What makes a great leader? There are many different aspects that support becoming a great leader, but the most important characteristic should be the ability to take action. Taking action provides the ability to move forward. Without action nothing would happen and people would remain stagnant. A leader must have the ability to see an opportunity and work to exploit that opportunity to its maximum value. Most opportunities don't simply present themselves. There must be action plans that can be developed to create opportunities. A great leader must take action to move his group forward towards success. To become a great leader you have to see an opportunity when it may present itself and seize it. If someone doesn't take advantage of an opportunity, they could miss out on a great advancement. Opportunities present possible leaps forward. Being able to remain determined to take action and seize opportunities is what makes leaders extraordinary. When Bill Gates dropped out of college he and his business partner found themselves in the right place at the right time ("Biography of Bill Gates"). Taking action without question can propel a leader straight to the top of the field he presides over. For example, let's say there is a stale session in the community or economy and nothing is happening. Someone who can be described as a fairly good leader would recognize that something needs to be done and would make an action plan that could put their group ahead in that case. As a leader of great stature you should understand that most of the time opportunities do not just present themselves to people. A great leader should be able to come up with an action plan and put it into action. Relying on opportunity is not the best way to... middle of paper... the ability to not only get ahead but stay ahead and dominate your chosen environment. Without action people would remain stagnant and nothing would progress. Leaders of famous stature have all been able to successfully act in the most beneficial way possible, but nothing lasts forever. Things change, which is why staying ahead of the competition will help leaders adapt and perform more efficiently. Works Cited Arora, Pulkit. “Leadership Lessons from Bill Gates.” www.mensxp.com. TIMES INTERNET LIMITED, 2013.Web. December 17, 2013. “Bill Gates Biography.” Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2013. Web. December 14, 2013.Vilches, Jose. “Bill Gates talks family life, philanthropy and more.” TechSpot. TechSpot, Inc,2013. Network. December 17, 2013.Gates, Bill and Lisa Rogak. Impatient optimist: Bill Gates in his own way. Melbourne, Vic.: Hardie Grant, 2012. Print.