Top 10 Greatest Leaders of All Time

As Martin Luther King stated, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder for consensus.”

Leadership is often described as the ability to dictate and be socially influential for getting aid and support to complete some task. All great leaders were bound by greatness which allowed the country or its people to grow. A leader is the guiding and dictating head of a group, army, political movement or a country. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” —John Maxwell.

The public has always been led by some efficient leader. The public figures who led countries through various wars, improved the conditions of its men, reformed social and political issues were the ones who possessed qualities to be a great leader.  Despite of the change in time, the contribution of leaders in history cannot be overlooked.

Some of the greatest leaders of all times are:

10. Winston Churchill

 

Best known for his leadership during the World War II, Winston Churchill is one of the best war-time leaders. He was born in 1874 and served U.K. as its Prime Minister twice. Churchill allied to F. Roosevelt and Stalin of U.S. and Russia respectively during World War II to defeat the axis power which led to their victory. He led the country against Nazi Party which subsequently led to downfall of Hitler. He was a writer, historian, orator, painter apart as well as the Member of Parliament. He received Nobel Prize in Literature and was the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the U.S. He died in 1965.

9. Julius Caesar 

Born in 100BC, Julius Caesar is accounted as one of the greatest leaders of all time. He single-handedly led Russian Empire to expansion. He reformed the Roman government and led several campaigns with several victories. He was the Roman general who disintegrated Roman Republic and raised the Roman Empire. His invasion in Britain resulted in him having unparalleled military control. He created the Julian Calendar and made several government and social modifications. He was declared as a dictator after he centralized his bureaucracy, and was assassinated in 44 BC by a group of senators.

8. Lenin

Born in 1870, Vladimir Lenin was Russian Communist politician who studied to become a lawyer. He was the leader of Russia and devoted his time becoming a Marxist. He implemented several social reforms and contributed to Marxist theories, referred to as Leninism. Although sometimes accounted as a Dictator, he was loved by working class people for his New Economic Policy. He died of stroke in 1924.

7. Adolf Hitler

Born in 1889, Hitler was the leader of Nazi Party and the Chancellor of Germany from 1934. He volunteered himself to serve Germany in the World War I. In 1919, he became the member of German Worker’s Party which was later reformed into the Nazi Party. After he became the Chancellor, he broke the Treaty of Versailles to strengthen the German Army and succeeded in including Austria in Germany without any violence. His attack on Poland in 1939 resulted in the beginning of World War II. He committed suicide in 1945, the day after his marriage, with his long time Mistress and wife. Often noted in a negative way, Hitler is sought to be one of the greatest leaders of all time due to his success in leading Germany to expansion.

6. Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the first South African president elected in fully democratic elections. Mandela was also the main player in the anti-apartheid movements in the country and served a lengthy prison sentence because of the same. This did not stop Mandela and in fact motivated him to devote his life to uniting his country and he successfully managed to do so after his release from an almost 30 year prison sentence. His main characteristics were his determination, persistence, focus and will.

5. Martin Luther King

Born in 1929 and highly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King led the African-American Civil Right Movement using nonviolence. He was one of the founders of Southern Christian Leadership Conference and served as its first President. His speech I Have a Dream reputed him as one of the best orator. He received Nobel Peace Prize for standing up for racial discrimination through nonviolence. He was assassinated in 1968, which led to uproar in many U.S. cities.

4. Mahatma Gandhi

Born in 1869, M.K. Gandhi is commonly referred to as Mahatma Gandhi and is considered as the Father of the Nation in India. He led the country to Independence and is accounted for his perpetual faith and believes in truth and non-violence. He studied law in London and returned to India in 1915 and became the Indian National Congress’s leader in 1921. Mahatma Gandhi led India through Dandi Salt March, Quit India Movement, Khilafat Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement. He believed in unity and worked to stop massacre between the Hindus and Muslims which led to his assassination in 1948 by a Hindu nationalist who believed he was too sympathetic to Muslims.

3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Widely known by his initials FDR, Roosevelt is the only President of U.S. who got elected to more than two terms. Born as a privileged child in 1882, he graduated from Harvard University and Columbia University Law School. He was the 32^nd President, and served his term from 1933 to 1945. In 1921, he was stricken with Polio, although FDR refused to accept that he was permanently paralysed. He is included in the list of top 3 U.S. Presidents by the scholars as he successfully led U.S. through the Great Depression and World War II. He greatly expanded the powers of the federal government through numerous programs and reforms known as the New Deal. Cerebral Hemorrhage resulted in his death in 1945.

2. Abraham Lincoln

Born in 1809, Abraham Lincoln was the 16^th President of the United States. He started his career in the field of politics in 1832 with his initial campaign for the Illinois General Assembly. After losing the elections, he taught himself and became a lawyer. A decade later, he was elected to the US House of Representatives. He won the elections held for the Presidency in 1860 and got re-elected in the next term. He is proclaimed as the best leader born in regards to his success in leading U.S. through the American Civil Wars. He was assassinated in 1865.

1. Muhammad (S.A.W)

One of the greatest leaders of all time, Muhammad (S.A.W) led to the spread of Islam in and around Arabia. His contribution to Islam was such that it has become the second largest and the fastest growing religion of the world today. He united a chaotic society in the name of morality and humanity and led his people out of severe persecution and mistreatment. He led his people to a number of migrations and successful victories in wars against armies much larger than theirs. His greatest leadership qualities were his courage, leading by example, motivational approach, persistence and decision-making.