When you think of a leader, you most likely envision this heroic figure who is smart and quick with all the best intentions. In reality, a leader is just someone who can get people to follow them. The array of what a leader can be defined as fluctuates from figures like Martin Luther king Jr. all the way to that friend that jumps off bridges your mom always warns you about. We have romanticized the true meaning of what being a leader means and have clouded the definition of a good leader.

In these chapters of Don Quixote, we see Sancho take on his new role of being the governor of his island, a long awaited promise come true. In these chapters we realize that Sancho has been a follower the entire novel and now has to learn how to lead. Sancho realizes that Don Quixote’s leadership abilities are not as effective as he once thought. In his new position he is quickly bombarded with different issues in which he handles with thoughtfulness and clarity, proving himself a very capable leader.

In the film, Don Quixote’s Lessons for Leadership, Don Quixote is personified as having multiple qualities of being a great leader and compares him to some of the most influential leaders in history. To me, this seems a bit far fetched. In the world Quixote exists in, he is no leader. He is a fool, but to us, the readers Don Quixote is leading us through his journey and we are unquestionably following his lead through every page. Although we question some of his decisions and ideals we as readers are the following that make Don Quixote the leader. He has lead millions all around the world for hundreds of years. Although he may not be a Gandhi or  a president of the United States he is indeed a leader.

As for what a leader really is, I believe is a leader is someone who can motivate and lead by example. Sometimes the line between a boss and  a leader can become blurred. A boss is someone who can give orders, a leader is someone who works alongside their followers to achieve a common goal. Throughout our lives we will assume both the position of a follower and a leader and like Sancho, we only start to understand the importance of a good leader when we are called upon to lead.