issue160 越洋农场第十次作业geniego

geniegoUID: 201395

TOPIC: ISSUE160 - "The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little."
WORDS: 499          TIME: 1:00:00          DATE: 2006-8-2

What is essential quality of an effective leader? That is to make decision effectively. When making decisions, it is beneficial to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives, but not the most essential quality.

To begin with, I must concede that to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives is beneficial for being an effective leader. Because in the complex situation and when facing different trends, it is quite important to cling to one's own mind and decide without considering too much external ideas. Or it is hard for the group to keep on cohesive decision, if the leader decides with popular opinion. And when conquering difficulties, it is more important to resist weak and comforting thoughts. Because clinging to one principle means keeping on doing one thing, the effects accumulates and finally would get to accomplishment. And for the weak mind are always affected by eternal trends, the leader's idea changes with the popularity, that means the group would always has to start new  concepts, and doing everything means doing nothing. So once hold the opinion, do not change it easily.

However, changing minds, in some situation, does not mean to accomplish little. It is possible that what the leader keeps in mind is wrong, or just fits to temporal situation. When the situation changes, ideas and opinions should be updated to fit in the situation. For a political leader, it is beneficial to learn more about the changing society, then making wise decision which would be suitable for contemporary condition. For example, when industry evolution began in 18th century, what people keeping mind is to promote industry even ignoring the harmony of man and nature. Finally, some terrible environmental disaster happened in big cities such as London, California and Tokyo. People began to wake up. So the policy changed, some environmental protecting laws were issued. If the leaders had not changed principles and objectives on development, it were horrible to image what our world would be. So, shifting is not totally bad, sometimes is to fit to new situation.

Finally we will find to be an effective leader is not mean to cling to some principles or to change with situation. However, the real effective leader should be the one can see the whole situation far-sighted and finally making the decision which benefits the contemporary at the same time the descendance. No matter to cling to some principles or change with the trend, because the insightful view would direct him or her to hold the original idea or to shift with trend. What the leader needs to do is to balance the merits and demerits and to aim the best results. To be an effective leader means making effective with decision with insightfullnes finally leading to effective situation.  

To sum up, being a leader, the most essential quality is to see the whole situation far-sighted and making the decision most beneficial so he or she can change when necessary and cling to something when necessary.