I believe that Ellen is a great example of a leader. Although it may seem like she’s just a comedian, Ellen is a human-rights activist that practices many of the same virtues that Havard describes, such as: courage, justice, humility, self-control and prudence. Ellen was born in January of 1958 in Metairie, Louisiana. Growing up, she dreamed of being a veterinarian but never saw herself as smart enough for the courses required, so she picked up different sorts of jobs for income. Her comedy career began when she was noticed by Jay Leno and Johnny Carson.
Ellen is a very dedicated humanitarian. In 2011, Ellen became a special envoy for global AIDS awareness by Hillary Clinton. In November 2017, it was announced that President Trump would begin allowing the importation of elephant trophies from Africa. DeGeneres, also an animal activist, created a hashtag and encouraged donations to the David Sheldrick-Wildlife Trust. In 2018, she received ownership of a gorilla sanctuary and the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II was the United States’ first African-American and 44th President from the years 2009-2017, as well as a US Senator and lawyer. He was born in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii to his parents: Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr.
Barack attended Occidental College as well as Columbia University in New York City, graduating in 1983 with a political science degree. With this degree he continued his education to attend Harvard Law School in 1988 and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law in 1991. It was later in 1996 when he ran under the Democratic party for a spot in the Illinois State Senate and won. After serving the State as a US Senator, he announced his run for Presidency in 2007 for the 2008 election. He won against Republican selectee John McCain. He then went on to be re-elected for his second term in 2012 against Republican opponent Mitt Romany.
I believe that he was one of the most influential and remarkable persons of the 21st century. Not only was he the first African-American president, but he has done remarkable work before and even after his presidency. During his time as a Senator, he helped create a bill that expanded resources to eliminate the construction of unnecessary weapons in foreign countries and helped with organization and distribution of relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. During his presidency, he introduced the Affordable Care Act in 2010 with the goal of giving affordable health insurance to those in the US and protect them from the unaccommodating prices of chain insurances. Currently he helps run the Obama Foundation which helps with the organizations Obama created while in office as well as the One America Appeal. I believe that he has helped millions of Americans and has the virtues described by Alexandere Havard, such as: justice, prudence, humility and magnanimity.
Billy Graham
Reverend William “Billy” Franklin Graham Jr. was a famous Christian evangelist and religious figure who delivered his messages across multiples forms of American and world-wide media for more than 35 years. He reached more than 215 million people during his time as a preacher. Mr. Graham passed away in February of 2018 at the age of 99.
Billy Graham is probably one of the best examples I could give as to who a leader is. He had superstar status and was one of the most well-known religious figures in America and still he kept his focus onto his God and preached his messages to all who would listen. He has the characteristics of Harvard’s image of a leader, including prudence, self-control, and humility. Born in Charlotte, NC in November of 1918, he was raised on a dairy farm with his family. After high school Billy moved to Tennessee to attend Bob Jones College. However, he soon transferred to the Florida Bible Institute. Graham joined a Southern Baptist Convention church, where he was ordained in 1939.
Graham began preaching at the First Baptist Church in Western Springs, Illinois, before leaving to join Youth for Christ, an evangelical missionary group. In 1952, he retired from his services and focused on his preaching. In order to expand his ministry and mission, Graham, his colleagues, and family eventually incorporated the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. This led to production of the multiple forms of media, including the magazine “Christianity Today” and having his sermons played during “Songs in the Night” and “The Hour of Decision.”