In our society, leadership is often synonymous with a position or title.

Whenever I think of modern leaders, I immediately associate them with the office in which they were elected rather than any positive impact they may have had on the community.

I acknowledge that on the surface this seems fair. You cannot really be a leader if there is no post that requires a leader, right? Not really.

The way I see it, we did not come up with the concept of having someone in charge to simply have someone in charge. I believe the concept of leadership comes from a desire to effect positive change in our communities. To inspire and encourage progression in society and ultimately improve the lives of the people, and the environment.

Despite this being the primary goal of leadership, so often we neglect the concept of positive change and only focus on the title.

When I think of great leaders, Martin Luther King Jr. is the first person who comes to mind. A Baptist minister and civil rights activist who delivered one of the greatest speeches in history, “I Have a Dream,” and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the rights of African Americans.

Even now, years after his death Martin Luther King Jr.’s work continues to inspire people all over the world to take up the fight for equality. Most people know these things about him already. What people may not know is that he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization whose aim was to provide new leaders for the rapidly growing civil rights movement. I do not think anyone remembers this great man as the president of a leadership conference. We do not look back at his life and fixate on the titles he was given. Instead, he is remembered for what he did. The powerful and positive impact he had on his community and the rest of the world.

The courage and passion displayed in the life of Dr. King are evidence to me that he was not simply after upliftment from those around him. Instead, he aimed to uplift his community.

The same can be said of other greats in the history of leadership, such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. These men sacrificed their comfort, safety and even freedom to lead those around them and fight for what they believed in. It is clear to me that their actions were not motivated by receiving recognition or a fancy title, but instead they were working to exact change.

I feel that this selfless attitude has enabled many of the greatest leaders in history, and unfortunately, is becoming increasingly rare in today’s society.

There seems to be more emphasis put on having a title than there is on using that title to help others. I find that some of the biggest scandals and controversies of our generation have surrounded men and women who hold the most important titles in their countries. I believe this is the consequence of power-hungry leaders. People who are concerned with having a position think the job is done once they have been given that title. They have accomplished their goal, because their intention was not to assist those around them, it was to win a title.

I am not saying desiring a title is wrong. But a position does not make a good leader, good character does. Great leaders are not defined by a successful campaign, a coveted title or the strength of their position, but by how they can inspire and influence change for the people they lead. True leaders devote themselves to the improvement of the lives of others and not their own.