We find ourselves at a very important time in our nation's history. There is an abundance of crime, corporate corruption, political confusion, economic stagnation, globalization and also a new generation that is not being afforded the necessary opportunities to fully develop and be the change we want to see. There are many people positioned as leaders but very little true leadership. One of the top authorities worldwide, John Maxwell's mantra is that "Everything depends on Leadership". When we see problems that are not solved in our community it is because of a lack of initiative and leadership. My definition of leadership is the ability to influence people through inspiration to buy into a vision that accomplishes purpose, solves problems and brings fulfillment.
Leaders are often the first persons to be blamed. They are also normally the first persons to be praised or to take the credit. Leadership requires a fresh and new perspective when it is true leadership. Qualities of the leadership that we need in all areas of influence in our country are: visionary, integrity, innovative, passionate, decisive and goal orientated, humility and courage. Not all leaders will be the same, however these qualities should always be in those we submit to and call our leaders.

Visionary
Vision is one of the most important qualities of a true leader. Vision answers the questions of what or where are you leading to. Vision produces leadership. Leaders without vision are only followers with a title. When a man or woman has a mental picture of a desired outcome, we call this vision. True vision is birthed out of the determination to solve a problem. Vision brings energy, creates passion, a sense of purpose and a sense of belonging. In order to have a good vision you must be able to write it down, present it and articulate it to those who you are expecting to follow you. When a leader has vision, he has a clear direction of what is his next move. True vision should never have limits. We are able to initiate change and influence in our nation when we allow ourselves to be open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

Integrity
We need leaders who will say what they mean, and mean what they say. Leaders should always be in a position to hold themselves accountable. The word of leaders should always mean something to their followers. The value of a leader's words should always hold merit and mean something to those entrusted to him. Our current ways of operating in politics, business, religion, socially and in other areas have created doubt and lack of confidence in our leaders today. Election after election politicians have promised us so many things that have never come to fruition. Many business leaders give false hopes to their employees that cause problems in the long run in their career and financial prospects. If you want to be a world changer, begin with being true to yourself in what you say and do. Stand for something or compromise will control your life. As a leader you must value a good name more than you value status, money, connections or even power.

Innovative
An innovator is someone who uses old ideas and builds on them through new ones. The archaic ways of doing things in all realms of influence may not be best for new and changing times. Today we are faced with problems that we have never faced before, such as cyber-policing and numerous changes in the way we do business. The wants and perceived needs of the populace are different than it was 40 years ago. In order to serve as a leader in these times you will need to understand the current needs and current resources available and use wisdom to lead effectively. Years ago post offices were thriving businesses; today with the implementation of the Internet, leaders made the shift to improve their efficiency. Leaders should always be open to change. The only thing that does not change is change. Having a positive attitude to change and doing things differently as opposed to being fearful of change is a valuable quality that all leaders should adopt.

Passionate
Passion is a powerful resource of a leader. When leaders are passionate about their leadership they inspire others to believe in their vision. Passionate leaders do all that they can to see their vision come to fruition. Normally when a leader finds a sense of purpose in what they are doing they become passionate about it. Our motives or motivation normally produces the passion within leaders. Passion produces energy that can make the difference between success and failure. Passionate people attract leaders to their visions. Passion is expressed in different forms, however every time it is expressed it is noticed and valued by those with positive mindsets.

Decisive and goal oriented
A leader should always have goals as priority and make the necessary decisions to reach them. Many leaders simply occupy a position for the sake of having a position. True leaders identify specific targets to aim for during their tenure in leadership. Spinning tires in leadership gets you nowhere. Furthermore, leaders who are afraid to make decisions are not true leaders. True leaders embrace the responsibility for decision making. The buck always stops with a true leader. A true leader always gets wise counsel, but they always take the responsibility for decisions they make. Leaders should never be afraid of failure, although they must always try to avoid it. As a leader you will fail sometime or another. Failure is only failure when you refuse to learn from it. Leaders must always be wise in making decisions and look toward the greatest good for their vision and those who entrust their confidence to them and choose to follow them.

Humble
True leaders are actually servants. The greatest leader, and the man that had the greatest influence in the history of mankind stated that, "The greatest among you will be your servant," Matthew 23:11. Over-inflated egos and pride in leadership work for the leader's demise. You should always seek to add value, as opposed to seeking to exalt yourself. Humility is so important as a leader because when you are humble you are able to equip, impart, protect and provide adequately for those who are under your leadership. A prideful leader makes the vision about them, while a humble leader makes it about the team and the purpose behind the vision. Humility attracts while pride divides and offends. Some people perceive humility as a weakness while it is actually one of a true leader's greatest strengths.

Courageous
A true leader is no push over. He is not controlled by fear and is not afraid to pursue the vision that he truly believes in. Throughout a leader's journey he will have moments of uncertainty and also moments of doubt. But this doubt should always be combatted by courage to know that they are able to succeed, and if they don't, know that they did their best. True leaders possess self-confidence, or belief in the ability to know that they will succeed in their given circumstances. Never pick a battle that you cannot win and when you pursue a vision pursue it with all that you have. When you get over fear and give it your all, your chances of success will always be much greater. Courage inspires and opens up possibilities that would normally remain dormant.
The world needs principled leaders. Personalities are good, but principled leaders are the ones who will bring our communities out of the problems we currently face. Facts change, but principles can be applied in any situation. When we look at whom we choose to be our leaders, let us compare their actions and plans to the principles we want to see in them.
In particular, in the next general election of our country, let us choose leaders who will stand for vision, integrity, innovation, passion, decisiveness, goal orientation, humility and courage. There are more qualities that our leaders should adopt and this piece is not comprehensive on the very important topic of leadership. However, if leaders properly employ these principles in their businesses, jobs, churches, social lives, social clubs, sports, schools and other leadership positions they will be on the path to sure good success. Leadership requires a lot of things, but all the qualities must work together to make leadership successful.

o Malcolm Foulkes is a 24-year-old evangelist, businessman, leadership specialist, coach and author. He is currently working on international projects and pursuing his bachelor's degree in marketing.

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