Perhaps others can comment on their own perspectives regarding the following comments – I am interested to know if this observation is widespread, or simply my own prism on the world.

The truly effective leaders I have observed seem to share a self-awareness that manifests itself in a degree of humility. It isn’t always obvious at first blush, as they all have an acquired, learned confidence in communicating. However, not so deep beneath the surface, they know that their leadership is mainly a duty to fill a void that others are unwilling to fill. They are not always sure that they are truly equipped with all the tools necessary to lead others down the right path, so they spend an inordinate amount of time asking questions and listening to answers from many different points of view. In many ways, their final decisions really only reflect the unarticulated consensus of what the group knows to be the right thing, whether or not they want it to be the right thing. As a result, they also know that they are only acting as the focal point of the group’s interests – reflecting back at them the correct course of action and crystallizing that call to action in a manner that is internally understood. Good leaders work hard to sort through the dissonance and self-delusions of the group and find the core truths that can be articulated so that the group can be aligned to a singular purpose. Leaders do not divide, they unite – it has been a long time since we have seen one on a large scale.