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

I believe that one of the most important duties in the world is to be able to represent a group of people and stand for what they truly believe in. There is no greater deed than standing for what you believe is right and declaring your opinions in a polite and peaceful manner without impinging upon anybody’s freedom to do the same.

Political leaders are elected for the sole purpose of representing a group of people. A person would only be elected as a leader if the majority of the people agree with his views and practices, which is why I truly believe that it is important for any current or aspiring political leader to know what they stand for. There is a fine line between yielding to public opinion and doing something that would be in the best interest of the public and certainly, a lot of political leaders can cross this line without ever realizing that they’ve done so. One of the most controversial presidents ever elected in the history of the United States of America is probably the incumbent president Mr. Donald Trump. Keeping aside polemical views, the man will always stand for what he believes in and never truly cave to please the public which is probably the only admirable quality. It is necessary that political leaders realize what they stand for while doing what’s best for the society and the nation as a whole.

A man who stands for a set of principles and objectives will always garner more respect from the masses as opposed to a man who changes his beliefs with changing times. Broadening and opening one’s thinking and showing growth and development, however, does not tantamount to changing a set of beliefs. However, who is in a position to judge what counts as growth as opposed to what counts as abandoning principles for the sake of compromise is quite a subjective case. There isn’t a lack of examples in US History of Presidents who have shown deep growth and development. Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States showed that a political leader can stand for his own opinions and do a lot of good for the nation at the same time. Some of his policies have revolutionized the economy of America and managed to instill a deep sense of justice and humanity in the people of the nation.

In addition to the aforementioned points, any person, may he be a political leader or a man from any other walk of life, would be able to achieve his goals and objectives easily if he constantly follows his principles. A man without principles is no man at all. If you know what you’re beliefs are, you know what you can and what you cannot do. If a man believes that the end justifies the means, he will do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, whether it be considered moral or immoral. On the contrary, a man who believes that the end does not justify the means he will always strive to achieve his goals by, what may be termed as moral or ethical practices. One school of thought may believe in the former, while the other might believe in the latter. However, what’s right or wrong is for every person to determine for himself.

It is of utmost importance that the people who are at the forefront of humanity, carrying the baton to take a brighter and better future do not yield to public opinions simply for the sake of compromise. A political leader must be able to make his own decisions based on morals and principles that he stands for and doing what he deems best for his nation as that is the only way to make sound and effective decisions that will indeed usher humanity into the golden age.