本帖最后由 凝羽欲翔 于 2010-6-10 10:28 编辑
When asked what a great leader should be in your mind, may be countless outstanding qualities, which mostly belong to ethical or moral characters, will flick through our mind, patriotic, candid, decisive, serious, etc. However, the ones that really live in our heart are not always so perfect. Instead, our assessments are often like this, “He managed to call for us to come through the difficult time, though he made some mistakes.”
It is an interesting phenomenon, but from the other side, it is hard evidence that an effective leader doesn’t have to be ethical and moral.
Indeed, taking into account the great influence the leader may bring to the public, ethical and moral standards can never be too high. Leaders, as bellwethers in the country, direct the course of his people to a large extent. There is no doubt that people are more willing to follow those that deserve their reputation. They take the leader as an example and try to change their behavior little by little if he/she owns a good lifestyle. Thus, gradually, it will exert a subtle influence on the nation’s culture and improve national cohesion, which reduce the obstacles standing in the way and strengthen the effectiveness of the leader’s policies. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the national icon who lead the struggle for India’s independence from British colonial rule, empowered by tens of millions of common Indians. Throughout his life he opposed any form of terrorism or violence, instead using only the highest moral standards. His philosophy has influenced national and international nonviolent resistance movements to this day, including the American Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King. Obviously, high ethical and moral standards are the icing on the cake for a leader in the way to success.
However, as mentioned above, it is not essential elements for a leader to achieve effectiveness. In other words, various periods need leaders with various characters. In the time of war, morality will come second to witness and determination. In the economic crisis, effective turnaround policies will be more outstanding than other factors. Even in the peaceful and prosperous era, the abilities to keep the uptrend, to manage governmental officials, to handle emergency still draw people’s attention when judging whether the leaders are effective. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the central figure in world event during the mid-20th century, leaded the United Stated during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war. Though he faced the Newport sex scandal, people still regard him as one of the greatest president in America history. Despite of the extramarital sexual relationships with Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton still earn people’s reputation for his great effort to guide people to live through depression.
Moreover, as an old saying goes, never a rose without a prick. The same goes for our people. We should not require too much when judging leaders, for they are just as common as us too. Moreover, as everyone is limited by his time, his world view, outlook of life, and even his characters will be inevitably influenced by his surrounding and experience. Thus, being the one that always make the right decision, have the right action is impossible. For it, we should pick out the bad from the good, and make a fair judgment for leaders; at least, we should make sure that their contribution to the country will not be smirched by their faults. | 
GO
发表于 2010-6-9 09:07:04
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