What makes a good leader? You can ask 100 people this question and get 100 different answers. Is it their charisma? How about their knowledge base? Maybe their authoritativeness? Maybe they just have a really cute butt. This question reminds me of the song Popular (2008) from the musical Wicked. There is a section of the song that always comes to mind when I consider leadership:

When I see depressing creatures
With unprepossessing features
I remind them on their own behalf
To think of
Celebrated heads of state or
Specially great communicators
Did they have brains or knowledge?
Don’t make me laugh!
They were popular!

I think this kind of attitude is what leads to so many bad leaders. Just because someone is cute and charismatic does not mean he or she can effectively lead. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is based very heavily on physical appearance which, from a psychological stand point, falls nowhere in the parameters of effective leadership.

It is sad that society puts so much stress on things that don’t matter in terms of leadership. Using the President and Mrs. Obama as an example, with the inauguration coming up you find more information in magazines and online regarding what clothes they will be wearing, what musicians will be playing and that Mrs. Obama now has bangs then you will about policy and what is happening within our country. How is the fact that Michelle Obama getting a haircut more important than the gun control debate or the war in Iraq? To answer, it isn’t.

Bibliography

Cast Recording. “Popular.” Lyrics. Wicked. Verve, 2008.