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."
To an effective leader the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives is crucial as the author concludes. However, in my point of view, blindly insisting to the standards may mislead the leader and consequently bring the serious aftermath. A true leader should balance the principles and opinions from public.
To begin with, generally speaking, the strong guidance of the leader under certain principles is propitious to the form of an order society. The stability of a society cannot be reached without rules. In this sense, the leader who is in power should consistently comply with some principles and objectives. Consider the building up of China. Without Chairman Mao's persistent guidance, China may be still under the control of dictators and vast majority of people would live a miserable life. Also, without Gandhi or Martin Luther King’s firm effort, India may still be British colonies, and African American might still be relegated to the back of buses. In this sense, holding the principles and objectives of the leaders changed the society to a better level.
However, the leader's resolution sometimes may oppose by public and cause the serious consequence. Consider the War to Iraq. President Bush who ignored the opinions from the public and think tank insisted the war to Iraq. Through the review of this war, we unfortunately to see, America lost large amount of money and sacrificed thousands of soldiers. The money should have improved the insurance system, decreased unemployment be wasted to cause the conflict and bleeding. Not only to America but also to Iraq, people suffered a lot during the war. This kind of pigheaded behaviors finally caused the outrage of the public and left a negative effect on society.
Thus, in order to guide the society effectively, leaders should balance the principles and opinions from others. Persistent principles would mislead the society while the frequently shifts in popular opinions cannot unify the strength as well as set up the aims. A wise leader will comprehensively accept others' advices and reaches his conclusion before actions. During the process of carrying out these policies, leaders readjust the former regulations to the better ones. Only in this way, leaders can win the respect from public and deal with problems effectively.
All in all, neither persistently insisting principles nor frequently changing opinions is best choice for leaders. They should compromise both on balance in order to propel the progress of society and intensify their positions as leaders.