Leadership

[Oni]

What defines a leader? What makes him worth following? What is a good leader? Who will you follow?

[Goman Fox]

A good leader -must- know when to lead and when to follow their group.  It may sound weird for a leader to take the back seat in their group from time to time, but if they're always the ones making decisions, they probably aren't always addressing the needs of the group.

A good leader should also be able to "take one for the team" in a way.  Kinda like what I've heard about Japanese businesses.  The higher ranked you are (and thus higher paid) the more likely you are to take a pay cut if the business needs to cut salaries and such.  From what I understand, it is the higher-ranked people who insist that they take pay cuts, rather than screwing over people below them.  I don't think Japanese companies really like to fire or lay off people if they can help it, from what I hear there's a strong sense of loyalty between companies and their employees.  I've heard that generally, a Japanese businessperson will stick with a single company for their entire life, or as long as they're able to.  That's something you don't really see in the United States where people generally only care about how much money they're making.  I think a leader (well, anyone with some sort of higher rank) should be willing to sacrifice their own luxuries and such to prevent other people from getting screwed over.

Honestly, I'd follow anyone who has good ideas and treats the people following them with respect.  Even if there was someone who I agreed with 100% in everything, if they didn't listen to others, I wouldn't follow them.  I think a great leader would be someone who is more of a voice than anything.  Someone who will stand up and speak on behalf of a larger group, regardless of their own personal opinions.

[Kritter]

What defines a leader?
For me what defines a leader is someone who takes charge and represents a group.

What makes him/her worth following? What is a good leader? Who will you follow?
I will have to say someone how is not afraid to take blame and the responsibility of anything error from his/her group. I am not saying that someone should go, make trouble, and expect not to get the blame. No. I meant the general public sees the leader (who represents the group) taking the blame and then leader confronting the error to the person who actually did it in the group. Eh, I hope I made sense there. I don’t think I did. So I apologize for that. Ok, I am going to continue. Another thing that makes a leader worth following is his/her openness with everyone. A leader who is not judgmental, close minded, and welcoming. A leader who thrives to be informed of others opinion, thoughts, and/or concerns. A leader who lives in the present, vision the future, and learns from past mistakes.

I guess that last paragraph sums up the last 3 questions. 

[London_Fox]

A good leader.  Some one who is versatile, even tempered, well groomed to present what is expected, can do anything and everything needed in any circumstance, full of knowledge of job at hand and anything that could possibly interact with said job/operation, praise out loud for good deeds and go solo when some one has done wrong, be lenient, be supportive, isn't afraid of being blasted, will do what ever can be done to encourage the team save the team support the team defend the team motivate the team, and pretty much be the keystone of the team. Also be a good follower. This is all possible. 

For me to follow, you most of the above, some have to be or I will not follow 100%.  Added marks for a higher respect for a leader would be former military officer or senior NCO, police, fire-ems.  I have issues following people in higher positions than myself who weren't apart of any profession above, whom disrespect any of the professions above, or to cocky about the position yet crap on the people beneath them. 
Rommel was a good leader.  Washington was a good leader.  My bosses are good leaders.  I hope to be a good leader one day.