Leaders: The Kindlers of the Fire

Holding the attention of anybody can be a wonder in itself. With a person’s attention you
can shape not only what they think but how they think about. I believe people learn best when all
other stimuli fade away from a person’s attention and thoughts. This all starts with interest,
interest itself compares to a fire. If a person's situation allows them to focus solely that same fire,
they begin to devote an increasing amount of time and work into it. Pouring hours upon hours
into it, and before they realize it their fire burns strong and steady. This is when your interest
evolves into a passion. You are so engaged within it; it has grown a part of you. This
phenomenon truly drives the happiest and hardest working people in this world. I truly believe I
see this in Benjamin Zander. When he uses the trope of sparkling eyes, he alludes to the
captivation he sees. He has their attention and there is a spark forming behind their eyes.
Benjamin Zander’s form of leadership draws people towards his passion. His excitement and
love for classical music is enough to coax even the most wandering of eyes. From there he draws
people towards classical music. Letting them learn and experience the music. Once he
accomplishes this, he can step back and gaze upon the shining eyes of an audience, an orchestra,
or even just anyone he communicates with. Benjamin Zander makes it evident a leader’s power
comes from the passion of who he leads. Benjamin Zander has devoted his life to classical
music and all he wants to give back. His passion and his knowledge are not just his alone. He
shares with everyone and his natural confidence infects others with the love of classical music.
Realistically the masses are not immediately swept away by classical music. In the endBenjamin
Zanders last quality of leadership came to light, his determination. No matter the person he will
grind away the barricades and introduce them to classical music.
The word “leader” is like numerous different words in the English language. The word
has multiple meanings and even more complex connotations infused within itself. Depending on
the individual you are one who stands out front and shows or a person sits behind and demands.
A leader has a complex web of skills that results in how effective of a leader the individual can
be. A one equation system that could calculate if a person could be a leader just does not exist.
People are more complex than even the most advanced machinery. When I see myself in a role
of leadership, I strive to take the qualities of knowledge, determination, communication, and
morality. Knowledge spins itself into this web by being a base to build everything from. If your
team is handed an assignment it is on the shoulders of the leader to understand what is going on
and what must be done to accomplish the assignment, project, or goal. From knowledge also
comes ingenuity. For anything to advance new ideas must be dreamt of, thought through and put
into place. I place learning as a subset of the category of knowledge. If you cannot retain critical
information you place stress on your group members expecting them to make up the slack in
your flaw. Stress is the last thing you want your group members to feel. When a leader is
learning he is constantly improving. In life there is no coasting or staying the same. You are
either getting stronger as a leader or you are getting weaker. Determination is in my opinion the
backbone of any work ever accomplished. Whether the work strung out across many months or
merely several days, in the end the work was finished. If a leader lacked determination work
would go unfinished or it would lack the quality necessary. When A leader shows determination
they can batter any weather, situation, or conflict. Life can be constantly derailed and thrown off
course. Yet if your leader stands back up and continues to thrive. It can inspire people to follow
their example, and just keep moving forward. The phrase “communication is key” is crucial in
any group environment. Humanity is not capable of reading each other’s minds. Our society
connects through communication. Communication builds the relationship between people. If you
even are acquainted with somebody it is more probable you will ask for help when you need it.
A leader effectively communicates between everybody. Taking notes of the smallest detail. Then
acts to smooth out hiccups that occur between people. Whether that is a dispute between people
or teaching someone a piece of crucial information for a project. Communication really can be
the life blood that flows through a group. Finally, the morality of a person’s character is tenfold
more important for a leader. Your example will be seen by all and critiqued by all. Decisions
come with repercussions, and if you are willing to make an illegal or morally wrong decision you
can break people’s trust. Trust is important because without it hesitation arises. Hesitation keeps
people from fully committing themselves.
Imagine if a boss strolled into a nine to five job with little regard to how business is
conducted. They rely on their team to do most of the work, while they appease the superiors
enough to keep their job. This situation shows a leader, but this person can not be considered a
good leader. They hold power but do not have the sense of responsibility to apply it. With every
leadership position responsibility is included in the description. The leader themself has the
decision of whether to build from it or let it stagnate. Which in my opinion is the greatest
responsibility a leader can possess. A good leader is also a responsible leader. A responsible
leader always takes everything into account before a decision is finalized. They use the power to
lead not control. A responsible leader represents the group of people they lead, or they may even
represent the whole organization. The good leader holds themself accountable, they make it their
obligation to apply their leadership traits in a way to not only finish what they set out to
accomplish in a timely manner, but extracts the best out of people to hand in everybody’s
combined best effort. The best environments coincide with a responsible leader. The leader has
taken the time to advocate for the needs of who he represents. The environment provides people
with safety and comfort no matter who they are.