self-discipline
Ordinary people easily allow themselves all possible weaknesses. But the leader cannot afford to give up and must constantly be collected and ready for action.
7) Ability to communicate and listen to people
The ability to communicate and listen to people are one of the main leadership qualities. This is where leadership begins. You must not only communicate and convince people in understandable languages, but also be able to listen and understand each person as an individual.
8) Ability to create a team
We all understand that without a team, a leader ceases to be a leader. Therefore, the ability to create a team is one of the key qualities of a leader. It costs a lot to attract and convince people to follow your banner.
9) Perseverance
A leader is a person who never gives up and is constantly active. He searches for answers and solutions until he finds them.
10) Ambition
A leader always strives for high goals and bright results, and does this consciously without imagining fairy-tale mountains.
Henry Ford said that the question "Who should be the boss?" is similar to the question “Who should be the tenor in a quartet?” Obviously a man who can sing tenor. A true leader is not afraid of responsibility and is ready to answer for the people who have trusted him.
Not every person is given the opportunity to be a leader in the best sense of the word. Many are sure that being ahead of everyone is very prestigious, but in fact they are poorly aware of what a true leader should be, what qualities he should have so that people would strive to follow him and would like to be equal to him.
After all, in essence, this person is like a beacon that indicates where people who trust him need to move.
A leader can become a person whose interests are much broader than just his own, because he thinks extremely broadly - and, first of all, he is most interested in the personal growth, development and self-realization of other people.
Qualities that are essential to a true leader
1. A clear awareness of your own goal
A true leader knows absolutely exactly and really understands where and why he is going - because this gives him the opportunity to lead other people - his followers. Otherwise he will be just a small unit of a large crowd.
2. Self-control, the ability to listen to your intuition
It is good to know yourself, the ability to understand what is happening inside yourself, the ability to understand and at the right moment listen to own emotions, sensations, intuition - a really important quality of a real leader.
Are you surprised that so much attention is paid to ordinary feelings? In vain. They are the ones who help at the right moment to correctly navigate what is happening and to “notice” in time the chance that life carefully provides. A true leader cannot be manipulated, he cannot be led astray from his intended path - after all, he clearly understands what he wants.
3. Adequate self-esteem
A leader must be calm, sober-minded, and in his own strength. All these important qualities help him behave correctly in certain critical cases, and thanks to them, sometimes he can even take risks in some way, because in certain critical situations his determination and courage are really enhanced.
Adequate self-confidence significantly expands the limits of a leader’s capabilities, as a result of which he can gain new positive life experiences. Usually such a person has a much higher sense of self-confidence than his followers.
4. Moral readiness to take reasonable risks
A true leader is ready to take risks not only in business, in his own business, in his own work, but also in his normal everyday life.
Moreover, he is absolutely not afraid to do this, and all because he is quite clearly aware that he will have to pay a serious price for initiative not shown in time. That is why he is ready, in some cases, to literally get ahead of possible events and consciously take a certain risk.
5. Honesty and reliability
Any leader is, in a sense, the bearer of certain general moral norms of a certain association of people, therefore his own worldview and actions must correspond to the universal human and moral standards– fairness, honesty, reliability, a certain responsibility and clear consistency in one’s own actions and actions.
6. Motivational activity and adequate initiative
A true leader never waits for someone else to make him want to be productive. He understands and is clearly aware that the entire responsibility for convincing himself to do something lies solely with him. Therefore, first he tries to learn how to properly motivate himself, and later makes self-motivation a necessary and absolutely regular practice.
7. Active life position
It is she who helps the leader correctly and adequately navigate in any current situation. Thanks to her, he is always practically in the thick of any events, knows how to find out everything directly from first-hand, and as a result of this, he is well informed about everything that is happening and has an absolutely clear opinion on every matter.
8. Ability to gather people into a team
As a rule, he constantly attracts people to himself with his thoughts or ideas, certain ideals, as well as the power of his ability to persuade, so a certain group of like-minded people gathers, which becomes a cohesive team.
This is the skill common man is the most important ability that subsequently determines his successful development as a leader. And competent setting of the right values and rational control over the adherence of the followers themselves to these goals is an important quality of the leader himself.
9. Definition and clear vision of the future
Agree that a person leading a team must know the direction where he is going. Therefore, the most important organizational qualities of a true leader, among others, also include observation, determination and a clear awareness of the prospects for the specific activities of his team - the people who follow him. A true leader does not notice the obstacles that arise in his way, but he absolutely clearly and clearly sees the specific goal to which he strives.
10. Ability to organize and motivate a team to quickly solve assigned tasks
This is a fundamental organizational quality of a true leader. It lies in the ability to competently and adequately distribute responsibilities between team members, as well as the ability to properly motivate and at the right time inspire people to complete specific tasks and coordinate work if really necessary.
11. The ability to quickly navigate in any current situation
In fact, the leader is main participant complex process, he is literally in the center of events, where various forces interact and confront, which very often, for objective reasons, he cannot control on his own. Therefore, a true leader must feel the potential development of events, literally “feel the situation” and at the same time be able to instantly navigate it so that the decision he makes is exclusively correct.
12. Willingness to help and support your followers in difficult times
These qualities characterize a true leader as a Person. People begin to respect him even more because he always keeps their interests in mind, and if he is also puzzled by what he can give them, and not by what he, as a leader, can get from them, then respect and love for him is simply will know no boundaries. A bad leader is one who does not notice the problems of his followers and does not consider it possible to support them in difficult situation, especially when he can and is capable of doing it.
In addition to this extensive list of leadership qualities, a true leader must be able to thank and encourage his followers in a timely manner. This will help him perform specific functions in organizing the management process much more successfully.
How often have you met people like this in your life? Most likely, it is really rare. Sometimes life tests the strength of such comrades. They start out as true leaders, but, alas, they never pass the tests because they are weak in character or they are not leaders at all, but just ordinary upstarts.
If you suddenly notice that you have certain leadership inclinations, then know that positive qualities need to be developed, which means that you are able to overcome all the obstacles that arise, avoid possible temptations of exceeding your authority and become a real leader, but this is not achieved immediately. Don't be afraid to work on improving your own personality!
Each person has his own prototypes for inheritance, idols, or simply people whose life stories motivate them to act. In world history there are more than one example of biographies of famous people, after reading which you are inspired to do absolutely anything. Often these are people who lived centuries ago, but there are also our contemporaries. For some they are athletes, for others they are politicians, for others they are successful entrepreneurs. But they all have one thing in common - they are leaders. And even today, when the world is changing rapidly, sometimes several centuries after the death of such figures, their ideas continue to remain relevant and contribute to the unity of people. Isn't this the task of a real leader?
Political leaders
Professional politicians and skilled statesmen gave history greatest number famous leaders. The reason for this is the specificity of the area, where such people quite often decided the fate of the world, and their names were constantly heard. In addition, success in politics requires charisma, grit, and usually excellent public speaking skills.
Winston Spencer Leonard Churchill(1874-1965) - British statesman, political and military figure, Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955. Journalist, writer, scientist. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The greatest Briton in history, according to a BBC poll in 2002.
W. Churchill is a man of extraordinary energy and erudition. He worked in many ministries and had direct influence on the development of military action plans during the two world wars. Reading his "Second world war", you never cease to be amazed at the detail with which the author describes the diplomatic vicissitudes of the late 30s, and on the next page he gives a full technical description of the magnetic mine. As a leader, Churchill took an active part in everything and was interested in everything that directly or indirectly related to government. He was an excellent speaker - his radio speeches during the war (for example, the famous "It was their best time") attracted huge audiences, instilling optimism and pride in Britain. Many of the British politician’s speeches remain examples of oratory, and some phrases have become catchphrases.
« Success cannot be guaranteed, it can only be earned»
Franklin Delano Roosevelt(1882-1945) - American statesman and politician, 32nd President of the United States, the only president in the history of the country to be elected to the highest public office 4 times in a row. The author of the New Deal economic program, which helped the United States emerge from the Great Depression, as well as one of the consistent inspirers of the idea of creating the UN.
F. Roosevelt is an example of a leader capable of uniting the most different people for the sake of achieving a common goal. Chained to wheelchair Due to an illness, this politician managed to assemble a team of many specialists and achieved support in Congress for reforms aimed at improving the economy. The Roosevelt administration gave refuge to many Jewish refugees from Germany after the Nazis came to power there. Possessing extraordinary courage, determination and strong character, this figure had a huge influence on international politics in the 30s - the first half of the 40s. XX century.
« Happiness lies in the joy of achieving a goal and the thrill of creative effort»
Nelson Rolilahla Mandela(1918-2013) - 8th president and first black president of South Africa, a famous fighter for human rights and against apartheid. He was convicted for his activities and spent 27 years in prison, from 1962 to 1990. Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1993, honorary member of more than 50 international universities.
N. Mandela is a great example of transactional leadership. Having devoted his life to the idea of achieving equal rights for the black population of South Africa with whites, he advocated peaceful transformations, but did not hesitate to prove himself right by carrying out acts of sabotage through the efforts of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). After winning the presidential election in 1994, N. Mandela appointed his main political opponent from the National Party, F. de Klerk, as first deputy, wanting to complete the settlement process that began in the 90s. Today this politician is one of the most authoritative fighters against HIV-AIDS.
« If you have a dream, nothing will stop you from making it come true as long as you don't give up.»
Margaret Hilda Thatcher(1925-2013) - Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979-1990. The only woman to hold this position, as well as the first female prime minister of a European state. Author of tough economic measures to improve the economy, called “Tet-cherism”. She received the nickname “Iron Lady” for the tenacity with which she pursued her policy and for her constant criticism of the Soviet leadership.
M. Thatcher's leadership style, which best characterizes her leadership skills, was close to authoritarian. She is a typical business woman: reasonable, logical, cold to emotions, but at the same time having female gaze to the problem. The determination with which the Falklands War was fought marks her out as a confident politician, and the letters she herself signed for the family of each victim mark her as a mother. The conflict with the IRA, casualties, attempts on the lives of the prime minister and her husband, difficult relations with the USSR - this is an incomplete list of what M. Thatcher had to face. How she dealt with these challenges, history will judge. There is only one interesting fact - The Iron Lady was indifferent to feminism, trying with her whole life to show that there is no discrimination, and in order to achieve something it is enough to be better than everyone else.
« If you want something to be said, ask a man about it; if you want something done, ask a woman»
Examples of Business Leaders
Business, unlike politics, this is the area where the word “success” is applied to famous people much more often. Everyone wants to be successful, and this partly explains the popularity of books written by famous businessmen. Leaders in economic sphere They are often bold innovators, risky adventurers and optimists who can captivate people with their ideas.
John Davison Rockefeller(1839-1937) - American entrepreneur, philanthropist, the first dollar billionaire in human history. Founder of Standard Oil, the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and the Rockefeller Foundation, which was involved in philanthropy, donating huge sums to fight disease and education.
J. Rockefeller was a competent manager. In the early days of his oil company, he refused to pay salaries in cash, rewarding employees with company shares. This made them interested in the success of the business, because everyone’s profit directly depended on the company’s income. There are many not very pleasant rumors about the further stage of his career - the takeover of other companies. But turning to the facts, we can judge J. Rockefeller as a religious leader - since childhood, he transferred 10% of his income to the Baptist church, donated to the development of medicine and Christian communities, and in his interviews he repeatedly emphasized that he cared about the welfare of his compatriots.
« “Your well-being depends on your own decisions.”»
Henry Ford(1863-1947) - American inventor, industrialist, owner and founder of the Ford Motor Company. He was the first to use an industrial conveyor for car production, thanks to which Ford cars were for some time the most affordable on the market. He wrote the book “My Life, My Achievements,” which became the basis for such a political economic phenomenon as “Fordism.”
G. Ford, without a doubt, was one of those people who had the greatest influence on the industrial development of the world in the twentieth century. O. Huxley in his dystopia “O wondrous new world“The beginning of consumer society is associated with the name of Ford, whom the world of the future considers to be a god. Management decisions G. Ford were revolutionary in many ways (increase wages almost 2 times made it possible to gather the best specialists), which was dissonant with the authoritarian leadership style, which was manifested in the desire to make all decisions oneself and completely control the work process, confrontation with trade unions, as well as an anti-Semitic worldview. As a result, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy by the end of the industrialist's life.
« Time doesn't like to be wasted»
« Everything can be done better than it has been done so far»
Sergey Mikhailovich Brin(b. 1973) – American entrepreneur and scientist in the field computer technology, information technologies and economics. Developer and co-founder of the Google search engine and Google Inc. A native of the USSR, he now ranks 21st on the list of the richest people on the planet.
In general, leading a modest lifestyle and not being a public figure, S. Brin is known as one of the world's most respected experts in the field of search technologies and IT. Currently managing special projects at Google Inc. S. Brin advocates for the protection of the right to public access to information, freedom and openness on the Internet. He gained particular popularity among the Internet community after speaking out against radical anti-online piracy programs initiated by the US government.
« It doesn't matter whether I'm rich or not, I'm happy because I enjoy what I do. And this is actually the main wealth»
Steven Paul Jobs(1955-2011) – American entrepreneur, developer and co-founder Apple companies, NeXT and the animation company Pixar. Led software development for iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. According to many journalists, Jobs is the “father of the digital revolution.”
Today, the name Steve Jobs is as successful a marketing symbol as a bitten apple. Biographies of the Apple founder sell millions of copies, thanks to which the company's products also benefit. This, to some extent, is what Jobs is all about: the success of his company and products is a merit not only of quality, but also of a set of actions planned to the smallest detail in marketing, sales, and support service. Many criticized him for his authoritarian management style, aggressive actions towards competitors, and the desire for total control of products even after they were sold to the buyer. But is it not because of this that “Applemania” became a real cultural trend of the early 21st century?
« Innovation distinguishes the leader from the catch-up»
Leadership in culture
Without going into a philosophical debate regarding the influence of mass culture on civilizational development humanity, let us note the fact that it is the leaders in this area who most often become the subject of adoration and inheritance, understandable and simple, the same as an ordinary member of society. The reason for this is the very mass nature of the concept of pop culture and its accessibility.
Andy Warhole(1928-1987) - American artist, producer, designer, writer, collector, magazine publisher, film director, cult figure in the history of the pop art movement and modern art in general. Warhol is the world's second best-selling artist after Pablo Picasso.
The influence of E. Warhol with his works as a hymn to the era of mass consumption had a huge impact on the development of culture in the 60s. and remain so to this day. Many fashion designers consider his services to the fashion world simply titanic. The artist’s name is strongly associated with such concepts as a bohemian lifestyle and outrageousness. Undoubtedly, even today, Warhol's works do not lose their popularity and remain very expensive, and many cultural figures continue to inherit his style.
« The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Florence is McDonald's. There is nothing beautiful in Beijing and Moscow yet»
John Winston Lennon(1940-1980) - British rock musician, singer, poet, composer, artist, writer. One of the founders and member of The Beatles. Political activist, preached the ideas of equality and brotherhood of people, peace, freedom. According to a BBC study, he ranks 8th in the ranking of the greatest Britons of all time.
J. Lennon was one of the most famous spiritual leaders and inspiration for the hippie youth movement, an active preacher of the peaceful resolution of any conflicts existing in the world. A large number of young musicians admired his talent and work. Lennon for his contribution to world culture and public activities was awarded the Order of the British Empire. The group’s work, as well as their solo career, had a huge impact on the development of culture in the 20th century, and the songs rightly take their place on the list best works of those ever written.
« Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.»
Michael Joseph Jackson(1958-2009) - American entertainer, songwriter, dancer, composer, choreographer, philanthropist, entrepreneur. The most successful performer in the history of pop music, winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of others. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times; Jackson's albums have sold about a billion copies worldwide.
M. Jackson is the man who took the music industry and choreographic performances to a whole new level. The number of fans of his talent is measured by millions of people from all over the world. Without exaggeration, this man is one of the most significant personalities of pop culture of our time, who largely determined its development with his life and work.
« You can have the greatest talent in the world, but if you don't prepare and work according to plan, everything will go to waste.»
Sports leaders
Sport- one of the spheres of mass culture. To achieve success in this field, you need to have talent, stand out physically or mental abilities, but there are often cases when success was achieved by those who persistently pursued the goal through exhausting training and complete dedication. This makes sport a subject of idealization, because it knows most of all examples when a boy from the Brazilian slums or a person from a family of disadvantaged African emigrants reached the top, becoming an idol for millions of the same children around the world.
Edson Arantis do Nascimento(better known as Pele) (born 1940) – Brazilian football player, entrepreneur, football functionary. Participant in four FIFA World Cups, 3 of which Brazil won. The best football player of the 20th century according to the FIFA Football Commission, the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee. He is one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine.
The success story of the football player Pele most closely matches the title description of a boy from the slums. Many of the Brazilian’s achievements remain unique to this day; almost all children who kick a ball in the yard know his name. For admirers of his genius, the example of Pele is not only an example of one of the greatest football players, but also a successful businessman, public figure, who turned a childhood hobby into his life’s work.
« Success is not an accident. It's about hard work, perseverance, training, study, sacrifice and most of all, love for what you do or learn to do.»
Michael Jeffrey Jordan(born 1963) is a famous American basketball player and shooting guard. One of the best basketball players in the world at this position. Multiple NBA Championship winner, two-time champion Olympic Games. Today he owns the Charlotte Bobcats bookmaker. Especially for M. Jordan, Nike developed the Air Jordan shoe brand, which is now popular all over the world.
According to research published in an article titled "The Jordan Effect" in Fortune magazine, economic impact brand called "Michael Jordan" was valued at $8 billion. M. Jordan is a cult figure for basketball, American and world fans of this game. It was he who played a huge role in the popularization of this sport.
« Boundaries, like fears, most often turn out to be just illusions»
Muhammad Ali(Cassius Marcellus Clay) (born 1942) is an American professional heavyweight boxer, one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of world boxing. Sports personality of the century according to the BBC, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, philanthropist, excellent speaker.
One of the most famous boxers of the “golden era of boxing,” Muhammad Ali is an example of how a talented person, even after losing everything, continues to work hard on himself, again reaches the top. His three fights with Joe Frazier are among the best boxing matches of all time and, without a doubt, are known to all fans of this sport. Even after his career ended, Muhammad Ali remained one of the most recognizable athletes of the 20th century; many books, newspaper and magazine articles have been written about him, and more than a dozen films have been made.
« Worrying all the time about past mistakes is the worst mistake»
Military leaders
Today, thanks to the rapid development of technology, including military technology, there is not much room left in history for a military genius. But even a century ago, the fate of individual states and the world as a whole sometimes depended on commanders and military leaders.
Alexander III the Great of Macedon(356-323 BC) - Macedonian king from 336 BC. e. from the Argead dynasty, commander, creator of a world power. He studied philosophy, politics, ethics, literature from Aristotle. Already in antiquity, Alexander gained the reputation of one of the greatest commanders in history.
Alexander the Great, whose military and diplomatic talents are beyond doubt, was a born leader. It was not for nothing that the young ruler gained love among his soldiers and respect among his enemies at such a young age (he died at 32): he always kept himself simple, rejected luxury and preferred to endure the same inconveniences in numerous campaigns as his troops, did not attack at night, was honest in negotiations. These features are a composite image of the characters from books and films that we all loved in childhood, heroes idealized in world culture.
« I owe it to Philip that I live, and to Aristotle that I live with dignity.»
Napoleon I Bonaparte(1769-1821) - Emperor of France in 1804-1815, great commander and statesman, military theorist, thinker. He was the first to separate artillery into a separate branch of the military and began to use artillery preparation.
Individual battles won by Napoleon were included in military textbooks as examples of the art of warfare. The emperor was far ahead of his contemporaries in his views on tactics and strategy of war, and government. His life itself is evidence of how one can develop a leader within oneself by making this a life goal. Not being of high origin, not standing out among his peers at military school for special talents, Napoleon became one of the few cult personalities in world history thanks to constant self-development, unprecedented hard work and extraordinary thinking.
« A leader is a merchant of hope»
Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov(1802-1855) – Russian naval commander, admiral. Committed circumnavigation in the team of M.P. Lazarev. Defeated the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop during the Crimean War. Recipient of many awards and orders.
The leadership qualities and skills of P. S. Nakhimov were most fully demonstrated during his leadership of the defense of Sevastopol. He personally toured the front lines, thanks to which he had the greatest moral influence on soldiers and sailors, as well as civilian population, mobilized to defend the city. The leadership's talent, multiplied by his energy and ability to find an approach to everyone, made Nakhimov a “father-benefactor” for his subordinates.
« Of the three ways to influence subordinates: rewards, fear and example - the last is the surest»
Reviews, comments and suggestions
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