stories of great leaders in history

What makes great leaders great? 

Whether you believe that some are 

born to be successful or that one can 

learn the skills required to reach the 

top, it is obvious that these

 iindividual sall share certain qualities 

and characteristics in common.

Great leaders are visionaries who 

have high ambitions, but possess the 

insight and sense of proportion 

required to adopt the right strategy in 

any situation. They are hard working, 

resilient and positive - qualities that 

rub off on those for whom they are 

responsible.

Additionally, leaders are able to 

inspire others and help them reach 

their full potential, which requires 

strong communication and motivation 

skills. 

Personal integrity, strong moral 

values ​​and respect for core values ​​

are also very important.

Very often, the best leaders have 

experienced failures early in the 

journey, but as they have learned 

from them, they have repositioned 

themselves in order to experience 

impressive success. 

Humility, respect 

and accessibility empower leaders: 

these qualities ensure that others will 

believe in them. 

In other words, they 

will be more inclined to follow them, 

even under the most difficult 

circumstances.

History is filled with characters who 

possessed great leadership and 

management skills, and who ended 

up going far beyond what was 

expected of them. Here are five 

examples: 

leaders who showed great 

talent, courage and determination, 

and ultimately earned their place in 

world history:

Winston Churchill

The British warlord is often seen as 

the driving force behind the victory of 

Allied forces in World War II. 

Churchill 

was a great orator who spoke with 

passion and vigor, certainly not one to 

be afraid of his own voice. 

His 

communication skills hit the airwaves 

on his famous wartie radio 

broadcasts, and helped keep the 

British morale high.

Churchill's failures as a member of 

government earlier in his life only 

heightened his urge to succeed when 

he returned to the political arena. 

After openly criticizing Nazi Germany 

throughout the 1930s, he accepted 

what then seemed an impossible job, 

namely the post of prime minister 

after Neville Chamberlain resigned in 

1940.

During his political career, Sir 

Winston displayed courage, skill and 

great patriotism.

 As Prime Minister of 

the United Kingdom, he brought 

together an entire nation suffering 

from airstrikes and a severe shortage 

of resources, but through his 

leadership he kept up the morale of 

the people throughout the six years of 

war.

Although in poor health, Churchill 

continued his political career after the 

war and won the 1951 parliamentary 

election just a month before his 77th 

birthday. Passionate and resilient, he 

remained Prime Minister until his 

retirement at the age of 80.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte

Despite being a controversial 19th 

century political figure, Napoleon 

Bonaparte is considered by many to 

be a great military leader. 

As small as 

he was ambitious, he overcame his 

physical limitations to quickly set 

himself apart from the crowd.

 Under 

his command, the French army 

succeeded in conquering most of 

Europe and developing a vast empire.

Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of 

France in 1804, an unenviable 

position at the time. 

Nonetheless, his 

leadership helped end anarchy by 

restoring order to a country that still 

struggled to stabilize after the French 

Revolution. 

Bonaparte was known to 

take great risks, and respected for 

his willingness to lead his troops to 

the front during battles.

 

Nelson Mandela

Few leaders in modern history have 

achieved what Nelson Mandela did by 

establishing himself as a true world 

leader and widely respected around 

the globe. 

After a long period of 

imprisonment, his rise to the top of 

South African political office required 

great courage, determination and 

skill. The anti-apartheid activist 

became president of his country in 

1994, and began the process of 

reuniting a territory heavily divided by 

racial issues.

Mandela’s steadfast determination 

and willpower, who has become a 

symbol of freedom and unity, marked 

his tenure as President. 

It took a lot of 

courage to refuse the conditional 

amnesty proposed by President F. W. 

Botha in 1985 while in prison. 

This 

personal sacrifice made for reasons 

of principle helped establish Mandela 

as the representative of the anti-

apartheid movement, which enabled 

him to make a difference after his 

release.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln had very humble 

beginnings before becoming 

President of the United States and 

arguably the country's greatest 

national hero. 

A self-taught man 

renowned for his honesty, humanity 

and humility, Lincoln fought 

vigorously for the abolition of slavery 

despite fierce political opposition.

In addition to his role during the Civil 

War, he also contributed to the 

modernization of the American 

economy by laying the foundations for 

the unprecedented growth recorded 

during the following decades. 

Lincoln 

was a visionary, but also an excellent 

communicator who gave many 

famous speeches, notably that of 

Gettysburg.

 

Mahatma Gandhi

Like Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi paid a 

high price for the courage of his 

convictions since he was 

assassinated by one of his opponents. 

An advocate of non-violent civil 

disobedience, Gandhi helped lead 

India to independence and free itself 

from the yoke of the British Empire.

He thus inspired civil rights 

movements around the world. 

An 

energetic political leader, Gandhi has 

organized campaigns for women's 

rights and the fight against poverty, 

but also for religious pluralism and 

the autonomy of the Indian people.