What does the word ‘leadership’ mean to you?
Does it mean being good at your job, being well liked, or being in charge of everyone?
There are plenty of people in the world who aspire to be good leaders, but if they don’t understand what leadership really means, how can they lead the charge?
Leadership doesn’t have a one size fits all solution.
There is no magic formula that will instantly make a person a great leader.
Instead it takes time and dedication to learn how to achieve the set goals, and how to inspire others to follow and do the same.
For the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) community, Dr. Robert H. Brown Jr. is the man. Read more.
The vanguard of ALS research, Dr. Brown is internationally known and a groundbreaking researcher. In 1993, he led a team that discovered the first gene linked to the inherited form of ALS.
Dr. Brown took on something years ago where he knew his patients weren’t going to get any better from ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He has devoted his career to smothering a cruel disease, working to consign it to the history books so generations from now, when it’s mentioned at all, it will provoke this sweet question: ALS? What’s that?
Becoming a great leader isn’t something that happens overnight, but it can be achieved through discipline, hard work, and a commitment to improvement through experience.
I am most moved by Dr. Brown’s courage.
Courage is a fickle thing, but incredibly important in a great leader.
A leader needs to be able to stand alone, and stand up for what they believe in.
Having the courage to do what they believe will work is sometimes one of the hardest things to do.
With courage also comes determination and patience: the ability to hold firm and not succumb to negativity or the pressure to crumble. The patience to keep going along a difficult road with their head held high, no matter what the outcome.
Great leaders aren’t born, as some people suggest; instead, they are shaped over time. And if there’s any individual that should be counted among the leaders of the ALS community, it’s Dr. Brown.
