NationStates Jolt Archive

I have a school project and I'm supposed to ask people from different backgrounds and such to answer this simple survey.
What is the most important quality of a leader? (open-ended, ergo no poll)
If you're comfortable post your age, occupation, gender, and race along with your answer. If not, then I can't include you in my survey but I would like to also hear your opinion.

EDIT: No profanity please. If I can I will just send the link to my teacher.

A beating heart, so I can tear it from them in front of the troops in order to inspire fear and respect in them.

I thought I'd get my spam post out of the way. Really, I think strong public speaking is necessary for strong leadership above all other traits.

EDIT: Shit, forgot. 18, student, male, caucasian.

Nonexistance. I don't believe in leaders, being an anarchist and all.

What is the most important quality of a leader?

flexibility

(I can elaborate if you need me to, as I am flexible ;) )


age 23
occupation tax professional/financial advisor
gender female
race white

Being perfect.

"If a country is governed with tolerance,
the people are comfortable and honest.
If a country is governed with repression,
the people are depressed and crafty.

"When the will to power is in charge,
the higher the ideals, the lower the results.
Try to make people happy,
and you lay the groundwork for misery.
Try to make people moral,
and you lay the groundwork for vice.

"Thus the Master is content
to serve as an example
and not to impose her will.
She is pointed, but doesn't pierce.
Straightforward, but supple.
Radiant, but easy on the eyes."
-- Tao Te Ching: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell

Edit: See also my signature. :D
Edit: 22, none, male, homo sapiens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens)

Scope and perspective, the ability to judge thier society by the least of its citizens and not the best.

34, Freelance Production Crewperson (film and tv crews, etc), dude, cracker.

coherency and nationalism


17, student, male, european

Drunk

17,student,male,cauc,spamming

Being Perfect

Ethics. Which is a tall order for a politician.

21, clerk, female, caucasian

homo sapiens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens)
Any reason for the link?

coherency and nationalism
A contradiction in terms.

Intelligence and the ability to convey it through speech and action

28 (for another 9 days); University student (English/Biology); male; German


http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/rcampbell/Leadership/
(especially Chapter 4)

http://www.studip.uni-goettingen.de/pictures/smile/znaika.gif
Maybe you wanna check out the link above - Could be useful for your study?

I'd have to second good public speaking. That's what gets people following you

18, unemployed, male, white

Someone who is honest and rational and doesn't have an ego the size of Texas.
21, white male, college student, American.

compassion i guess
closely followed by intelligence and ethics (not morals cos that could be religious or something)

and definatley not nationalistic. fuck no.


male, 20, caucasian, graphic designer

A good leader needs a lot of sheep.

30, otaku, girlz don't exist on teh intarweb (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/17/27), human race

There are many important traits for a truly good leader to possess.

I'd have to say that integrity is the most important because along with it, you get one who has a strong code of ethics and morals (though not religious based). After this, you'd need someone who is charismatic; there has to be something to draw the voters to pick this particular candidate over another. Following this, is probably competancy, strong will (we can't have a pansy, otherwise stronger nations would walk over us). I'd say the last on my list would be any kind of military experience. I think it's better to have a leader who has civil, law and/or political experience.

22, female, college student, Canadian.

Someone who is honest and rational and doesn't have an ego the size of Texas.

Was Texas used offhand or purposefully?

The best leader is a living contradiction. He is strong in character without Ego. He does what he feels best for his people only if that's what they want. He is willing to give up his role if necessity so dictates, but only with due reason. He converses with you; not just talks at you. He is not above the press, but is above sensationalism for its own sake. He doesn't explicitly covet his position, but takes it in the knowledge that he can do it well, and does so humbly. He can negotiate and put his point forward, but knows when to reject spoken lunacy or accept verbal defeat. Finally, he knows that his people can be wrong, but listens to them and genuinely takes their opinions, ideas and suggestions on board.

He could also be a She. Not necessary, though, as long as the above are true.

And 19, Male, Student, Caucasian.

Was Texas used offhand or purposefully?

I admit when I used it I was thinking of Bush but I mainly used it because the state is big. It works both ways especially since Bush is not rational or honest though he may have a small ego so he feels he has to pound small countries to make up for it.

Courage and intelligence, IMHO.

17, Pilot, Male, Canadian/Caucasian.

Both a Heart and Will of Iron.
If he can't stick out his desicions and is going to spend all day saving kittens from trees he can damn well do so without having responsibility.

EDIT: Look, my stats!
18 White Male College Student

53 W M Farmer, college teacher, PT postal worker

Long term, a leader treats those under him as he would want to be treated. A short term leader just needs power.

The best leaders are benevolent dictators. They can think of what is good for everyone long term, not just the emotion of the moment. The problem is, they are so few and far between that it is hard to find a successor. When they are gone, those who think short term and private position take over. This is true of both business and nations.

One of the major problems with the US government is the direct election of senators. The senate was to be that insulated benevolent decision making body. When it was converted to "democracy" it became just another house worried about the emotions of the minute, not what would be good 50 years from now.

Integrity.

White male, white collar, 33.

The ability to lie. Convincingly.

Did you want ideals or the truth?

31, Female, Domestic Engineer (for now), Caucasian.

A strong belief in and support for the ideas of secular humanism. Nationalism and adjacent tendencies should be absent to as high a degree as possible.

Age: 22; occupation: student (medicine); gender: (biological) male; race: human?

Strong base in personal morality, willingness to stick to his guns (per se) when facing immense irrational opposition, but more likely to go the route of diplomacy than violence or military action.

19, female, caucasian, stylist/playwright/church leader/civic leader/student/retail clerk/technical theatre advisor (amazingly, getting paid for all of them....)

Both a Heart and Will of Iron.
If he can't stick out his desicions and is going to spend all day saving kittens from trees he can damn well do so without having responsibility.


I'll just second this, and add one other trait: the humility to defer to others when appropriate.. history is kinda full of leaders who wrongly thought they could wear a dozen hats.

age-21, male, occupation-butcher.

Also, no women or vegetarians. That covers it. ;)

I have a school project and I'm supposed to ask people from different backgrounds and such to answer this simple survey.
What is the most important quality of a leader? (open-ended, ergo no poll)
If you're comfortable post your age, occupation, gender, and race along with your answer. If not, then I can't include you in my survey but I would like to also hear your opinion.

EDIT: No profanity please. If I can I will just send the link to my teacher.

Answer: Well, this mostly depends on what kind of leader (varying from political leaders all the way to the school club leader) you are thinking of. But in the end the answer would propably be:

Ability to appear trustworthy. No matter what the leader says or does can't make me follow him/her unless I can believe in him/her. Which sadly means I'll have hard time to vote as I trust no politician :/ .

Age: 19
Occupation: Worker -> military service -> student -> ??? in that order. Working until my military service begins and going to university after my compulsory service ends.
Gender: Male.
Race: I can only answer that I'm Finnish, as our racial origins are still under investigation :p

And good luck with your profect :D