A Great Leader
Student Essay
Written By: Jayeon Kim
What traits make a great leader? I have a few ideas about this. The Kingdom of Great Joseon, now known as Korea, was a dynasty and a really strong empire for more than 600 years. It was the longest ruling dynasty in the world. The reason it lasted for 600 years was because there were great leaders. Though some characteristics of great leaders changed in the Joseon dynasty, others still remain in modern society. In addition to the Joseon dynasty, I can also find some traits of great leaders in the art field and in Hollywood.
First, a great leader should be dedicated. A person should give their whole life to something like art. For example, Tehching Hsieh is the most famous performance artist in the world, and he influences many artists. Usually, before his works, artists performed only for a few hours or a day. However, he did six durational (long) performance pieces such as ‘One Year Performance,’ ‘Art/Life,’ and ‘Thirteen Year Plan’ which were completed between 1978 and 2000. During these performances, he spent one year in a cage he made and spent one year outside, not entering buildings or shelter of any sort, not even cars. Also, he and another woman artist stayed together in the same room; they were tied together with a rope and were not allowed to touch each other for a year. He took photos and videos to document each project. Hsieh’s works makes him a great leader because his performances required a sensational amount of dedication.
Dedication is not the only characteristic of a great leader. A great leader must also be strong; people follow strength. Jason Momoa, for instance, is an American actor known for being in “Aquaman” and “Game of Thrones.” Because his appearance is so strong, his role is always a leader: a leader of the ocean or a leader of the Dothraki. In the Dothraki tribe, Jason Momoa’s character is a powerful warlord. He is an accomplished warrior and has never been defeated in battle. As a result, he has really long hair, because when warriors fight in this world, the winner can cut the loser’s hair. Because his hair is long, people follow his strength. Moreover, in Aquaman, his character is also really strong, and everyone follows him as he tries to retrieve the Trident of Atlan from his power-hungry brother King Orm. All of these things combined show that, if you’re strong, people follow you. That’s why people follow Jason Momoa’s characters.
In addition to dedication and being strong, creativity is an important quality in a great leader. A man with creativity helps people in a lot of ways. For example, the 4th King of Korea, Sejong, was given the title ‘Sejong the Great’ because, during his years as ruler, Korea advanced in natural science, agriculture, literature, and engineering. He developed new policies, and low status people were allowed to work for the government. He broke the rules and peoples’ general way of thinking; it was an innovation. Also, Sejong displayed his talents as an inventor. He created machines to facilitate agricultural work, astronomical devices, and eyeglasses. All of these things made Korea become a rich country. Moreover, he created Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Since 1440, Koreans have exported Hangul to other countries. If he hadn’t had creativity, many Koreans would not remember him as a great leader.
In conclusion, I think a great leader should be dedicated and strong. Many artists followed Hsieh’s dedication, and the Dothraki people followed Jason Momoa’s character’s strength. On top of that, creativity is a significant trait of a great leader. If King Sejong had not been a creative person, Hangul would not have been created. These are three traits that I think a great leader needs.