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

A political leader is meant to represent not just his opinion or his party’s views. He represents the people and hence must take them nto consideration as well. An effective political leader should not always stick to his principles, he must take public opinion into consideration as well and accordingly come to a decision.

A political leader is not noted just for his principles and objectives. As a leader of the masses, he is also known for what he does for his people and how much he values their opinion. In order to make effective decisions, the leader must look at the situation in all possible dimensions and this will not be possible if he stubbornly sticks to his views of what is right. A leader should listen to alternative solutons, consider all aspects of the situaton and only then make his decision, based on the information he has. Yes, the leader must not always bow down to public opinion. He must be firm in his beliefs and he must be capable of deciding what, eventually, will benefit his people more.

Taking public opinion into account might bring new light to the situation. It might bring up a scenario the leader did not think of, a solution that would benefit more people. More people bring in more views leading to a better analysis of the situation. A LEADER MUST, THEREFOR, BE apt at decision making. Not yeilding to the publc opinion and sticking to decisions that are obviously not helping the people may lead to public unrest, strikes and protests. The people the leader represents must be satisfied that the leader is doing right by them and this might not always be possible if the leader is firmly committed to his principles.

Some people may believe that a leader is voted into power for his principles and opinions and he must not weaver, that bending to public opinion is an indication of weakness. Some people may believe that a leader must not be influenced by others and that too many opinions may end up confusing a simple situation. But these people must realise that as someone who represents the public, the leader can not always stick to his beliefs. The situation might not be the same as when the leader was elected, public need might have changed and with this, the leader’s decisions might also have to be different. History has repeatedly proven that leaders who do not consider the public opinions eventually end up as dictators or are simply removed from power.

In conclusion, a political leader represents a large number of people of different views and beliefs. He must not strictly stick to his views or bend constantly to public views. A good leader but be in a position to effectively analyze a situation and make a decision that will benefit all concerned.