In your experience, whom have you considered the most influential leader? What did that person do that you consider characteristic of a good leader? This could be someone in the church, from work, from school, etc. Since this is a public posted blog, I will refrain from naming a leader, but I will describe the characteristics that I see in a good leader: Compassionate - A genuine love and concern for others. Friendly - Someone who is approachable, and easy to talk to. Driven - Sets out goals, challenges people to partner in the task with them. Flexible - Sees bumps in the road as things to work through, not things to get frustrated at. I think a good and influential leader needs these traits (among others) to be able to lead effectively.