what does it mean to be a good leader essay

Violeta Stoimenova/Getty Images

By Dr. Josh Axe Leaders Staff

Dr. Josh Axe

CEO/Founder

Dr. Josh Axe is the co-founder of Ancient Nutrition and the founder and CEO of Leaders.com. He earned his doctorate...

Learn about our editorial policy

Updated May 24, 2022

What Does It Mean to Be a Leader?

What does it mean to be a leader, what are the 3 most important roles of a leader, 5 top qualities of great leaders, being a leader vs. boss, being a leader means dedicating yourself to personal growth.

You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader. Henry Ford

What does it mean to be a leader? Does it mean being an authority figure over others, or is there more to it? A quick look at the business world illuminates people who practice true leadership. Take Meg Whitman as an example. As CEO of eBay, Whitman helped take the company from $5 million in revenue to over $8 billion . She would later go on to turn around Hewlett-Packard at a time when the company was struggling to survive.

But financial success doesn’t always indicate a leader . It was Whitman’s leadership style that set her apart from her peers. According to people who worked with her, Whitman challenged others to be better, stimulating them with questions that encouraged them to break through boundaries. She advocated for more open communication in the workplace, tearing down barriers that prevented employees from speaking with executives. Whitman used her influence to help others, and the business benefited as a result.

Whitman is a good example of leadership either making or breaking a company. Poor leadership can often lead to problems. According to a survey from Zenger Folkman, uninspiring leaders result in almost half of direct reports thinking of quitting, while only 23 percent of employees consider themselves engaged . Other reports indicate that up to 75 percent of employees say the worst part of their job is their boss. If companies want to see increases in productivity, employee satisfaction, innovation, and job retention, they need to recognize and value true leadership.

In this article, learn about the following:

• What it means to be a leader
• The main qualities of a good leader
• The three roles great leaders must play for their teams
• How to grow the skills you need to become an effective leader

So, what is a leader? John Maxwell has a famous quote about the definition of leadership that says, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” From this quote, it’s easy to see that a great leader is someone who has gone down a particular path. They know the correct way to go, and they’re willing to act as a guide for others to follow. That leader might not be the most eloquent or outgoing, but they are willing to risk it all to show people there’s a better way.

Great leaders are influential figures who teach essential leadership skills to those around them. Through their work, they create an infinite cycle of leadership, positively impacting others (even after they’re gone). Just look at the legacy a leader like Steve Jobs left behind. Though he passed away in 2011, more than a decade later, Apple still looks to him as an example of a free-thinker and innovator who focused on excellence. Additionally, out of all the leadership styles, many entrepreneurs and top performers still want to emulate his to produce strong results in business.

A leader can appear at any level of a company, especially if that company works to cultivate leadership among its team members. Leaders are those who want to make something of themselves. They seek to grow every day and improve their skills for the duration of their lives. For them, self-development is an ongoing process.

So, what does leadership mean to you? Leaders can take on many different roles, sometimes even during the same day. When it comes to strong leadership, most leaders will take on three roles that are the most influential.

Role #1: Guide

A leader who acts as a guide is the person who shows you how to get things done. They provide the roadmap that you need to follow. Guides understand the destination, so they’ll show you the steps you need to get there.

It’s best to think of a guide as the mentor figure from Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey. The guiding figures have valuable experience they choose to pass on to the hero. Think of famous guides like Gandalf, Dumbledore, and Yoda. They demonstrate empathy and wisdom while helping the hero win along the journey. This is how a mentor acts.

A guiding leader provides the opportunity for kinesthetic learning , or in other words, learning by watching someone do it, then doing it yourself. Think of how much easier it is to do something new when you have someone showing you every step of the process. They can even correct you along the way, ensuring you stay on the right path. In this way, guides act like coaches, encouraging and correcting as needed.

Role #2: Chief

A chief is like the head of a household or a parent. While it might be tempting for some leaders to simply dictate what others need to do, a leader acting as a chief gives the explanation for doing it. They focus on the “why” behind an action.

Just like a parent, a chief is responsible for being nurturing and loving but also giving structure to people’s lives. They teach good habits and systems for them to follow. Additionally, they’re preparing someone to take over one day. In this way, they help build future leaders.

When someone explains the reasoning behind decisions, it makes those decisions easier to accept. Chiefs go deep into their explanations. They paint a picture that is easy for others to imagine. A leader who acts as a chief treats others like adults. They consider their team members to be smart and understanding, so they don’t hesitate to provide them with the information and resources they need.

Role #3: Tree

When a leader acts as a tree, they set down strong roots that won’t allow them to move from their spot. These roots represent the leader’s core identity, purpose, values, beliefs, and character. They are the unshakeable foundation upon which everything else is built. Like a tree needs healthy roots to thrive, a leader must show integrity for everything else to work.

By nurturing relationships with friends, family, and mentors, a tree-like leader grows in wisdom and awareness. Along the way, they develop the knowledge, skills, and discipline that will turn them into a great leader. These eventually blossom into the passions and strengths many on the outside notice. They also develop leaves, or the charismatic nature so many leaders demonstrate. As they continue to nurture these aspects, a tree-like leader eventually develops the fruit, or success, from their efforts.

While there are many ways to define what it means to be a leader, it all starts with possessing the best leadership qualities . Developing the following leadership skills will help you become an effective leader. Note that these traits only scratch the surface of what it means to be a leader.

1. Serves Others

Servant leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don’t work for you; you work for them. Ken Blanchard

A great leader practices servant leadership with all those around them. They seek to lift up people and help them become their best selves. They lead by not thinking about themselves but about what they can do to make the world a better place. Many business leaders such as David Green of Hobby Lobby and Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A made servant leadership a defining part of who they are as leaders.

How to be a servant leader:

• Focus on developing your team members.
• Look for ways to serve your community.
• Listen to others and think of ways you can help.
• Be a positive influence in the lives of people.
• Lead people with a positive outlook on the future.

2. Problem-Solves

Every problem has a solution, although it may not be the outcome that was originally hoped for or expected. Alice Hoffman

When you run into a problem, many people will complain or offer up excuses. A leader, on the other hand, will focus on the solution. Effective leaders embrace the challenges that problems provide. Even when it seems like there is no remedy to an issue, they don’t give up. Instead, they opt to brainstorm creative solutions. Because of their development in problem-solving , they know how to find solutions more often than not. When leaders become problem-solvers, they view every problem as an opportunity to learn and grow. Nothing is impossible to them, which is why so many in their organization look to them when things get difficult.

How to problem-solve creatively:

• Review the goal you have established.
• Be flexible if you need to refine your strategy.
• Identify the origin of the main problem.
• Research possible solutions to that main problem.
• Stick with a decision-making process for narrowing solutions down to the best choice.
• Create an action plan you and others can follow that will solve the problem.

3. Accountable

A duty dodged is like a debt unpaid; it is only deferred, and we must come back and settle the account at last. Joseph Fort Newton

The best leaders hold themselves accountable, no matter the circumstances. As much as it might be tempting to place the blame on others, authentic leaders make no excuses and understand that they are ultimately responsible. When a leader practices accountability , others take notice and begin to do the same. Once a whole organization is filled with such team members, collaboration and harmony increase, leading to higher productivity and innovation levels.

Jocko Willink best describes this attitude in Extreme Ownership . Accountability is one thing all great leaders must practice. As he puts it, “Good leaders don’t make excuses. Instead, they figure out a way to get it done.” They own everything within their sphere of influence and don’t try to shift responsibility when things go wrong. Willick describes this when writing, “Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.”

How to practice self-accountability:

• Don’t be selective about when you hold yourself accountable.
• Take full ownership of everything within your sphere of influence.
• Note when you make mistakes, and learn from them.
• Communicate with the group when you’ve made a mistake.
• Always have a plan in mind for correcting a mistake.

4. Passion ate

People should pursue what they’re passionate about. That will make them happier than pretty much anything else. Elon Musk

Another one of the top leadership skills they should have is passion. Leaders must exhibit a passion for what they’re pursuing. With a combination of patience and passion , they can instill in others motivation for following a goal. Being passionate keeps leaders enthusiastic even during downtimes. It’s the element that keeps them pushing forward with energy. Leaders should always balance their passion with patience since, without it, they may experience higher stress, burnout, and a shorter temper.

How to increase your patience to take advantage of your passion:

• Understand that impatience often leads to negative consequences.
• Identify what triggers impatience within you.
• Engage in mindfulness practices such as meditation or breathing exercises.
• Increase your empathy for others.
• Don’t be afraid to take things at a slower pace.

5. Purpose-Driven

The secret of happiness: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it. Daniel C. Dennett

A true leader leads with a purpose. They have a vision for the future that others can follow. They move forward with optimism as they look to change the world for the better. When a leader is purpose-driven, they have a central focus around which everything else revolves. They also communicate that vision to others, getting them fired up about it. Everything, from a company’s overall strategy to who they hire, stems from that purpose. It is exemplified in a vision statement everyone can read and understand.

How to write a vision statement:

• Be clear about your company’s “why.”
• Brainstorm what you envision for the future.
• Draft several versions of your vision statement.
• Get feedback on those versions from friends, family, and colleagues.
• Revise your statement until you have one you are happy with.
• Begin implementing that vision in your daily work.

Leaders develop their skill set to gain followers who willingly commit to their mission, while a boss is simply someone who receives a position of authority and provides orders. Here are the main characteristics that determine the difference between leader vs. boss :

• Bosses enforce accountability, while leaders create it.
• Bosses look for easy fixes, while leaders focus on long-term solutions.
• Leaders learn, rather than assuming they’re already experts.
• A leader listens and never shuts down communication.
• Bosses are driven by numbers, while leaders are driven by values.

Being a leader isn’t just about influencing those around you. It’s also about committing yourself to grow as a person and professional every day.

Make self-improvement and personal growth a priority for yourself. Schedule time every day to learn and grow. Additionally, seek out a mentor who knows the ropes and understands how you can improve. Doing so will help you cultivate a growth mindset that maximizes your influence and drives impact.

For more inspiration about being a leader, check out these quotes on leadership .

Search Leaders.com

Feb 15, 2023

Essays on Leadership for Students | 200 - 500 Word Essays

Are you writing an essay about leadership? Check out these examples!

Leadership is often defined as "the action of inspiring others to act in concert to achieve a particular goal." It signifies the harmony in actions that lead to a common objective. A genuine leader not only exudes confidence but also paves the way for their followers towards triumph. Over the years, various leadership styles have been identified and discussed by psychologists.

 Qualities such as intelligence, adaptability, extroversion, innate self-awareness, and social competence often emerge as the hallmarks of impactful leaders. There's a consensus that these traits mold an individual into an effective leader. Interestingly, some theories suggest that extraordinary situations can thrust an ordinary individual into the spotlight, bestowing upon them the mantle of leadership. It's also believed that leadership isn't a static trait but an evolving journey. It underscores the belief that with dedication and the right resources, anyone can hone their leadership abilities.

 True leadership goes beyond merely advocating for a cause. It involves taking responsibility, igniting motivation in others, and differentiating oneself from just being a 'boss'. A leader's essence lies in their ability to inspire and propel people towards grand visions, whereas a manager typically focuses on oversight and operational aspects.

What Is a Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay falls under the category of student application essays and serves to provide student admissions officers with insight into your past leadership experiences. Despite appearing to be very specific, this type of essay acknowledges that the nature and perception of leadership can vary significantly depending on the individual and the context.

 If you find yourself in need of further insights or a unique angle for your leadership essay, consider exploring an expert essay-writing tool designed to assist students in crafting compelling narratives by analyzing vast data and generating fresh ideas within minutes. In this article, we'll also delve into various leadership essay examples to offer a clearer understanding of the genre and inspire your writing journey.

4 Examples of Leadership Essays

Qualities of a good leader, introduction.

Confidence is the most important attribute first of all. One of the most important qualities in a leader is confidence in one's own abilities. A lack of self-assurance is fatal to a person's leadership potential. If you want others to follow you, you need to exude self-assurance. It's imperative for a leader to have faith in his own judgment and actions. How can people want to follow him if he doesn't even know what he's doing?

Every effective leader knows that they need to be an inspiration to their followers. A leader needs to set an example for his team. In addition, he ought to inspire them whenever feasible. A leader must also maintain optimism in trying times.

What qualities a good leader must have?

Leadership is the ability to influence and guide individuals or groups toward a common goal. A leader must possess several qualities to be effective, including:

Communication skills: A leader must be able to communicate their vision and goals clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing. This requires excellent listening skills, empathy, and the ability to adapt to different communication styles.

Emotional intelligence: A leader must be able to understand and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their team members. This includes being able to understand and respond to the emotions of others, and handling conflicts in a constructive manner.

Visionary: A leader must have a clear and inspiring vision of the future, and be able to articulate this vision in a way that motivates others to work towards it.

Strategic thinking: A leader must be able to think critically and creatively to identify and solve problems, make decisions, and develop plans and strategies to achieve their goals.

Flexibility: A leader must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be open to new ideas and perspectives. This requires the ability to embrace change, be innovative, and continuously learn and grow.

Integrity: A leader must have strong ethics and values, and be willing to make difficult decisions that are consistent with their beliefs. This requires honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Decisiveness: A leader must be able to make tough decisions quickly, without undue hesitation or procrastination. This requires courage and the ability to take calculated risks.

Empowerment: A leader must be able to delegate responsibilities, give team members the resources they need to succeed, and foster a sense of ownership and accountability among their team.

Conclusion 

These qualities are essential for effective leadership, and when combined with hard work, determination, and a commitment to excellence, can help leaders to achieve great things.

How one can be a Great Leader?

Leadership is the act of performing the duties of a leader. In the business world, for instance, it is essential to have someone in charge of a team to ensure everything runs well. Effective leadership is essential for any group that wants to maximize its prospects of success.

Leadership Comes from Experience

As we've shown, leadership can be innate in some cases but is more often learned through practice and exposure. Sometimes the best traits of a leader must be learned over a lengthy period of time, so that one can become a notable one, proving that leadership is not always about a person's innate qualities. Leaders should continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to grow their leadership skills.

Nobody can disagree that experience is a key component of leadership. Numerous examples exist to back up this claim, such as:

Instance 1:

Our school's head boy or girl has traditionally been an older student who has been around for a while and thus has a better grasp of the ins and outs of school politics.

Instance 2:

When there is a vacancy for a team leader, it is common practice for the employee who has consistently put in the most effort and attention to the office job to receive a higher number of votes than their coworkers. 

“The best teacher for a leader is evaluated experience.” - John C. Maxwell

How one can be a Great Leader/Skills to be a Great Leader?

Effective leadership is a skill that develops through time. Developing into a leader with all the qualities that are needed takes a lot of hard work and potential. Being a prominent leader calls for a wide variety of traits. Some of these characteristics are addressed in further detail below:

One should be a Good Communicator

To be an effective leader, one must be able to convey his thoughts clearly to his/her/its subordinates.

Should have Confidence

The individual should have faith in what he says and does.

Give Credit to other Team Members too

A leader not only needs to impose his viewpoints and opinions instead he must also hear to the suggestions of other members of the team and offer them credit if their concept is appropriate.

Good Bond with the Team

A leader's ability to command respect from his team members depends on his ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with them.

Leads with Responsibility

A leader needs to be completely committed to his position. It's important that he takes on responsibility so that he can effectively deal with the various challenges he will inevitably face.

Any group or organization needs a leader above all else. Leadership development takes time and effort. One needs to have lived through a lot to be an effective leader. It's not enough to simply have years of experience in the field; one must also have the traits that make one an effective leader. You can't be a great leader unless you possess certain traits.

What makes a Good Leader?

Trying one's hand as a leader appears easy when viewed through this lens. Is that so tough? Of course not; leading is difficult, and not everyone aspires to be a leader. The vast majority of us have settled into well-established careers where we report to superiors and make a living. Still, not everyone is content to go along with the crowd. They become leaders in whatever field they pursue. A leader is an example to followers and will prioritize the needs of those around them.

Some Unique Qualities of a Leader

Many individuals resort to their leaders to vent their frustrations, therefore it's important for them to be good listeners.

A leader ought to be completely forthright; they can't play favorites or give anyone preferential treatment. One of the most essential qualities of a strong leader is the ability to make decisions with integrity.

They need to be aware of the bigger picture and understand what makes an individual stand out or become a leader. It's their expertise in addition to other distinguishing traits. Their awareness of current events and the results of recent studies is essential. In many ways, this is helpful, and it's the leader's responsibility to stay current.

Since some might not understand them, they should utilize straightforward, easily comprehended language. Leaders need to be able to communicate effectively at all times. In reality, what sets them apart is their exceptional communication skills. Adolf Hitler was such a gifted orator that his followers believed every word he said.

No matter how you're feeling or what's going on in the world, if you listen to a leader, they may make you feel energized. Since leaders are in charge of inspiring confidence in their followers, they can't afford to be wary or unsure of themselves. People tend to blindly follow their leaders.

Whether you're a leader or a doctor, you should devote yourself completely to your chosen field. Everything we do is for the benefit of others; engineers, for example, spend much of their time designing and constructing buildings for other people. So, take pride in what you do, and if you possess the aforementioned traits, you are also a leader who doesn't have to rely on others to succeed. No matter what you do, aspiring to leadership positions will always benefit others.

What is Leadership in Management and what are the weaknesses and strengths of a Leader?

Simply said, leadership is acting as a supervisor or manager of a group. Different mental pictures pop up when we hear the word "leadership" used in conversation. One might think of a political leader, team leader, corporate leader, school leader, etc. Leaders facilitate order and efficiency in the workplace. Teamwork and success are fundamental to effective leadership. Leaders utilize their managerial abilities to establish courses and guide their teams to success.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Leadership

Able to express oneself more clearly

Growth of character.

Self-awareness.

Possession of teamwork skills.

Gain assurance in yourself.

Weaknesses:

Acting favorably toward one's teammates.

Having no faith in the leader.

Thinks they're better than everyone else, but act hypocritically.

Not living up to the promised standard.

Insufficient morals.

Leadership and Management

Management and leadership are inextricably linked to one another. Leadership and management are both vital to the efficient operation of an organization; but, they accomplish very different things in the process. Leadership is a necessary skill for anyone aspiring to be an effective manager. The terms management and leadership are synonymous with one another. In this manner, we are able to draw the conclusion that a manager who demonstrates the traits of a successful leader is, in fact, a manager who is effective.

Leadership in School

Leadership is essential in nearly every group, as we've seen above. That group includes one's educational institution. Every school needs an outstanding figure to serve as its head of school. Class monitor, assembly captain, cultural leader, etc. are all examples of leadership roles that can be taken on at school, but this raises the question of what makes a person a successful school leader.

Any student hoping to be chosen as a student body leader will need to demonstrate a wide range of competencies. He or she needs to be a consistent student who pays attention in class and does well in extracurricular activities. For the simple reason that no intelligent and hardworking kid would ever be considered for leadership. Student leaders are most often selected from among those who participate fully in all activities.

Leadership in Organization

Leadership in an organization, also known as organizational leadership, is the process of establishing long-term objectives that further the company's mission and help it reach its ultimate destination. This is a classic illustration of how Bill Gates often works with his team: they agree on a strategy, and Gates implements it. To the same extent, it is the responsibility of the leader in each given organization to determine what it is that the group is trying to accomplish.

Leadership in Politics

Leadership in politics, also known as political leadership, is the process of becoming actively involved in a political party in the role of a party leader. Knowledge of political processes, their outcomes, and the political agenda is central to the idea of political leadership.

An effective leader can be developed in anyone who has the determination and drives to do so. Both the strengths and the areas for improvement should be nurtured. Whether in the classroom, the workplace, or the political arena, leadership is always necessary. Therefore, one can exercise leadership anywhere they like inside their own organization.

What are the types of Leadership?

The ability to lead is a rare trait that not everyone possesses. The ability to do so is a gift, so count your blessings if you possess it. It's recommended that you hone it even more so that you can propel your career forward and serve as an example to people around you. However, it is crucial to grasp the various leadership styles before you go ahead and polish your skills.

Types of Leadership Styles

Democratic Leadership

In this style of management, subordinates are given a voice in decision-making. Although the subordinates' efforts are highlighted, the leader is ultimately held responsible for the group's actions. Many people find this type of leadership to be effective.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders motivate and inspire others to adopt new behaviors and ways of thinking in order to improve their own performance and that of their teams and organizations. A transformational leader is someone who encourages their team to strive for greater things and works to boost morale and output.

Team Leadership

A good leader fully incorporates his team into the task at hand. Members of the team are motivated to reach their goals and advance in their careers thanks to the leadership of the group.

Strategic Leadership

It requires a chief executive who doesn't restrict himself to brainstorming sessions with his superiors. He contributes on every level of the team. He is well-liked for his ability to unite the need for fresh ideas with the necessity of grounding them in reality.

Autocratic Leadership

The leader in a command and control structure is the center of attention. The chief executive has absolute power in this setting. He decides things on his own, without polling his staff. He relays this information to his staff and stresses the importance of swift action. The buck stops with him, and he alone must answer for his actions. Not much room for negotiation exists. It's no secret that this method of leading has its detractors.

Visionary Leadership

This kind of leader appreciates the abilities and requirements of his team members. He describes his ideal outcome and the teamwork that will be necessary to attain it.

Coaching Leadership

Leaders who coach their teams do so regularly in an effort to raise output. He inspires his employees to do better and works to keep them motivated. This approach to leadership has been much praised.

Facilitative Leadership

With occasional guidance, a facilitative leader ensures that the process runs smoothly for his team. As a precaution in case his team is ineffective. If the team is highly effective, the leader will take a hands-off approach.

Cross-Cultural Leadership

The leadership of this type is necessary when interacting with people from various cultural backgrounds. Because of the wide variety of cultures represented in the workforce across the United States, many managers and executives hold cross-cultural positions.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

The members of the team are given responsibility in this style of management. They are free to choose how they spend their time at work, with minimal oversight from the boss. It's not a good way to lead, according to experts.

Transactional Leadership

An interactive approach is integral to this kind of leadership. When team members successfully implement their leader's ideas and choices, they are rewarded with immediate, material benefits.

Charismatic Leadership

In order to bring out the best in his followers, this kind of leader makes the effort to change their attitudes, values, and actions.

This article should dispel the notion that leadership qualities can't be further subdivided. It should also assist you in pinpointing your own personal brand of leadership so you can perfect it over time.

Final Words

In conclusion, leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that involves various qualities and skills. Effective leaders possess traits such as integrity, vision, empathy, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They are able to navigate challenges, make difficult decisions, and lead their team toward success. Leadership also involves continuous learning and self-improvement, as leaders must adapt to changing circumstances and remain relevant. Effective leadership can have a positive impact on both individuals and organizations, fostering growth and creating a culture of success.

You can use Jenni.ai to quickly compose an essay on leadership, or any other topic, of your choosing. It's a fantastic choice that promises convenience and relief. Create an essay on any topic in a matter of minutes with the help of our AI-powered program. Membership is immediately available upon your free registration here.

You can use Jenni.ai to quickly compose an essay on leadership, or any other topic, of your choosing. It's a fantastic choice that promises convenience and relief. Create an essay on any topic in a matter of minutes with the help of our AI-powered program. Sign up on Jenni.ai and get a free trial.

Try Jenni for free today

Create your first piece of content with Jenni today and never look back

Leadership Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

As a college student, you must write essays on a regular basis since the latter is one of the most common types of home assignments. All this means is that in order to get good grades and be successful with writing the papers, you need to have a sound understanding of the structure. Additionally, what you should never neglect is the variety of essay types. Indeed, your essay will significantly differ from one type to another: description essay will most likely have a structure that is slightly different from an argumentative one.

What you may have already encountered in your academic life is the work on a leadership essay. Although it sounds pretty complicated and vague, it is mostly possible to master an essay on leadership. Below is a guide for you to get an insight into this particular essay type.

What is a good leadership essay?

A good leadership essay is the one in which the essay writer has fully covered the topic of leadership and understood its core ideas. More specifically, to end up with a flawless leadership essay, you will need to indicate what makes a person a good leader. For achieving the latter, you will most likely need to conduct research and trace how a particular person reaches his or her goals. In other words, the task is to discover which actions the person undertakes, what their followers say about him or her, and how the person organizes the work. So, a leadership essay implies providing real-life success examples and further revealing them.

Above all, a good leadership essay is the one that follows a precise, clear, comprehensive structure. Structuring your essay about leadership in the most coherent way leads to a win-win situation: you have fewer troubles and barriers to writing a brilliant essay, and your teacher is able to comprehend the essay easily. This guide is what you will need to refer to to get an insight into how the flawless structure for a leadership essay looks like and how it will let you take a benefit.

How to write a Leadership essay?

To write a leadership essay that stands out, you first need to brainstorm all the ideas that you have and come up with a topic for your essay. If you are struggling with this step, you may think of some of the most influential people, read about them, and find out what makes them unique. Or, you can pick any topic which is mentioned at the end of this article. After you have chosen an issue, it is time to structure your essay appropriately.

As you already know, an essay constitutes three essential sections: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Below is the more detailed description of each of the parts.

Introduction

Of course, your leadership essay introduction will always vary depending on the topic of the essay. However, you can always begin by stating your vision of leadership regardless of the topic. Additionally, to motivate the reader and instantly catch his or her attention, you may use a quote of a famous leader, or simply a quote which you find relevant to the topic. Be aware that you should avoid outlining the essence and the role of the leadership in your introduction; leave it for the body paragraphs.

What you may also do in your leadership essay is ask a question, which will most likely intrigue the leader. Or it will at least give your reader an overview of what you will dwell on  in your essay.

Body Paragraphs

You will need to divide the main body into 3-5 paragraphs to make the structure more comprehensive. What you have to do at this point  is  give your reader a sound understanding of your ideas. Therefore, try to fit each idea in a single body paragraph so that you do not confuse your reader. Do not hesitate to indicate your examples to strengthen your arguments. For instance, you may explain a fact that makes a particular person you are writing about a real leader.

Also, always stick to your thesis statement and don’t forget that the body paragraphs should reveal the parts of your thesis statement.

As you may already know, you need to restate your opinion and briefly summarize all the points from the main body in conclusion. For instance, if you wrote your essay on qualities of an effective leader, state the most fundamental qualities and indicate why they matter the most. Besides, try not to copy what you have already written in the body – it is better to restate your opinion using different words. And, of course, beware adding any new and extra information; indicate only those points that you have already outlined in the text. Finally, keep in mind that it is always favorable to keep your concluding remarks short.

Leadership Essay Examples

Writing a leadership essay requires some research and time. In case you feel the necessity to go through an essay example, below is a leadership essay sample you can refer to.

Is leadership an inborn or an acquired feature?

Is everyone capable of becoming a leader, or is this ability innate? A lot of researchers have been struggling to answer this question. One assumption about leadership implies that the leader is the person who possesses particular characteristics. Another assumption claims that leaders are capable of acquiring specific features over their life span. As the evidence shows, leaders own many features that distinguish them among others and make more and more people become their followers. These might be cognitive abilities, psychological traits, professional qualities, and a lot more, and all of them will be either acquired or innate. Based on the importance of leadership qualities, such as commitment, stress resistance, and the ability to make quality decisions, it is reasonable to claim that leaders are made, not born. 

One can deem commitment as one of the top fundamental qualities of the leader. In essence, such a feature indicates that a person is passionate about the common goal, strives to be a team player, and makes every effort to reach a shared goal. As the history shows, none of the successful companies was uncoordinated by an influential, committed leader: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft – all of these companies are examples of dominant teams led by a dedicated leader. A committed leader also inspires his or her team to achieve common goals and put more effort into the shared activity. Besides, commitment is unlikely to be an innate feature; it instead comes with experience. This is so, since commitment implies dedicating oneself to the shared task, and one can reach it only via learning and continuous self-improvement.

Stress resistance is another incredibly important feature that every good leader should possess. This is because only a stress-resistant leader has sufficient capabilities to overcome any complexity and not let the anxiety and stress prevent him or her from making proper decisions. Besides, such a leader will most likely have a positive influence on the team, as long as leading by example will motivate the team members to attain the same emotional stability. What is so far familiar about stress resistance as an effective leader’s feature is that it can be either innate or attained. However, although some researchers admit that emotional stability is something one is born with, it is not entirely true; many people still put a great effort into self-improvement, changing the attitude to unfortunate situations, and so on. Therefore, being resistant to stress can be mostly attributed to a personality.

An ability to make high-quality decisions most likely determines the chances for an enterprise’s success. In particular, such quality is incredibly fundamental for a company of any size and professional orientation. Additionally, it is one of the top tasks of a good leader to make final decisions. What he or she should do implies brainstorming, discussing various opinions in the group, making forecasts, analyzing all the pros and cons. However, the leader is the one to make a final decision. Thereby, he is in charge of researching the market, discovering all the hidden truths, and analyzing the organization’s potential and capabilities to result in the most effective decision. As it flows logically from the latter, an ability to make sound quality decisions is purely a professional quality. This leads to the conclusion that one has to work hard to become a genuine leader and master the skill of making effective decisions. 

Overall, the leader may possess a multitude of different skills and master them perfectly. However, what has so far become transparent is that any leader, regardless of which team he leads, must possess three essential qualities. These qualities are commitment to the common goal, ability to handle and resist stress, and, finally, an ability to make effective decisions. All of the three qualities are most likely to be acquired over a lifetime. The statement below leads to the conclusion that even though some qualities can be innate, most are not the ones that leaders are born with. Hence, this answers an essential question: leadership feature is acquired, and not necessarily inborn.  

20 leadership essay topics

When coming up with your next leadership essay topic, it is imperative to brainstorm ideas and think of what leadership might be related to. If you are struggling with a topic of the importance of leadership essay or any relevant type of essay, you may quickly take a look at some of the possible topics we prepared for you:

• What are the main qualities of the leader?
• Successful Time Management as a feature of an effective leader
• The role that rhetoric plays in leadership
• The most exceptional leader in the history of the 20-th century
• The role of female leadership
• What are the challenges of the leader of the 21-st century?
• How college helps students develop leadership skills?
• Qualities of the leader that motivate people to follow them 
• Top things to avoid doing to become a team leader
• Examples of effective and ineffective leadership in the history
• Top techniques for developing leadership skills
• The interconnection of creativity and leadership 
• Is a university’s role fundamental in developing leadership skills?
• Dictatorship as an anti-example of leadership
• Liberal vs Authoritative leadership: which one works better?
• The influence of the leader’s role model on the followers’ mindset
• Main difficulties that the new leader may face in a new team
• Leadership of today vs leadership of the past: what has changed?
• Reasons why I want to become a member if the leadership program
• The role of cognitive abilities for the leader 

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

A Full Guide On How To Create Good Leadership Essay

Attempting a leadership essay isn’t such a daunting task, provided you have a grasp of the necessary information needed for a leadership paper. To write this special essay, you’ll need to redefine what exactly an essay on leadership is, how to choose the perfect topic, what should be in the content, and how to organize and structure the paper. Let’s delve deeper!

What Is A Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a well-formatted, organized and specialized type of formal writing which elaborates on a generic leadership topic or a superior human figure exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals.

What Makes A Good Leader Essay?

There are some peculiarities needed to infuse in your write-up if, for example, you’re trying to learn how to write a leadership essay about yourself.

Also, if you’re just trying to produce leadership essays for college, then you’d first and foremost, learn  how to structure an essay , among other skills needed for this type of essay. Here are some qualities which can be found in a good essay about leadership.

• Choose a creative topic
• Avoid the passive voice (the active voice sounds stronger)
• Search for and study leadership essay examples
• Follow the appropriate essay style
• Focus on the essay structure
• Review the essay

How To Choose A Topic And Make A Great Title?

To choose a topic for a paper on leadership, you need to do some research on the concept of a leader (whether in the corporate industry, political society or even in the criminal world). You have to know the current leadership tendencies in organizational groups or society. You can choose to make a leader the point of your reference by explaining the consequences of their leadership abilities or inabilities.

In the body of your essay, don’t forget to mention several types of leadership styles and point out which one the subject portrays. Finally, you should not rule out making comparisons of famous leaders in the modern world or in history. An example of a great prompt for a leadership essay that deploys the comparison technique would be the leadership styles of President Trump and The Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte as both leadership styles have been subjected to political reviews in recent times since their emergence as president of their respective countries.

Outline For A Leadership Essay

When writing a college or professional essay such as -long and short essays on leadership, planning is the key to perfection. The general outline for any essay, including leadership papers, include an introduction, the body paragraphs (which must be properly linked with transition words and/or phrases) and a recapitulating or finding-based conclusions. Here’s what your outline should look like:

Introduction

Knowing how to start a leadership essay depends on your introduction writing ability. The introduction is the gateway to the essay. Aided by punchy opening words, which are the hook, the purpose of the introduction is to draw the reader’s attention. The introduction presents the thesis statement and leaves the body paragraphs to sustain the reader’s interest.

Body Paragraphs

Having informed the readers of the topic of the essay in the introductory paragraph(s), the body paragraphs follow immediately.

Here, you can elaborate on the concept of leadership and do a meaningful interpretation of the subject – the topic or the thesis statement. Don’t forget to talk about your leadership philosophies and leadership experience in whatever capacity you might have found yourself in. Remember, people are more interested in personal experiences. They are great in helping to sustain readers’ attention.

Remember to state a thesis or hypothesis in the opening paragraphs – which is the intro. In each of the body paragraphs of the essay, try to relate your points to the thesis and use each point to prove its validity.

The conclusion is the end part of any well-structured essay. Its purpose is a no-brainer. You don’t want to leave your reader hanging by ending the essay cold turkey. Any standard essay without a conclusion is just as useless as an essay with no purpose. However, be careful not to present new ideas not mentioned in the body.

As mentioned, the conclusion serves to summarize the developed points, restate the thesis and/or present the findings. It is your last opportunity to create an impression on the reader, and this is where they take the message away. If your conclusion is weak, then we might say the essay’s objectives are not achieved.

What To Include In A Leadership Essay?

Here are some tips on what your leadership essay should include.

Your Definition Of A Good Leader And Why He Or She Is Important

Since your essay revolves around leadership and the traits of a good leader, you’ll need to define what it takes to be one. You may also take this opportunity to trash some common myths on what a leader is (i.e., a manager being confused for a leader).

For reference purposes, the concepts of leadership and being a good leader are explained:

Leadership is the quality of a leader and is that person capable of exercising a great influence on people and transmitting desire and optimism to achieve goals. A leader is a guide; someone with ideas and goals that can spread to a large group of people who still believe he or she can lead them in the right direction.

There are many types of leaders and therefore, of leadership since people generally always look for a person or group that shows them a direction to follow. You can find religious, political, social, or philosophical leadership. Leadership can be exercised in a traditional way. In many countries, there is a monarchy. The king or queen is a leader with limited political power, at least in western democracies, but still have the respect and consideration of the people. Their words continue to be heard and taken into account, especially in problematic times. There are other types of leadership that are not given by birth, such as legitimate leadership exercised by, for example, political leaders freely chosen by their people, or charismatic leaders.

In a way, charismatic leaders are what many understand as leaders since they are people who, by their way of behavior and characteristics, get many people to follow and adhere to their ideas. Some charismatic leaders can become legitimate leaders if they choose the path of politics. A traditional leader can also be charismatic. There have always been kings loved by his people more than others. But it can also be a person who prefers independent movements outside of power.

Charisma is the personal magnetism a person has. It is something very difficult to define but makes one capable of convincing others without too much effort, making people follow and trust the leading figure. Charisma can be used positively or negatively. The leaders of the most destructive sects are very charismatic people that are capable of convincing their followers of the eeriest ideas, including donating all their belongings or committing collective suicide.

Examples Of Your Leadership Style

In the content of your essay, you may consider giving an interpretation to your (or your chosen leader’s) leadership traits. Below are some examples of leadership qualities that separate a good leader from a bad leader.

What qualities are necessary for leadership

• Communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Strategic thinking
• Commitment and passion
• Knowledge and experience
• Leading by example
• Active listening
• Ability to enhance talent
• Setting goals and expectations
• People investment
• Discernment
• Concentration
• Positive attitude
• Problem-solving
• Self-discipline

Leadership Essay Example

To know how to do essay fast, you’ll need some ready-made essay examples for the sake of guidance and inspiration. You may find below a leadership essay written by Oliver Smith useful in your leadership paper.

Writing a leadership essay should be easy. A good essay on leadership starts from the hook, and the thesis statement in the introduction. The points developed in the body paragraphs help affirm the hypothesis. Finally, the conclusion offers the reader a summary through the restatement of the essay’s main idea.

As required for every essay type, your essay on leadership has to follow a definite style and format. Examples are MLA, APA, Chicago and AP styles. Take your time in choosing a creative but new topic and also in writing the content. By following this guide, everything should be as perfect as possible.

Don't waste time

Get a professional assistance from certified experts right now

What It Means to Be a Leader? Creative Writing Essay

An autobiography about leadership.

It is common for people to assume that some people are born leaders while others believe that leadership can be learned. However, I strongly believe that everyone has some leadership potential with the exception that some people are more of leaders than others. Accordingly, we all have a starting point in leadership, and thus, with sufficient training and practice, we can make good leaders.

As a result, leadership should be a process, which helps groups of people to achieve goals by ensuring that all the leaders in the group enjoy a mutual relationship in influencing decisions. It then follows that leaders must possess certain skills/abilities, knowledge, behaviors, and values, which make then either good or bad leaders.

Accordingly, leaders should be organized and committed in anything they are involved in besides possessing a complex set of knowledge, values, and skills to support their roles. Most importantly, leaders should know their values, knowledge, and abilities in order to claim their share within a group with confidence. This also ensures that leaders recognize their strengths and compensate for their shortcomings.

On the other hand, leaders learn and practice skills in addition to possessing more specific abilities such as the knowledge and understanding of various tasks, excellent communication skills, ability to build teams/groups, the willingness to take risks, and the ability to add value to the group or individuals. Furthermore, leaders spread optimism as they treat other people with empathy, and show support for those in need. Above all, leaders are trustworthy and accountable to their people and various commitments.

Table: A summary of leadership features

Defining the role of leadership communication

From the foregoing autobiography, it is worth noting that different roles, abilities, values, and skills are needed for one to qualify as a successful leader. Moreover, the discussions downplay the notion that some people are born to be leaders by insisting that everyone possesses the ability to be a leader if only one identifies his or her abilities, knowledge, and skills, which should be nurtured and practiced to perfection.

However, from the roles highlighted in the discussions above, I find that my definition of leadership communication has been changing over time. It is widely accepted that communication skills form the core of leadership, and without these skills, many leaders find it difficult to guide their people through various tasks. On the other hand, I believe that it is never too late for those in leadership roles to learn communication skills and implement them in their day-to-day activities.

There are many reasons as to why leaders should learn leadership communication skills. To begin with, excellent leadership communication skills encourage open communication between leaders and their people by creating an environment, which allows people to exchange ideas and solve problems without favor or fear. Here, leaders are called to encourage their subordinates to embrace open communication by exchanging ideas frequently.

For instance, in an organization where employees are encouraged to communicate with their superiors more frequently, studies show that task performance, job satisfaction, and communication increase while problems arise less often. On the other hand, good leadership communication skills enable leaders to deliver clear messages to their subordinates.

Whether written, oral, or non-verbal, any message sent out is received in the same way it was sent. Therefore, to ensure good communication and eliminate any chances of misunderstandings, it is imperative for leaders to develop their communication skills to the effect that any message conveyed is understood in the manner intended.

Most importantly, leadership communication skills should not limit leaders to being mere communicators, but they should allow leaders to do as much listening as talking. Here, by listening to their subordinates, leaders stand a better chance of handling different situations before they cause problems. Listening will also allow leaders to determine the needs of their subordinates in order to meet them accordingly.

The role of leaders in listening has changed over time as leaders move from the autocratic style of leadership to more participative and inclusive styles where employees in a given organization understand and take an active role in decision-making because they know that their leaders are listening. Such organizations where employees are treated with empathy and recognition remain successful through difficult situations because everyone is on the same page.

Another aspect of leadership communication that has changed over time is the role of non-verbal cues in communication. Over the years, people have been insisting on the need to develop excellent communication skills, but much of these efforts have been directed toward verbal and written skills. A gap is fast developing between verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and the number of people who are aware of their non-verbal behaviors is far less than otherwise.

Here, it is my understanding that communication entails various aspects ranging from written and verbal skills through non-verbal communication skills. As a result, for one to be a good communicator, it is imperative that one develops skills that cut across the range. Therefore, it is my understanding that leaders who wish to convey clear messages to others should consider their tone of voice and facial expressions among other gestures as they communicate.

For instance, if a manager is communicating a serious financial problem to other employees, it is natural that he should have a serious face. Non-verbal communication cues are important because they coincide with the verbal message being conveyed thus making the message more effective. However, leaders should not allow their non-verbal cues to overshadow their main message as this will end up causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

Overall, good leadership communication skills are the core of leadership as illustrated in the foregoing discussions. Here, it is notable that effective communication creates an environment where open communication thrives, ideas are shared, problems are effectively solved, and clear messages are sent and received with minimal distortions.

Most importantly, good leadership communication skills enable leaders to communicate more effectively by incorporating different aspects of communication ranging from oral, written, and non-verbal skills. Therefore, it is important for leaders, particularly upcoming leaders in the twenty-first century going forward to embrace good communication skills, which should reflect the current changes in organizational designs across different sectors.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, April 7). What It Means to Be a Leader? https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/

"What It Means to Be a Leader?" IvyPanda , 7 Apr. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'What It Means to Be a Leader'. 7 April.

IvyPanda . 2022. "What It Means to Be a Leader?" April 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

1. IvyPanda . "What It Means to Be a Leader?" April 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "What It Means to Be a Leader?" April 7, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/being-a-leader/.

• Verbal and Nonverbal Communication: Principles and Cues
• Nonverbal Cues and Advance Nonverbal Communication Skills
• Eddy Cue as a Creative Thinker
• Non-Verbal Communication in a Professional Setting
• Body Language and Its Meaning in the Workplace
• Decoding Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication in Detecting Deception
• Paralinguistic Cues in Computer-Mediated Communications in Personality Traits
• The Psychology of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
• The Meaning of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
• Change and Strategic Management
• The Myth of Multitasking
• Origins of Change Management
• Change in the TV Station
• Organizational Decision Making: Group Decision Making vs. Individual Decision Making

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Anyone Can Learn to Be a Better Leader

• Monique Valcour

You just have to put in the work.

Occupying a leadership position is not the same thing as leading. To lead, you must be able to connect, motivate, and inspire a sense of ownership of shared objectives. Heightening your capacity to lead others requires being able to see how you think and act, and how your behavior affects others. Leading well requires a continuous journey of personal development. Yet people in leadership roles often eschew the long and challenging work of deepening self-insight in favor of chasing after management “tools”— preferably the “quick ’n’ easy” kind, such as personality type assessments that reduce employees to a few simplistic behavioral tendencies. Tools can be handy aids to good leadership. But none of them can take the place of fearless introspection, feedback seeking, and committed efforts to behavioral change for greater effectiveness and increased positive impact on others.

When you’re an individual contributor, your ability to use your technical expertise to deliver results is paramount. Once you’ve advanced into a leadership role, however, the toolkit that you relied on to deliver individual results rarely equips you to succeed through others. Beware of falling into the logical trap of “if I can do this work well, I should be able to lead a team of people who do this work.” This would be true if leading others were akin to operating a more powerful version of the same machinery you operated previously. But it’s not; machinery doesn’t perform better or worse based on what it thinks about you and how you make it feel, while humans do .

• MV Monique Valcour is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and management professor. She helps clients create and sustain fulfilling and high-performance jobs, careers, workplaces, and lives. moniquevalcour

Partner Center

• How to Structure a Leadership Essay (Samples to Consider)

Leadership is a complex concept, but it’s essential for boosting your career. That’s why a leadership essay focuses on applying the theoretical models and concepts of successful management to real-life situations. 

If you don’t know where to start writing such a paper, please read on for professional tips!

What Is Leadership Essay?

A leadership essay is a paper that analyzes leadership concepts and their application to real-life situations that may involve everyday business management, crisis situations, and other scenarios. 

Every essay on leadership is about defining a concept. Then, it’s either comparing it to similar management tools or proving that it’s useful (or not).

While some students enjoy writing such papers, other learners hate them. The below samples will come in handy, no matter which group is yours.

What Does Leadership Mean to You? (Essay Sample)

It is one of the most popular topics for a leadership essay. If you need to write a paper like that, ask yourself:

• Who is a good leader?  
• What style do they use?  
• What are the situations when they might switch styles?

You may take a more personal approach to such an essay if your professor allows you to. In the example below, you will see the academic approach to this topic. It analyzes three leadership styles to discover which one corresponds to the meaning of leadership if one thinks of it as guidance and support.

Why I Want to Participate in a Leadership Program (Essay Sample)

It’s another example of a popular topic. Such papers often have a meaning beyond the classroom since they may decide whether you plan to participate in a specific program. It’s critical to make them as effective and compelling as possible.

A personalized approach is the best when it comes to essays like this. In the example below, you will see the paper that relies on individual beliefs and a personal life story to explain why it’s so important for the specific student to participate in the chosen program.

How to Write a Leadership Essay

Like every other essay, this paper has an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion summarizing your thoughts. (1) The most important part of the introduction is the final sentence,  aka  a thesis statement. That’s where you state your claim to prove or develop in your leadership essay.

Each body paragraph should correspond to the purpose of your essay. To ensure you don’t stray from the aim you’ve established in the thesis statement, write the topic sentences for all your paragraphs in the outline . In simple words, write the first sentence of every paragraph to define its development in advance and see if you cover everything you need.

And now, to the conclusion:

Its most essential element is thesis restatement or the first sentence of that paragraph. It’s not just paraphrasing your thesis; it’s also considering the new information you’ve discovered while writing the essay.

Structure :

• Introduction (End it with a thesis statement.)
• Body paragraphs (Each one starts with a topic sentence.)
• Conclusion (Start it with a thesis restatement.)

Understand the purpose of a leadership essay

When starting to write, think about why you’re creating this paper. Before you sit down and type the words, think about the ideas you want to convey and their meaning in your life:

Can this essay teach you to take responsibility? Or maybe will it help you understand how to be a leader in crisis situations? When you’ve answered the “why” question, begin outlining.

Build a strong thesis

Always start with your thesis statement. It will help incorporate your answer to that notorious “why” question into your essay. Once done, you can plan out the rest of the paper and start working on the body paragraphs as soon as you finish the introduction.

There’s another important tip —don’t rush into writing the conclusion before you finish everything else!

It might seem like a good idea to create a thesis statement and thesis restatement right off the bat. However, you’ll find yourself with more refreshing ideas after completing all the research and thinking necessary for the introduction and each body paragraph.

Decide on a structure; format accordingly

Even if your essay about leadership seems not so formal, and you can use personal pronouns, you still need a clear structure.

The best way to write any academic paper is to keep your introduction and conclusion as short as possible. (But no shorter than three sentences and four lines of text). 

Another important tip is to try making all your body paragraphs equal in length. That way, you’ll give the same attention to all the vital points of your essay.

Ready to Write Your Essay on Leadership Now?

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand the most critical elements of a leadership essay. 

Remember the structure, grammar, and appropriate academic style to create a top-level paper. Please don’t forget to answer the “why” question and remember  why  you’re writing. Then you’ll impress everyone with your results!

References:

• https://lsa.umich.edu/onsf/news-events/all-news/directors-blog/writing-leadership-essays.html
• Essay samples
• Essay writing
• Writing tips

Recent Posts

• Writing the “Why Should Abortion Be Made Legal” Essay: Sample and Tips
• 3 Examples of Enduring Issue Essays to Write Yours Like a Pro
• Writing Essay on Friendship: 3 Samples to Get Inspired
• What Is Nursing Essay, and How to Write It Like a Pro

• Dissertation
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Book Report/Review
• Research Proposal
• Math Problems
• Proofreading
• Movie Review
• Cover Letter Writing
• Personal Statement
• Nursing Paper
• Argumentative Essay
• Research Paper

What Makes A Good Leader: Essay Hints

Table of Contents

In this essay, you need to discuss the essential qualities needed for becoming an effective leader. In fact, different situations require different types of leadership styles, so it may be hard to choose the qualities that define good leaders admired by people from bad ones.

Besides, there are common misconceptions about their role. In this article, we will try to answer the question of “what makes a good leader essay” and give you some recommendations about the aspects you should focus on.

Essay structure and key points to cover

Wondering what the best way to approach an essay on leadership qualities is? Leadership essays can be written in the expository style and structured to include different subtopics:

• Discussion of major leadership theories.
• Personality traits defining great leaders.
• Leadership styles and how they work.
• Leadership principles and core values.
• Examples of leaders in different spheres of society.
• People you consider to be leaders in your life.
• Leadership skills you have.

It’s important to demonstrate an original personal understanding of leadership concept and provide impressive illustrative examples taken from today’s real life or history. That’s the best thing to do when reviewing various leadership qualities.

What are the qualities of a good leader: essay ideas

When we take an in-depth look at history, we see countless leadership qualities that were adopted by both good and bad leaders. When writing what are the qualities of a good leader essay, you should focus on the characteristics and strengths of a leader, and how they help influence and motivate other people along with achieving own goals.

These are emotional and behavioral characteristics of well-known leaders that helped them succeed:

• Vision – effective leaders have exciting ideas, they usually are forward-looking, and have excellent strategic planning skills.
• Communication – communicating ideas clearly and concisely is essential to ensure teamwork towards the same goal.
• Integrity – they are honest and can always tell the truth in any situation.
• Confidence – they dare to take risks to achieve their goals and never give up.
• Responsiveness – good leaders value their team, listen to people they lead, and quickly change their behavior to match different situations.
• Determination – good leaders are passionate about what they do and can motivate people by demonstrating their own commitment.
• Empathy is the most important skill which allows to create strong bonds of trust and build successful teams.

Tips on writing a winning essay on leadership

When working on what makes a good leader essay, students should follow certain basic steps.

• Research relevant sources on the internet to get a better understanding of the concept, read a lot, and make notes of interesting ideas which can be used in your paper.
• Brainstorm ideas to write about, formulate a strong thesis statement and create a detailed working outline. Organize information in a logical order.
• Start writing a draft with an introduction. Engage readers with a hook – provocative question, anecdote, stunning fact, convincing statistics. Introduce a subject, providing relevant background information. End introductory paragraph with a specific thesis that sums up your ideas.
• Devote separate body paragraphs to specific points supporting the main argument. Begin paragraphs with topic sentences, presenting key points, give detailed explanations, and provide additional evidence and examples. Include appropriate citations with proper referencing. Sum up and demonstrate how each paragraph contributes to the logical argument.
• Create a convincing conclusion to wrap up the paper’s key points.
• Revise the first draft , make improvements in content, logic, and sentence structure. Edit to improve word choice and clarity.
• Proofread the final version – fix minor errors and typos. Create references list and check the formatting of the entire paper.

The use of a leadership essay sample

Still not sure that you can write a good leader essay that will impress your readers? Read biographies of famous people who played crucial roles in human history, created big successful businesses, managed large corporations to learn which qualities contributed to their success.

Besides, you may want to check out some good paper examples.

Find out how powerful papers on this topic are structured and what interesting points they cover. Use essay samples as templates or models to follow.

See this short sample paragraph which discusses one of the leadership qualities for inspiration.

Empathy, an ability to recognize other’s feelings and perspectives and understand other people’s needs is crucial in leadership. Being empathetic means you can step into another person’s world and this character trait is essential for success due to several reasons. It’s impossible to effectively lead people you don’t understand. You can effectively motivate and influence someone if you know their feelings. Empathy is one of the keys to successful leadership because it helps build relationships with people they lead and create an environment of open communication. Luckily, empathy is natural for humans and we can even learn to be more empathetic and demonstrate this ability to people around us.

No time to write your essay on leadership? We’ve got plenty of time here! Our writers strive to help you out. Click the button faster and get yourself a perfect essay with no struggle!

Anxiety Essay: Simple Writing Guide for an A+ Result

ADVICE ON WRITING THE BEST ESSAYS ON FRIENDS

How to write a cleanliness essay .

• Published December 1, 2023
• 9 Minute Read

12 Characteristics of a Good Leader

Leaders shape our teams, organizations, communities, and world.

We need good leaders to help guide us and make the essential decisions, big and small, that keep things moving forward.

Our society is usually quick to identify a bad leader, but how can you identify a good one? What would most people say are the qualities of a good leader?

What Good Leadership Looks Like

Based upon our decades of research and experience working with leaders at thousands of organizations around the world, we’ve found that the best leaders consistently possess certain fundamental qualities and skills. Here are 12 essential leadership traits.

12 Essential Leadership Qualities

• Self-Awareness
• Communication
• Learning Agility
• Collaboration

TIP: Download an action guide & summary of these essential characteristics of a good leader in PDF format to keep this list of leadership qualities at your fingertips as a reminder.

1. Self-Awareness

While this is a more inwardly focused trait, self-awareness and humility are paramount qualities of leadership. The better you understand yourself and recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, the more effective you can be as a leader. Do you know how other people view you and understand how you show up at work and at home? Take the time to learn about the 4 aspects of self-awareness and how to strengthen each component.

Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important things a leader can do. It helps ease tensions and conflict, fosters trust, and improves your effectiveness.  Creating a culture of respect  is about more than just the absence of disrespect. Respectfulness can be shown in many different ways, but it often starts with showing you truly value others’ perspectives and making an effort to build belonging in the workplace — both critical components of supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion.

3. Compassion

Compassion is one of the most powerful and important acts of leadership. It’s more than simply showing empathy or even listening and seeking to understand — as compassion requires leaders to act on what they learn. After someone shares a concern or speaks up about something, they won’t feel truly heard if their leader doesn’t then take some type of meaningful action on the information, our researchers have found. This is the core of compassionate leadership , and it helps to build trust, increase collaboration, and decrease turnover across organizations.

Motivating others and garnering commitment are essential parts of leadership. Purpose-driven leaders ensure they connect their team’s daily tasks and the values of individual team members to the overall direction of the organization. This can help employees find meaning in their work — which increases engagement, inspires trust, and drives priorities forward. You’ll want to communicate the vision in ways that help others understand it, remember it, and go on to share it themselves.

5. Communication

Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined . The best leaders are skilled communicators who can communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information and storytelling to soliciting input and using active listening techniques . They can communicate well both orally and in writing, and with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, roles, levels, geographies, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication among leaders at your organization will directly affect the success of your business strategy, too.

6. Learning Agility

Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don’t know what to do. If you’re a “quick study” or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But anybody can foster and increase learning agility through intentional practice and effort. After all, great leaders are really great learners.

7. Collaboration

The most effective leaders can work with a variety of colleagues of different social identities , locations, roles, and experiences. As the world has become more complex and interconnected, good leaders find themselves spanning boundaries and learning to work across various types of divides and organizational silos. When leaders value and embrace collaboration, whether within their teams or cross-functionally, several benefits arise — including increased innovation, higher-performing teams, and a more engaged and empowered workforce.

8. Influence

For some people, “influence” may sound unseemly. But as a leader, you must be able to influence others to get the work done — you cannot do it all alone. Being able to persuade people through thoughtful use of appropriate influencing tactics is an important trait of inspiring, effective leaders. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently. It requires high levels of emotional intelligence and trust.

9. Integrity

Integrity is an essential leadership trait for the individual and the organization. It’s especially important for top-level executives who are charting the organization’s course and making countless other significant decisions. Our research has found that leader integrity is a potential blind spot for organizations , so make sure you reinforce the importance of honesty and integrity to managers at all levels.

10. Courage

It can be hard to speak up at work, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That’s part of the reason courage is a key leadership trait — it takes courage to do what’s right! Leaders who promote high levels of psychological safety in the workplace enable their people to speak up freely and share candid concerns without fear of repercussions. This fosters a  coaching culture that supports courage and truth-telling . Courage enables both team members and leaders to take bold actions that move things in the right direction.

11. Gratitude

Being thankful can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and better sleep. Sincere gratitude can even make you a better leader. Yet few people regularly say “thank you” in work settings, even though most people say they’d be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. The best leaders know how to show frequent gratitude in the workplace .

12. Resilience

Resilience is more than the ability to bounce back from obstacles and setbacks — it’s the ability to respond adaptively to challenges. Practicing resilient leadership means you’ll project a positive outlook that will help others maintain the emotional strength they need to commit to a shared vision, and the courage to move forward and overcome setbacks. A good leader focuses on resilience, both taking care of themselves and also prioritizing leading employee wellbeing , too — thereby enabling better performance for themselves and their teams.

Download a PDF action guide and summary of these characteristics of a good leader, so you always have a visual reminder available of these 12 qualities of good leadership.

Develop the Characteristics of a Good Leader in Yourself & Others

Our 3 core beliefs about leadership & leadership development.

At the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, we’ve been researching the qualities of a good leader and the role of leadership for over 5 decades. Here are 3 of our core beliefs about good leaders and effective leadership.

Good leaders are made, not born.

First, we believe that leaders are made, not born. Put another way, leadership is a skill that can be developed . Good leaders are molded through experience, continued study, intentional effort, and adaptation. So you can strengthen any of these 12 characteristics of a good leader, if you’re open to growth, use your experiences to fuel development , and put in the time and effort toward self-improvement.

Similarly, organizations can help their people hone these top leadership qualities by providing ample opportunities for training, offering support for learning from challenges, and providing access to coaching and mentoring programs .

Leadership is a social process.

It’s also essential to recognize that  leadership is less about one strong or charismatic individual, and more about a group of people working collectively to achieve results together . If you demonstrate several of the characteristics of a good leader, but fail to grasp this key point, chances are you won’t get very far on your own. You may be well-liked and respected, but it will be challenging to accomplish team or organizational goals. At CCL, we like to say that the  outcomes of leadership are about creating direction, alignment, and commitment, or DAC , within a group.

Good leadership never stops.

Also, we believe that leadership isn’t a destination, it’s a journey   — it’s something that you’ll have to work at regularly throughout your career, regardless of what level you reach in your organization or what industry you work in. Different teams, projects, and situations will provide different challenges and require different leadership qualities and competencies to succeed. So you will need to be able to continue to apply these leadership characteristics in different ways throughout your career. Just continually keep learning and growing, and you’ll be an agile learner with a long career .

We Can Help You Develop the Qualities of a Good Leader

Organizations can strengthen leadership qualities and foster deeper levels of engagement at work through providing a variety of on-the-job learning experiences, mentoring, and formal development opportunities. At CCL, we have many award-winning leadership solutions with clients around the world, and we’d be honored to work with you and your organization as well.

But individuals don’t have to wait to begin strengthening these leadership characteristics within themselves. If you decide you want to work proactively on developing your leadership qualities and skills,  download our action guide & visual summary  of this content. And get our tips on how to  convince your boss to make an investment in you  and your future. We’re here to support you every step of the way on your journey to becoming a better leader!

Ready to Take the Next Step?

After you download the 12 Characteristics of a Good Leader , keep on learning and growing: never miss our exclusive leadership insights and tips — subscribe to our newsletters to get our research-based articles, webinars, resources, and guides delivered straight to your inbox. 

Keep these qualities of a good leader top of mind in the future: download a PDF summary of this article as an action guide and visual reminder of the leadership qualities to nurture in yourself, on your team, and at your organization in the future.

This article was written by our Leading Effectively staff, who analyze our decades of pioneering, expert research and experiences in the field to share content that will help leaders at every level. Subscribe to our emails to get the latest research-based leadership articles and insights sent straight to your inbox.

Table of Contents

Don’t miss a single insight! Get our latest cutting-edge, research-based leadership content sent directly to your inbox.

Related Topics

What to explore next.

With over 30 pages of insights gleaned from our research, this collection of resources includes actionable tips and team discussion questions to help you become a (better) leader with a focus on compassion, wellbeing, and belonging.

This introduction to our leadership philosophy explains how direction, alignment, and commitment (the elements of our DAC framework) are key in how leadership works, connecting exponential potential with collective progress.

Want to set yourself apart as a leader? Arm yourself with these 6 essential skills. Our global research study found that organizations will need these 6 key qualities that their leaders presently lack.

Do you know how to effectively communicate at work? It's the core of everything we do, and yet many of us have significant room for improvement. Get our top tips for leaders.

Stepping into a management role requires a fundamental shift of identity. Learn how to be an effective boss and succeed in your new role with our leadership tips for first-time managers.

Related Solutions

Learn more about our flagship Leadership Development Program (LDP)®, the most widely known and longest-running leadership development training in the world.

Professional leadership coaching deepens and sustains leadership development. Learn more about our world-class leadership coaching services.

Learn more about our leadership training courses, which are targeted to develop the skills leaders need to succeed at all levels of your organization.

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)® is a top-ranked, global, nonprofit provider of leadership development and a pioneer in the field of global leadership research. We know from experience how transformative remarkable leaders really can be.

Over the past 50 years, we’ve worked with organizations of all sizes from around the world, including more than 2/3 of the Fortune 1000. Our hands-on development solutions are evidence-based and steeped in our work with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels.

Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Contributing Writer

Work Futurist

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Principal Writer

We asked people what makes a good leader, here’s what they said

Good leadership. Countless books, seminars, TED Talks, and articles have attempted to explain what it is and how to emulate it. But what does it really mean for us on a day-to-day basis?

Instead of interviewing another organizational psychologist or management expert, I decided to ask my inner circle of friends and colleagues what good leadership means to them. 

What Does Good Leadership Consist Of?

My question-asking took me (virtually) from Zagreb to Bangkok to a tiny town in the mountains of Idaho. The respondents come from various backgrounds, from a private school principal to a nomadic artist, and even an ER nurse. 

I asked them all this question: What makes someone a good leader? Here’s what they had to say.

Trustworthiness

“A good leader is someone that you can trust and that is able to activate the full potential of their team. The most important leadership quality is to be able to inspire team members to take actions which will result in achieving the shared vision. I definitely believe in leading by example; it’s the best way to promote good practice and shared values.”  – Luka, Computer Engineer, Zagreb, Croatia

From an internship with a Swedish company in Sri Lanka to a sales job in New Zealand, Luka, a native of Croatia, has professional experience across different cultures, so I was curious if his definition of good leadership changed depending on the country. His answer? No. 

Trust is universally desirable. In YPO’s Global Pulse Survey on Trust , which talked to nearly 3,000 CEOs in 115 countries, 95% of them said building and maintaining trust with stakeholders is a high priority, but not even half (40%) find it easy to do so with employees. Clearly, leaders are struggling in this area, but there are proven ways to build trust on your team .

Putting Others First

“ Leadership begins with respect . Imagine yourself having dinner with other people: Do you know that one person who waits for everyone to be served before starting to eat? Or the one who fills everyone’s cups before filling his own? Well, those are the little gestures that earn my respect.” – Guillermo López Olmos, Export Manager, Spain

Most of us were raised to respect those in positions of authority. But Guillermo’s quote got me thinking — do those in positions of power go out of their way to respect those they lead?

As it turns out, it matters to employees more than we may realize. In a Harvard Business Review survey of nearly 20,000 employees worldwide, researchers found that treating workers with respect is the number one thing leaders can do if they want their employees to be happy and healthy. 

Being shown respect mattered more than recognition, appreciation, growth opportunities, and feedback. Employees who felt respected had 56% better health and well-being, 89% greater job satisfaction, and 92% higher focus.

Justice And Equality

“I think a good leader is someone who leads with compassion and empathy, and not with ego. They do not dominate, but encourage contributions for group success. However, they are comfortable and capable of making decisions when they need to be made. A good leader is ethical and has a good moral compass that is rooted in justice and equality .”  – Nicki Post , Writer, Artist, and Nomad, Turkey 

Nicki was the only person I interviewed who specifically named justice and equality in her definition of good leadership, which aligns well with how we met. My first interaction with her was at a birthday dinner for a mutual friend, where I watched Nicki patiently explain to another guest why the term he was frequently using was misogynistic and harmful (something I had been too afraid to do).

Her callout of justice and equality makes sense: Leaders are in positions of authority, and those wielding power are most equipped to correct injustices. A leader with a solid moral compass will be able to point their followers in the right direction, making doing the right thing a given in the organization’s culture. I wonder how many corporate scandals might have been avoided had there been at least one leader with the integrity to stand up against wrongdoing.

Communicating An Alluring Vision

“In Servant Leadership , Robert Greenleaf said that it’s seekers that make prophets, meaning you’re only a leader if people want to follow you. And to motivate people to follow you, it takes more than good manners and a pleasant temperament. You need to be able to communicate a clear and convincing vision that’s so alluring people can’t help but join you along the journey.” – James McCammon, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, New York

Coined by Greenleaf in his seminal essay on the topic, servant leadership is characterized by a desire to serve, not a thirst for power.

And servant leadership is good for both employees and organizations. One study published in the academic journal SAGE Open found that servant leadership boosts trust between supervisor and subordinate, particularly affective trust, which is a feeling of security and empathy. Other studies have found that servant-led companies have higher returns.

Self-Awareness And Compassion

“To me, a good leader is someone who is self-aware, compassionate, and possesses the ability to change their mind. These attributes may be weighted differently in each individual, but I truly believe all of them are necessary for effective leadership.”  – Sophia Lee , Freelance Writer, Minneapolis, Minnesota

As a solo business owner, I’ve often viewed leadership as an abstract concept—something I interview people about and write articles about, but not something I experience or demonstrate on a daily basis. However, what Sophia shared with me changed my perspective on leadership as a freelancer:

“Even now, as a business of one, I think a lot about leadership. Reflecting on what type of leader I’d want to be if I had employees helps guide my business decisions. For example, I would never set a deadline that required my employee to work over the weekend, so why would I do that to myself? Similarly, I would never berate an employee for making a mistake, so why wouldn’t I show myself the same compassion?”

As a sole proprietor, I am leading the most important person in my life: myself. Sophia made me realize that being an effective leader starts with self-compassion.

Bringing Out The Best In People

“Good leadership is not a dictatorship. Instead, it is based on mutual respect, communication, accountability, and leading by example. Good leaders inspire people to do great work .”   – Tiffany Alexy , Broker/Owner at Alexy Realty Group, Cary, North Carolina

Before starting her real estate business, Tiffany worked under all sorts of leaders with differing personalities, visions, and styles.

“I feared some of them,” she told me, “and others, I worked my heart out for.” 

The qualities of the leaders who inspired her highest effort? All of the traits she outlined above: respect, communication, accountability, and leading by example.

The leadership style of those that she feared is known as autocratic or authoritarian, where the leader calls the shots without asking for input from the team. This style is generally frowned upon in modern-day management but can work in specific situations, such as in a crisis when quick and confident decisions are critical. Autocratic leadership is direct and gets the job done, but can hurt morale and breed mistrust. In other words, it can work—but it rarely inspires great work.

Knowing When To Lead

“Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses in team members is important, but I feel it is even more important for a good leader to be able to inspire a team member to develop their strengths and to overcome their weaknesses. Leaders need to be able to delegate and oversee, but leading by example is also important. I don’t ask anything of those I lead if I’m not willing to do it myself when needed.”   – Eryn Tucker, Registered Nurse/Emergency Medicine Travel Nurse, St. Maries, Idaho

Eryn’s work environment is an excellent example of when autocratic leadership can be ideal (when balanced with reflection and openness). Because her job involves life-or-death situations, Eryn and her fellow nurses must switch into an autocratic leader mode and call the shots they think are best to save a patient’s life.

“The ER requires strong, outspoken personalities,” she said, “nurses who aren’t afraid to take charge in one moment, then learn from teammates the next.”

And that last part is key: knowing when to switch from grabbing the steering wheel to handing over control to someone else who’s capable.

Facing The Hard Truths

“Someone that can have a laugh with the housekeeper, tell a story to some clients to make them feel important, and strike just the right tone with employees in conflict. I like the camping trip metaphor. How many leaders, stripped of office space, suits, and position, could lead a group of people up a trail in the dark, in the forest, in rain, to safety and shelter and not take any credit for it?”   – Stephen Dexter, Jr., Upper School Principal at the American International School of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia

As someone helping his school navigate a pandemic, Stephen has, in a very real way, led his own staff and students through the “dark, rainy forest” of an outbreak and ensuing shutdowns in Zagreb. It’s no surprise that one of the principles that guides Stephen’s leadership is “the capacity to face the hard truths,” adapted from the “13 Behaviors of High Trust Leaders” by Stephen Covey (author of the popular self-help book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ).

“Too many leaders don’t want bad news,” Stephen told me. “They don’t want to face the hard truths for fear that the discomfort will jeopardize their position.”

“A natural courage and persistence , ability to take responsibility, and open-mindedness. An ability to inspire the team to fly while having one foot on the ground, to watch their backs.”  – Aivars Lipenitis , B2B Tech Go-to-Market Strategist, Latvia

Aivars has launched too many businesses for me to keep track of (seriously, I tried to get him to explain them all to me and just gave up). But suffice it to say that much of his views on leadership are influenced by his involvement in startups—either his own or those of the founders he advises. 

Courage is a definite must-have for leaders in ventures where the odds are stacked against them. I want to point out that courage, as Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, is not the absence of fear. Quite the contrary, it’s doing things that frighten you. (Doing things that don’t scare you doesn’t require bravery.)

Adaptability

“A good leader is someone who can connect with each team member on an individual level, while collectively guiding them at a group level, to accomplish certain business goals. A good leader is able to blend into the team and work side by side with their colleagues, but also able to take up a more senior role in the team and delegate work when necessary without there being major doubt from the team of their capabilities to lead. A good leader takes full responsibility for the outcome of their teams’ work.”  – Bianca Vermeulen , Owner and Virtual Assistant at Beyond Business Virtual Services, Georgia

For me, the leadership quality that Bianca’s answer boils down to is adaptability. When you’re in charge, you never know what might be thrown your way (ahem, global pandemic, anyone?). Adaptability, with a dash of humility, is crucial. A good leader is never “too above” climbing into the trenches with their team to do the work—even when it gets messy.

Less Ego, More Empathy

“A good leader is someone who is able to separate their ego from their work . They recognize first and foremost that everyone is a human, and that someone’s output is not reflective of their worth—or of their leader—and treats others in a way that supports that.”  – Edna Zhou , Writer and Photographer, Bangkok, Thailand

Edna was the second person on this list to mention that good leaders don’t have a huge ego, which is a pretty big clue that bad leaders often do. Before sending me her response, Edna reflected on all the not-so-great bosses she’s had, and what separated them from the leaders she admires. 

“It really boiled down to empathy,” she told me. “And I think the lack of empathy in a leadership role stems partly from a lack of being able to separate ego from worth. A lot of people aren’t sure of their own worth, so they try to make up for it by finding external validation through work or other people, and as soon as a project or a subordinate messes up, they take that too personally and think it’s somehow a reflection on their effectiveness as a leader.”

What Is Good Leadership? The Discussion Continues…

If everyone were in agreement about what good leadership is, you wouldn’t be reading this article right now. If there were one magic ingredient that would instantly transform you into a good leader, entire segments of the business/self-help industry would poof into thin air.

The truth is, what makes someone effective at leading others varies by industry and situation, and can be highly subjective. Asking my friends and colleagues for their thoughts on the matter was eye-opening and helped an abstract-feeling concept become concrete and actionable to me.

Though their responses were diverse, a few common themes stood out:

• Good leaders admit when they’re wrong.
• Good leaders show empathy.
• Good leaders inspire people to be better.
• Good leaders lead by example.

I also made a word cloud of all the answers, and these occurred the most often:

• Leading by example
• Inspire/motivate

So what makes a good leader? All of the above, and probably more.

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

• School Education /

Essay on Leadership: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Oct 7, 2023

The concept of leadership has been known to us since ancient times, from Ashoka: The Great to modern-day democratic leaders. Whether it’s politics or business, sports or entertainment, leadership is an essential part of human society, Leadership is the art of inspiring and guiding people towards a common goal. 

Critics might argue that being a leader is just about holding a prestigious position and living a fancy life. That might be 1 in 1000 cases, as leaders across the globe work for the welfare and development of their people and country. Below we have discussed some essays on leadership where the multifaceted roles of this position are highlighted. 

This Blog Includes:

Essay on leadership in 100 words, essay on leadership in 200 words, essay on leadership in 300 words.

Also Read – Essay on Summer Vacation

Leadership involves a set of qualities, values and actions, which are focused on the benefit of people and their country. A person holding the position of a leader plays a pivotal role in every facet of life, influencing the direction and success of organizations, communities, and nations. To become a leader, one must have a clear vision to understand a future state that is better than the present and communicate that vision to their team or followers.

A leader’s actions should be aligned with their words, and they must demonstrate their honesty, transparency and ethical behaviour. Trust is the foundation for any successful leadership, and it is built through consistent ethical conduct. 

Leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept and is an essential part of developing a society or organisation. Leadership can involve various positions and types, from democratic to autocratic, where the leaders inspire and empower their teams, fostering an environment where individuals can thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

Effective leadership involves skilled communicators to can convey ideas, expectations, and feedback clearly and persuasively. They also listen actively to their team’s input and concerns. A great leader empowers a team of professionals by entrusting them with responsibilities and decision-making authority. With the formation of delegates, the power of leadership is divided among different authorities who are responsible for fostering growth and development among team members, making the organization more robust.

Some of the fundamentals of leadership are authenticity, integrity, ethical behaviour, a clear vision and other vital traits. Trust is the bedrock of leadership, and it is built through honesty, transparency, and consistency in actions and decisions. A leader who understands and cares about the needs and concerns of their team fosters strong relationships, promoting collaboration and cohesion.

At last, leadership is more than a title; it’s the embodiment of vision, integrity, empathy, communication and resilience. Effective leaders work to bring positive changes, inspire people around them and create a sense of purpose and direction in their terms and organizations.

Also Read – Essay on Cricket

Leadership is a vital concept for the welfare of a society, community or country, depending on what the leadership is about. A leader transcends boundaries and is fundamental to human endeavours in various domains. Their job involves the ability to influence and guide a group of individuals toward achieving a common objective. Effective leadership is characterized by a combination of qualities, skills, and behaviours that inspire, motivate, and empower a team.

The first and most important aspect of a successful leader is having a clear vision. A clear vision works as a guiding light, outlining the desired future and providing a sense of purpose and direction for the team. Leaders with a compelling vision can inspire and rally their followers, creating a shared sense of purpose. 

The other cornerstone of leadership is integrity. Leaders must demonstrate honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour. Trust, which is essential in any team or organization, is built on the foundation of integrity. When people believe that their leader acts with integrity, they are more likely to follow willingly and commit to the cause. 

Another trait that is essential for effective leadership is empathy. Leaders with empathy understand and connect with the emotions, needs, and perspectives of their team members. By showing compassion and actively listening, they create a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters trust and collaboration.

Apart from these traits, other important qualities for effective leadership include effective communication and interpersonal skills. A leader must be able to articulate their vision, goals, and expectations clearly and persuasively. 

In conclusion, leadership is a multifaceted concept that plays a pivotal role towards the positive growth and development of organizations, communities, and societies. Effective leaders inspire their teams, create a sense of purpose, and drive positive change. Leadership is not merely a position; it is a journey of personal growth and a commitment to serving the greater good.

Related Articles:

• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Morning Walk for Students
• Essay on Discipline
• Essay on the Importance of Education

Some of the synonyms for a leader are: Coach, Captain, Principal, Chairman, Kingpin, Boss, CEO, etc.

What makes a good leader is their ability to persuade people using their effective communication skills, having a clear vision working towards the welfare of society, and taking responsibility for their actions.

Writing an essay on leadership in 200 words must include the fundamental aspects of leadership and the qualities they must possess. Effective leaders around the world create a supportive and inclusive environment where people can thrive and contribute their best efforts. They inspire a shared sense of purpose, foster collaboration, and guide their teams toward achieving collective goals.

For more information about such informative articles, visit our essay writing page and make sure to follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

Don't Miss Out

Home — Essay Samples — Business — Leadership — Key Qualities Of Good Leader

Key Qualities of Good Leader

• Categories: Communication Skills Leadership

About this sample

Words: 538 |

Published: Jul 15, 2020

Words: 538 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life Business

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1738 words

1 pages / 666 words

6 pages / 2913 words

2 pages / 785 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Leadership

A personal evaluation of strengths is a tool that must be understood to effectively lead people. An effective leader must know how to reach goals by motivating the team. There are many strengths that translate to leadership [...]

The new-found success at Disney Co. is mainly attributable to the change of leadership from a structural style in Eisner to a combination of Human resources and symbolic styles in Iger. Although Eisner saw much success with [...]

Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1990). Transformational leadership development: Manual for the multifactor leadership questionnaire. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.Ferrie, J. E., Shipley, M. J., Marmot, M. G., [...]

The collected data shows that leadership skills play a key role in social, business, education and professional life. Leadership headed us to choose the right path and make decision on the right way. So invest on time and get [...]

Leadership is directing a group of people to work together towards a common goal while assuring nobody's fundamental human rights are taken away from them. While reading Lord of the Flies, many teachers and historians argue if [...]

There are many styles and theories of leadership that have been used in the past and present. Transformational leadership in an example of such a theory that is being used to motivate and increase organisational productivity [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Essay Sample on What Does Leadership Mean to You

Leadership – what it means to me.

Leadership is an essential quality to have in any facet of life. Whether you’re in the workplace, a team setting, or even at home, having leadership skills can make all the difference.

It is a complex concept, and there are many different definitions and aspects of leadership. By the way, each person has their own way of doing things. If you have some difficulties with writing an essay about this, don’t be scared to ask for help. An online custom essay writing service can help you with this. For sure, it’s good for your leadership skills – ask for help when you understand that something is beyond your control.

So, to some, leadership is about being the front-runner in a group and taking charge when needed. To others, it’s about inspiring others around them and helping them reach their potential. It could also be about leading by example or being the moral compass for an organization or team.

No matter what your definition of leadership is, it requires hard work and dedication. It takes courage to step up in difficult situations and take responsibility for your own actions as well as those of your team or organization.

Let’s explore the concept of leadership from various perspectives and discuss tips for writing an essay on this subject together.

What Does Leadership Mean To Me? (Free Essay Sample)

Leadership is a topic that I have always been interested in. I think it’s because of the fact that I am a leader myself. My role as a leader has changed over the years and will continue to change as time goes on.

To me, leadership means taking charge of my life and making decisions on my own behalf. It also means having confidence in what I say and do, even if other people disagree with me. Leadership also means being able to take criticism from others without getting upset or angry about it!

To be a mentor

Also, having the power to influence people and help them achieve common goals. It’s about having the ability to create a positive atmosphere where everyone can thrive and work together toward achieving success. Leaders should be those who know how to bring out the best in their team and encourages them to reach their full potential. They should have a strong sense of empathy, be able to think strategically, and have great communication skills.

Be responsible

Leaders must as well be willing to accept responsibility for their actions, both good or bad. This includes acknowledging mistakes when they happen, as well as owning up to successes when they occur. Being accountable helps build trust between leaders and their teams, which is essential for any successful organization or group of people. This allows leaders to foster relationships with their team members, which can create a stronger sense of unity among everyone involved.

Be a role model

People with this skill should always strive to set an example for their team members with their own behavior and attitude. Setting the tone for others by displaying positive behavior can go a long way in creating an atmosphere of respect and cooperation within the group dynamic. A strong leader will also ensure that everyone is held accountable for their actions while maintaining morale among all members of the group or organization.

Be honest with yourself

Leadership means to me, being able to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and be willing to ask for help when you need it. It means knowing when to delegate authority to others and when to take charge of yourself.

I believe there are many different types of leaders out there today; some are good leaders while others are not so good at what they do. It all depends on how much time you spend studying leadership techniques and finding out what works best for you as an individual leader.

To be a leader is all of these things and more. To me, leadership is the art of getting things done through others. It is the ability to inspire and motivate others to work towards common goals. It is being able to effectively organize a group of people toward a single objective and then effectively directing their efforts toward that objective.

I think that management is something that comes naturally to some people but can be learned by others. This is a skill that anyone can learn and apply to their own lives, whether they are in a position of authority or not.

Famous Leaders Who Inspire Me

There are many famous people throughout history that have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. One leader that I find particularly inspiring is Nelson Mandela. His commitment to justice and equality was unwavering even when faced with extreme adversity. He used his platform as president of South Africa to promote peace and harmony among all people regardless of race or religion. His legacy serves as an important reminder that with hard work, dedication, and perseverance anything is possible!

Another leader that has inspired me is Mahatma Gandhi. He was a master at nonviolent resistance which he used in India during its fight for independence from the British Empire. His peaceful tactics gained worldwide attention which eventually helped India achieve its freedom from colonial rule without violence or bloodshed. He showed us how powerful nonviolence can be when used for good!

Finally, my definition of leadership wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Martin Luther King Jr., who famously said “I have a dream…” He used his platform as a civil rights activist to promote racial equality in America through peaceful protest and civil disobedience which ultimately led to the advancement of civil rights legislation in the United States. His words still resonate with millions around the world today.

In conclusion, I want to say that leadership is an essential quality that everyone should strive towards possessing in some form or another. For me, it means taking the initiative, being accountable for your actions, and leading by example in order to foster a positive environment within any given group setting or organization. It takes hard work but can be incredibly rewarding! With these qualities combined together as part of a leadership style, I’m sure everyone will be able to succeed no matter what challenges they face!

Tips for Writing an Essay About Leadership

When you are writing an essay on leadership, you can analyze personal statement essay examples . This can help you highlight writing tips by yourself. But if you are searching for easy ways, there are some important tips you should keep in mind.

Choose a specific example or story that illustrates your point about leadership

This could be either a personal experience or something you witnessed first-hand. Make sure that you focus on one particular event or situation so that your essay remains focused and concise.

Explain why your example is relevant

Once you’ve chosen an example or story, make sure you explain why it is relevant to what leadership means to you. What lessons did you learn from this experience that informs your current understanding of leadership? How has it shaped your beliefs?

Use concrete examples

When writing about any concept or idea, it’s important to use concrete examples that illustrate your points rather than abstract language or generalizations. Doing so will make your essay more engaging for readers, as well as more convincing in terms of demonstrating your understanding of the concept at hand.

Avoid cliches

While cliches can provide easy ways for expressing yourself in an essay, they can also make it sound generic and unoriginal — which is exactly what you don’t want! Instead of relying on cliches when discussing topics such as leadership, try to come up with unique ideas and phrases that capture what you are trying to say without sounding too similar to other essays written on this same topic.

That’s it! Go ahead and tell the world about your leadership!

Related posts:

• Persuasive essay examples that work for college in 2022
• Racism: A Cause and Effect Essay Sample
• Earthquake Cause and Effect Essay Sample
• Essay Sample on Why i Want to Be a Veterinarian

Improve your writing with our guides

Youth Culture Essay Prompt and Discussion

Why Should College Athletes Be Paid, Essay Sample

Reasons Why Minimum Wage Should Be Raised Essay: Benefits for Workers, Society, and The Economy

Get 15% off your first order with edusson.

Connect with a professional writer within minutes by placing your first order. No matter the subject, difficulty, academic level or document type, our writers have the skills to complete it.

100% privacy. No spam ever.

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Life Leader

What Does Being a Leader Mean to Me

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Watching TV
• Car Accident
• Holi Festival

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Our Trump reporting upsets some readers, but there aren’t two sides to facts: Letter from the Editor

• Updated: Apr. 06, 2024, 10:27 a.m. |
• Published: Mar. 30, 2024, 8:16 a.m.

Some readers complain that we have different standards involving Donald Trump and Joe Biden. (AP Photo, File) AP

• Chris Quinn, Editor, cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer

A more-than-occasional arrival in the email these days is a question expressed two ways, one with dripping condescension and the other with courtesy:

Why don’t our opinion platforms treat Donald Trump and other politicians exactly the same way. Some phrase it differently, asking why we demean the former president’s supporters in describing his behavior as monstrous, insurrectionist and authoritarian.

I feel for those who write. They believe in Trump and want their local news source to recognize what they see in him.

The angry writers denounce me for ignoring what they call the Biden family crime syndicate and criminality far beyond that of Trump. They quote news sources of no credibility as proof the mainstream media ignores evidence that Biden, not Trump, is the criminal dictator.

The courteous writers don’t go down that road. They politely ask how we can discount the passions and beliefs of the many people who believe in Trump.

Chris Quinn's recent Letters from the Editor

• Around the globe and the nation, thousands thank us for telling the truth about Trump: Letter from the Editor
• Voices of hope. Voices of anxiety. Tears of gratitude. A global response to how we tell the truth about Donald Trump
• Let’s hang it up on polling. In election after election, they get it wrong: Letter from the Editor

This is a tough column to write, because I don’t want to demean or insult those who write me in good faith. I’ve started it a half dozen times since November but turned to other topics each time because this needle is hard to thread. No matter how I present it, I’ll offend some thoughtful, decent people.

The north star here is truth. We tell the truth, even when it offends some of the people who pay us for information.

The truth is that Donald Trump undermined faith in our elections in his false bid to retain the presidency. He sparked an insurrection intended to overthrow our government and keep himself in power. No president in our history has done worse.

This is not subjective. We all saw it. Plenty of leaders today try to convince the masses we did not see what we saw, but our eyes don’t deceive. (If leaders began a yearslong campaign today to convince us that the Baltimore bridge did not collapse Tuesday morning, would you ever believe them?) Trust your eyes. Trump on Jan. 6 launched the most serious threat to our system of government since the Civil War. You know that. You saw it.

The facts involving Trump are crystal clear, and as news people, we cannot pretend otherwise, as unpopular as that might be with a segment of our readers. There aren’t two sides to facts. People who say the earth is flat don’t get space on our platforms. If that offends them, so be it.

As for those who equate Trump and Joe Biden, that’s false equivalency. Biden has done nothing remotely close to the egregious, anti-American acts of Trump. We can debate the success and mindset of our current president, as we have about most presidents in our lifetimes, but Biden was never a threat to our democracy. Trump is. He is unique among all American presidents for his efforts to keep power at any cost.

Personally, I find it hard to understand how Americans who take pride in our system of government support Trump. All those soldiers who died in World War II were fighting against the kind of regime Trump wants to create on our soil. How do they not see it?

The March 25 edition of the New Yorker magazine offers some insight. It includes a detailed review of a new book about Adolf Hitler, focused on the year 1932. It’s called “Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power” and is by historian Timothy W. Ryback. It explains how German leaders – including some in the media -- thought they could use Hitler as a means to get power for themselves and were willing to look past his obvious deficiencies to get where they wanted. In tolerating and using Hitler as a means to an end, they helped create the monstrous dictator responsible for millions of deaths.

How are those German leaders different from people in Congress saying the election was stolen or that Jan. 6 was not an insurrection aimed at destroying our government? They know the truth, but they deny it. They see Trump as a means to an end – power for themselves and their “team” – even if it means repeatedly telling lies.

Sadly, many believe the lies. They trust people in authority, without questioning the obvious discrepancies or relying on their own eyes. These are the people who take offense to the truths we tell about Trump. No one in our newsroom gets up in the morning wanting to make a segment of readers feel bad. No one seeks to demean anyone. We understand what a privilege it is to be welcomed into the lives of the millions of people who visit our platforms each month for news, sports and entertainment. But our duty is to the truth.

Our nation does seem to be slipping down the same slide that Germany did in the 1930s. Maybe the collapse of government in the hands of a madman is inevitable, given how the media landscape has been corrupted by partisans, as it was in 1930s Germany.

I hope not.

In our newsroom, we’ll do our part. Much as it offends some who read us, we will continue to tell the truth about Trump.

I’m at mailto:[email protected]

Thanks for reading.

( Note: A follow-up column about the overwhelming international response to this piece can be found here , and a sampling of the responses can be found here .)

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Who is Ekrem Imamoglu, the Turkish mayor who could challenge Erdogan?

• Istanbul mayor's path bears similarities to Erdogan
• Imamoglu, from secularist party, contrasts politically
• Analysts see him as potential national leader
• Court case obstacles stand in his way

MAGISTRATES AND MEATBALLS

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Angus MacSwan

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Record flood waters rise in Russia's Urals, forcing thousands to evacuate

A string of Russian regions in the Ural Mountains and Siberia, alongside parts of neighboring Kazakhstan have been hit in recent days by some of the worst floods in decades.

A Solar Eclipse Means Big Science

By Katrina Miller April 1, 2024

• Share full article

On April 8, cameras all over North America will make a “megamovie” of the sun’s corona, like this one from the 2017 eclipse. The time lapse will help scientists track the behavior of jets and plumes on the sun’s surface.

There’s more science happening along the path of totality →

An app named SunSketcher will help the public take pictures of the eclipse with their phones.

Scientists will use these images to study deviations in the shape of the solar surface , which will help them understand the sun’s churning behavior below.

The sun right now is approaching peak activity. More than 40 telescope stations along the eclipse’s path will record totality.

By comparing these videos to what was captured in 2017 — when the sun was at a lull — researchers can learn how the sun’s magnetism drives the solar wind, or particles that stream through the solar system.

Students will launch giant balloons equipped with cameras and sensors along the eclipse’s path.

Their measurements may improve weather forecasting , and also produce a bird’s eye view of the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth.

Ham radio operators will send signals to each other across the path of totality to study how the density of electrons in Earth’s upper atmosphere changes .

This can help quantify how space weather produced by the sun disrupts radar communication systems.

(Animation by Dr. Joseph Huba, Syntek Technologies; HamSCI Project, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, the University of Scranton, NSF and NASA.)

NASA is also studying Earth’s atmosphere, but far from the path of totality.

In Virginia, the agency will launch rockets during the eclipse to measure how local drops in sunlight cause ripple effects hundreds of miles away . The data will clarify how eclipses and other solar events affect satellite communications, including GPS.

Biologists in San Antonio plan to stash recording devices in beehives to study how bees orient themselves using sunlight , and how the insects respond to the sudden atmospheric changes during a total eclipse.

Two researchers in southern Illinois will analyze social media posts to understand tourism patterns in remote towns , including when visitors arrive, where they come from and what they do during their visits.

Results can help bolster infrastructure to support large events in rural areas.

Read more about the eclipse:

Our Coverage of the Total Solar Eclipse

Dress for the Occasion:  What should you wear for the eclipse? Our fashion critic weighs the options , including an unexpected suggestion from scientists.

Free to View:  Six inmates in upstate New York prisons who sued the state won their lawsuit to view the eclipse , arguing it “is a religious event.” But a statewide prison lockdown during the eclipse will remain in place.

Hearing the Eclipse:  A device called LightSound is being distributed to help the blind and visually impaired experience what they can’t see .

Sky-High Hotel Prices: One Super 8 hotel in the eclipse’s path is charging $949 a night . Its normal rate is $95.

Animal Reactions : Researchers will watch if animals at zoos, homes and farms act strangely  when day quickly turns to night.

A Rare Return:  A total solar eclipse happens twice in the same place every 366 years on average. But people in certain areas will encounter April 8’s eclipse  about seven years after they were near the middle of the path of the “Great American Eclipse.”

 No Power Outages:  When the sky darkens during the eclipse, electricity production in some parts of the country will drop so sharply that it could theoretically leave tens of millions of homes in the dark. In practice, hardly anyone will notice  a sudden loss of energy.

Advertisement

How strong is a 4.8 earthquake? Quake magnitudes explained.

The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck New Jersey on Friday generated shaking that could be felt from Washington, D.C., to north of Boston.

About 55 earthquakes a day – 20,000 a year – are recorded by the National Earthquake Information Center . Most are tiny and barely noticed by people living where they happen. Click here to see the USDA shake map for the most recent earthquakes.

Worldwide, there are on average about 16 major earthquakes in any given year, 15 in the magnitude 7.0 range and one 8.0 or greater, according to records going back to 1900.

The United States typically has around 63 earthquakes between magnitude 5.0 and 5.9 each year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey , about five between 6.0 and 6.9 and fewer than one between 7.0 and 7.9.

A major 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning , killing 12 people and injuring over 1,000. The strongest earthquake there in a quarter century was followed by a series of aftershocks, reaching up to 6.4 magnitude.

More earthquakes are being recorded around the globe, but that doesn’t mean there are more earthquakes happening , according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Instead, it’s because there are more measurement devices, called seismometers, that record vibrations and they have been deployed in more places.

Earthquakes are a natural part of life on Earth, a geologically active planet with seven major tectonic plates. These are continent-size slabs of rock that glide over the planet’s mantle, constantly but very slowly reshaping Earth’s landscape.

What does magnitude mean in an earthquake?

Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake . Officially it's called the moment magnitude scale . It's a logarithmic scale , meaning each number is 10 times as strong as the one before it. So a 5.2 earthquake is moderate, while a 6.2 is strong.

The magnitude and effect of an earthquake, according to Michigan Technological University :

• Below 2.5: Generally not felt
• 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage
• 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings
• 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage
• 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can destroy communities

Intensity scales, measured in Roman numerals, are used to describe how strong the earthquake felt to people in the area.

According to the California Earthquake Authority , an intensity of I is typically felt only under especially favorable conditions. An intensity of IV, which leads to light shaking, is felt indoors by many, but not typically outdoors. It might awaken some people at night and lead to a sensation like a truck striking a building. A parked car would rock. Intensities VI and above would be strong, frightening and felt by all, with the damage increasing up to an X, where the shaking would be violent. Some well-built wooden structures would be destroyed and most masonry and frame structures along with their foundations would be ruined.

You might have heard the term " the Richter Scale " used to describe earthquakes, but it is no longer commonly used because it was only valid for certain earthquake frequencies and distance ranges.

Why does an earthquake's depth matter?

Magnitude measures how strong a quake is. That said, how much the ground shakes depends on an earthquake's intensity, which in turn depends on two things: how far away the actual site of the temblor was and the kind of soil it which it occurs.

This is why an earthquake's depth is often given. The epicenter of the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994 was in the San Fernando Valley, the point where the quake was strongest. But the hypocenter , the location where the quake actually occurred, was more than 11 miles underground. If it had been closer to the surface, the 6.7 magnitude quake would have been even more devastating.

The type of ground matters , too. Bedrock shakes least, sand and gravel as much as two times more, and mud and landfill as much as five times more. This was a major factor in why some areas of San Francisco suffered more than others in the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 .

Why real earthquakes aren't like in the movies

Though movies like " San Andreas" and "Earthquake" show entire coastlines dropping into the ocean, it's not going to happen.

According to the U.S. Geological Service, while a "mega-quake" with a magnitude of 10 or larger is "theoretically possible," it's very unlikely .

The magnitude of an earthquake depends in part on the length of the geological fault on which the quake occurs. Longer faults result in stronger earthquakes.

There are no known faults capable of generating a magnitude 10 or larger. The San Andreas fault of movie fame couldn't produce a quake larger than about 8.3 given its length, according to the USGS.

The largest earthquake in U.S. history was the 1964 Good Friday quake in Alaska , a 9.2 magnitude temblor that killed 131 people. It lasted four and a half minutes and ran along the Aleutian fault.

What's the chance of an aftershock?

Any time there's an earthquake, one concern is that it was merely a foreshock to a bigger quake that's coming.

Globally, the probability that one earthquake will be followed by a large earthquake within three days is somewhere just over 6%, according to the USGS .

That means whenever there's an earthquake, there's about a 94% chance that it wasn't a foreshock and there won't be any more quakes linked to it.

The numbers are a little different for California, which is very seismically active. There, about half of the biggest earthquakes were preceded by foreshocks, according to the USGS. But that means half were not.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to know if any one quake is a foreshock.

Aftershocks  are defined as smaller earthquakes that happen in days after a larger quake. As the USGS puts it, they represent "minor readjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the mainshock."