Great Leaders in the World

I have spent many years in school learning, and I have been introduced to numerous
world leaders. Excellent leaders come from many origins and they hardly ever walk a predictable
pattern to leadership. While some of them may have been "natural leaders," most great leaders in
the world overcame challenges and setbacks along the way. Consequently, it is what motivates
and characterizes many people's leadership styles.

Despite the fact that the couple of people listed here might appear on the list of all-time
great leaders, what follows is not such a list, but each is a powerful leader in their own right.
They were once thought of by many around them as quite ordinary, even if many now see them
as outstanding. Furthermore, this is not a rating. In essence, ranking great leaders is a poor idea.
It not only diminishes the accomplishments of so many, but it also leads to an endless dispute.

At least five well-known leaders who I considered to constitute the world's greatest
leaders are listed below.

● Mahatma Gandhi

One of the most influential political and spiritual figures of the 20th century was
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He is revered in India as the country's founding father
and is credited with developing and putting into reality the philosophy of Satyagraha
otherwise known as the mass peaceful civil disobedience that opposes oppression.

Gandhi made a significant contribution in that he skillfully applied the principles

of nonviolent civil disobedience, helping to free India from foreign occupation while also
spearheading national campaigns to fight against poverty, advance women's rights,
promote interfaith harmony, and end caste-based injustices.

Gandhi originally introduced the nonviolent civil disobedience during the fight for
civil rights by the local Indian population, while being a foreign lawyer in South Africa.
He led rallies by peasants, farmers, and urban laborers against excessive land tax and
discrimination after his return to India in 1915. (Rosenberg, J., 2019)
 Gandhi is a remarkable leader in my opinion because of how thoughtful he was
about the difficulties people were encountering. He is one of the philosophers who holds
the essence of existence which is ahimsa, often known as truth or love. He came to the
conclusion that love is the source of all existence and that without man adopting the
existential attitude of love, the self cannot truly perceive reality.

● Martin Luther King Jr.

In addition to making history, Martin Luther King, Jr., was also profoundly
impacted by his strong family ties to the African-American Baptist church, his formative
years spent in Atlanta, his theological studies, his exposure to a variety of religious and
political leadership models, and his wide network of contacts in the peace and social
justice movements of his era.

King Luther made a significant contribution by promoting nonviolent solutions to

some of society's most pressing issues. He was a major player in the American civil
rights movement and was responsible for organizing several marches and protests. He
played a significant role in the March on Washington, the Montgomery bus boycott, and
the strike of Memphis sanitation workers.

In 1963, King Luther and the SCLC collaborated with the NAACP and other civil
rights organizations to plan the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which drew
250,000 people to the nation's capital to demonstrate for the civil and economic rights of
Black Americans. The king gave his stirring, 17-minute "I Have a Dream" address there.
(NAACP, n.d.)

Since King spearheaded a peaceful struggle for racial justice throughout the civil
rights movement, I perceive King Luther as a remarkable and well-known leader. He is a
deserving and significant character to study about due to his contributions to the cause
and to American democracy.

● Nelson Mandela

During his tenure as the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, Nelson
Rolihlahla Mandela led the nation in the anti-apartheid revolution. First elected in a
 democratic election with full representation, he served as the nation's first black
president.

Nelson Mandela, who had spent 27 years in jail, was released in 1990 and began
negotiations with State President F. W. de Klerk which led the fight for human rights
around the world, put an end to apartheid in South Africa, and reconciled a racially
divided nation. (United Nation, n.d.)

Since Nelson Mandela exhibited exceptional leadership qualities, such as support

for peace, a commanding presence that disarmed adversaries with his smile, a high level
of forgiveness, positive thinking, the capacity to see the big picture, a focus on goals and
missions beyond himself, remarkable endurance, grit and determination, humility,
hopefulness, and patience, I consider him to be a great and famous leader.

● Mother Teresa
Missionary and Catholic nun Mother Teresa was. She is renowned for her charity
endeavors and for aiding India's hungry, ailing, and impoverished citizens. Over 500
missions were carried out globally by the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded.
Not only that, but in 2016 the Catholic Church declared her a Saint.

Mother Teresa's greatest accomplishment was the founding of the Order of the
Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic women's religious order that created several
centers for the blind, the elderly, and the disabled.

Mother Teresa's creation of numerous homes for the dying and the unwanted in
places like Albania, New York, and Calcutta was her greatest contribution. She was one
of the pioneers in creating homes for AIDS sufferers. This brave person soothed the
despised, the dying, and the needy all around the world for more than 50 years. (Kushi, S.
2007)

Mother Teresa was able to save the lives of some of the world's poorest people
because of her compassion, which is why I consider her to be a remarkable and
well-known leader.
 ● Bill Gates

Bill Gates, also known as William Henry Gates III, is a business tycoon, chairman
of Microsoft, author, and philanthropist. His two most notable accomplishments are being
the co-founder of the software giant Microsoft and being recently recognized in the
2009's richest person in America by Forbes Magazine.

Bill Gates' greatest accomplishment was changing the technology sector by

personalizing it and establishing one of the biggest monopolies in American history.
Along with this admirable accomplishment, Bill and his wife Melinda are today very
active in charitable work and generous donors to charitable causes.

Bill Gates had an impact on America by creating an easy operating system that
allowed anybody in the nation to use a computer and by supporting charity with the
profits from his business. Making computers available and simple to use for everyone
was Bill Gates' most significant contribution to society. (IPL, n.d.)

I consider Bill Gates to be one of the great and famous leaders in the world
because he has made a reputation for himself through pure hard work and great
leadership qualities. He is not just a successful entrepreneur, but also a philanthropist who
devotes his time and resources to the greater welfare of society.

Each person mentioned above manifested compassion, dedication, thoughtfulness, and

other meaningful qualities of a great leader. People like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King
Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and Bill Gates are remarkable people who have fostered
personal development by seeking learning opportunities for people and inspiring them through
their actions and words. A great leader does not dictate nor discriminate against others but helps
them grow and be better versions of themselves. They strengthen and bring others together and
promote trust, faith, and hope in them.

Although the skills of a leader could be a natural talent, it leans more towards developing
and nurturing their qualities as it encompasses crucial knowledge and skills that one should
possess to encourage and help others. Furthermore, what makes great leaders special is how they
are rare and wholesome people. The world is filled with greedy and corrupt leaders and to
experience such great leaders is a wonderful gift to have, as these people have the potential to
make a difference and make the world a better place. They serve as an inspiration to others and
without them, we would all continue to face the same difficulties every day. Inspiration provides
us with the tools and the will to excel, be innovative, get closer to our goals, pick up from others,
and experience improved wellbeing.
References:

Building on the legacy of Nelson Mandela. (n.d.). United Nations.

https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/page/building-legacy-nelson-mandela#:~:text=After%202
7%20years%20in%20prison,human%20rights%20around%20the%20world.&text=All%
20human%20beings%20are%20born%20free%20and%20equal%20in%20dignity%20an
d%20rights.

How did Bill Gates impact society. (n.d.). IPL.

https://www.ipl.org/essay/How-Did-Bill-Gates-Impact-Society-F3H7JBWBG5FT#:~:text
=Bill%20Gates%20impacted%20America%20with,easy%20to%20use%20for%20everyo
ne.

Kushi, S. (2007). A voice of peace: Mother Teresa. The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate

Student Research 9(8-12).

https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=ur.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (n.d.). NAACP.

https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/martin-luther-king-
jr#:~:text=In%201963%2C%20King%20and%20the,I%20Have%20a%20Dream%22%2
0speech.

Ramos, T. (n.d.). Effective leadership: Why it’s important and how it’s achieved. Runrun.it Blog.

https://blog.runrun.it/en/effective-leadership/#:~:text=Great%20leaders%20help%20peop
le%20grow,and%20cooperation%20within%20that%20team.

Rosenberg, J. (2019). Biography of Mohandas Gandhi, Indian independence leader. ThoughtCo.

https://www.thoughtco.com/mohandas-gandhi-1779849.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Mother Teresa: Roman Catholic nun.

Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mother-Teresa.