Archived Bulletins

WHAT CONSTITUTES A GREAT LEADER?

By Linda Young-Ribeiro

This question was asked and explored during a Leadership Seminar conducted by Ashesi's President, Patrick Awuah and Dean of Student and Community Affairs, Linda Young-Ribeiro. During this seminar, the students had an opportunity to explore and discuss the qualities great leaders possess by looking at famous people, both past and present who in their opinions fit the description. People like Gandhi, Kwame Nkrumah, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, J.J. Rawlings, Yaa Asentewaa, Bill Clinton, Malcolm X, Julius Neyrere, Bill Gates, and Margaret Thatcher were named, among others. The students then listed the leadership qualities that these people exhibited, noting those qualities that were common to many of them. Common qualities included the ability to inspire, perseverance, courage, the ability to overcome adversity, and humility.

The students then looked at these same qualities in relation to their voting patterns which were revealed in a recent election of the executive body of their fledgling student organization, "The Club". Using the results of a survey that they had responded to asking them how they had voted, they took a hard look at why they had or had not voted for certain individuals, and what had influenced their decisions in selecting their leaders. Whether or not their decisions were influenced by others, based on popularity, or influenced by gender bias were discussed. The students also critiqued the election process, and made recommendations on improving the process in the future.

This seminar was the beginning of our students' journey in developing leadership skills, by enabling them to recognize the qualities they believe are important for effective leadership. This was the first of a series of seminars to be held at Ashesi.

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