Adam Gracia Box #300
Professor Tana Colburn
EN 101 English 1A
7 October 2011
Research Paper Draft
Leaders do the right things for the right reasons at the right times.”-George Barna Everyone is called upon to lead in some capacity sooner or later in life. Some of the issues involved are big, some are small. Sometimes the responsibilities requiring leadership last a lifetime, and sometimes they are needed only for a moment. Leadership, then, is something each of us should strive to understand better and utilize more fully. Whether in a corporate setting, a business of our own, a church environment, a volunteer organization, or in the home, improving our leadership abilities must be done intentionally. The acquisition and comprehension of good useable information and a disciplined process that can be learned and then taught. These two things are the keys to unleashing the potential hidden within. The best place to gain and understand new information is still books. Although the methods of a process may vary with each leader, three aspects remain; vision, goal setting, and working. A disciplined process without these three foundational components will lack effectiveness and longevity.
The mark of great leadership is unyielding and persistent tenacity in the face of uncertainty and possible failure. These qualities can make a person appear fearless, but that would be an inaccurate assessment. It is not that all great leaders are fearless, every person experiences some level fear. What people need to understand is, fear is a façade that positions itself in opposition of success. Leaders do not posses super powers, and they are not without fear, or doubt, or any other human venerability. What leaders do posses is: the knowledge that information comes first and fuels everything; the ability stand for what they know to be true; the courage to turn a dream into a