Follow the Leader

Leadership is a funny thing. There is no universal description of a good leader; it is completely dependent on the situation, people, and problem at hand. However, apparently, there are several definable leadership traits that can be assesed. They are articulate, perceptive, self-confident, trustworthy, and the list goes on. It sounds like an accurate assesment of a leader to me, but at the same time, it makes me wonder how the ideal leader changes when you move from region to region across the United States as well as into other countries.
Maybe in the midwest we favor a more personable and approachable leader, whereas the northeast could lean towards a more strict and upright leader. Maybe my next door neighbor believes that there should be one leader who makes all the decisions himself or herself and just tells everyone else what to do. I guess my ponit is that maybe the definition of leadership is entirely based upon personal opinion. As with anything, there will be a general trend amongst personal preference (gathered from numerous studies) and a general archetype of a "good leader" will be published. But, then again, today I might need to be one type of leader, and, tomorrow, follow a completely different path.

Just something to think about...
-Ellen Rohlfing