Great Leader or Infamous Leader

By Dr. Edwin Weaver

Unique Leaders 

What is the difference between a great leader and an infamous leader? Does your company have a leader? Which type of leader is guiding your company?

Often we confuse great with infamous. We say that a leader is great when in fact he is infamous. What is the real difference between a great leader and an infamous leader?

Both have similarities; vision, charisma, organizational skills, strategy, great communication skills. Normally all the skills are the same, where the difference enters is in the attitudes or character.

The great leader is doing something for the good of all, where as the infamous leader is concerned only for himself or himself and the company. People like Fred Maytag and Henry Ford were great leaders.

Yes, they wanted to make a profit. They wanted their families to have a better life, but not at the expense of others. They shared their prosperity with those who helped them become prosperous (the employees) and others around them (the community, etc).

What ever they produced, they believed it was for the good of all. The way they produced it was believed to be the best way possible. If they found that there was a better way, they incorporated it into the job.

Take Fred Maytag as an example. Before he started Maytag Washers, he owned a farm machine company; threshers. The threshers of this day were dangerous. Many workers were hurt using this machine. Fred Maytag helped to invent a devise which would make the thresher safer for the workers. This is concern for others. He did not wait until the government or some consumer activist group pushed him to make changes, he saw a problem and fixed it.

Of course, the infamous leader makes good profits, some times excessive profits. The products do not have to be a benefit to people, only make a profit. They only look after the profits and themselves. If there is a problem, they will wait until there is no choice before they spend a dime to fix it. They may help the community, but only after they have made their billions and only to improve their image, not because they have a concern for the people. We all know a famous software king that matches this description.

Unfortunately, in today's society the infamous leader is praised and the great leader is sneered at. People think the great leader is odd or soft and the infamous leader is a great businessman, but of course, some thought Hitler was a great leader.

We need great leaders, not profit hungry businessmen. We need role models for the next generation. If you don't believe me, look at this generation. Their only concern is getting ahead, getting the best position and making as much as they can, no matter what, no matter how.

What is company developing; great leaders, infamous leaders or profit hungry people in authority?  If you want true leaders contact Unique Leaders, we develop world class leaders.