Some people believe that in order to be effective political leaders must yield to public opinion and abandon principle for the sake of compromise Others believe that the most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently c

The statement above presents the two coinciding idea of a political leader. According to some people, political leaders must given in to public opinions while others believe that public opinions must be disregarded and be committed to their own principles and objectives. I contend to the latter idea for someone o be an effective political leader. Political leader is someone who is supposed to lead the society. S/he must come with certain set of rules and regulations. A leader is not someone who should require opinion from others but who creates their own ideology.

A political leader is some one who has been chosen and voted by the public for that role. This means s/he has already earned the veneration from public eyes; now it is his/her turn to prove effectiveness to the public eye. Public is depending on their chosen leader to do right by them. Being on that place as that of a leader one must set goals and adhere to their principles to achieve it. If suppose, a political leader do not adhere to the principles and objectives of their own and are constantly addlepated by the opinions of the public then, the credibility of that person as a leader is gravely affected. To be a great leader he must do right by the people but that no where means that he should compromise his principles but rather take a firm stand. Taking a firm stand not only reflects as quality of a strong leader but also places confidence among the people who put him/her on that position.

We even have real-time examples to prove that, political leaders who has held fast to their own principles and ideology has been considered a successful political leaders. Although Abraham Lincoln’s motto always has been “of the people, by the people, for the people….”; he himself was put in a place to go against his principle when public were not supportive of his decision to rescue Africans (black people) from the clutches of slavery. Had he succumbed to the public opinion at that time and discontinued his struggle then he would not have been considered an exemplary leader. Also, neither would have Africans achieved independence nor would Lincoln have created a mark in history.

Finally, a leader is shaped up by his/her principles and ideology. Though consistency is to stick to principles and objectives, some might argue, there might be some cases where there is no alternative but to change the principles so as to suit the current scenario. It is true to some extent that, a leader must be able to adapt to updated policies and principles in order to take the right decision. But then again, as a leader it should come from within that there is no use of holding on to a principle that no longer works. S/he must be aware about the current happenings and must be quick enough to change principles accordingly. An influential leader is someone who can effectively grasp the situation, consider multiple views such as pros and cons of the situation and finally arrive at a decision on how to update the principles and policies for the better of the people. For instance, child marriage was still prevalent in some countries, up until an effective leader effectively abolished the law and implemented strict laws and regulation regarding age of marriage. The leader carefully analyzed the situation before changing the prevailing policies. Thus, it is sometime necessary for the leader to be open in adapting new principles and changing accordingly.

All in all, an effective leader is determined by his/her allegiance to the principle and objectives. This reflects his clear motive and will help in achievement of public trust and approbation. Although, leaders can sometime adapt to new principles it must never go against the character s/he has build up or deviate from the objectives. Therefore, great political leaders are those who abides by their set of principles and sees ahead of any situation.