Abraham Lincoln Research Paper

Boyadjis 1
Lucy Boyadjis
English 1H
Ms. McGrover
20 October 2014 What Does it Take to be a Good Leader? Throughout history, there have been an endless amount of leaders that shaped the world into what it is today. Leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Pericles, Nelson Mandela, and countless others who changed the lives of many people around the world. But what made these figures so powerful was not just what they did, but how they did it. A strong leader must aid the people around them in reaching their full potential to achieve a goal.
In order for a good leader to become a great leader, one needs to act as a guide for the people. A leader must stay focused and motivated to reach their goal. One particular leader that exhibited this quality often is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln states that “You cannot escape the
From this quote, it is evident that
Abraham Lincoln was a strong motivator. By saying that one cannot escape responsibility,
Lincoln means that putting off hard work will only bring burden to a person later. He taught people about the negative effects of procrastination and how staying focused and determined will bring a person great success.
A strong leader not only encourages others, but considers different ideas and opinions. A leader gives their people a voice and poses questions to allow deeper thinking. Pericles is well known for his institution of democracy and for the way that he listened to the opinions of citizens. In Pericles’ famous Funeral Oration, he mentions democracy and how important it is to consider all sides of an argument. “Our constitution is named a democracy, because it is in the

Boyadjis 2 hands not of the few but of the many…... and our public opinion welcomes and honors talent in every branch of achievement” (Thucydides). This excerpt shows that Pericles knew that one could not be successful if they used only their own ideas. When Pericles stated that a democracy is not only in the hands of a small group, he meant that having different ideas from
Another important characteristic that is necessary for a leader to be successful, is commitment. A strong leader has to be devoted to achieving whatever it is they desire and willing to take risks for the good of the people around them. Nelson Mandela is considered one of the best leaders of our time and he was solely committed to helping the people that could not help themselves. Mandela once said
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again” (Goodreads). This quote shows that Nelson Mandela believed in not giving up on what he believed in and that determination is the secret to success. All good leaders should be devoted to their goals and able to make sacrifices in order to do so.
Although there have been many good leaders in history, the best leaders had the most unique and important qualities that made them so successful. An admirable leader is someone who is focused and motivated, considers different ideas, and is committed to the goal they are trying to achieve. Even though the end result may not be easily attainable, a strong leader will rise to the challenge until they are pleased with the outcome.

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