There are those who believe themselves to be leaders but are too weak of character and too lazy to put the work in or acquire the knowledge required to be an effective leader. They boast and brag but remain in the background in times of adversity and struggle. They shield themselves at the expense of those around them looking to take credit for success but deflect responsibility for failure. These are not true leaders rather they are cowards. Their actions inspiring nothing more than contempt from those they are tasked with leading and their tenure is ultimately doomed to fail.

Peter Parker (Spider Man) is famous for saying with great power comes great responsibility. Real leaders understand this, they stand by their people. They do not look to point fingers as a way of absolving themselves. They understand they must be willing to stand up and accept criticism. They immerse themselves in the job and work tirelessly to acquire the knowledge that is essential to be a successful leader. They willingly listen to others and heed their advice. They lead by motivation not by fear, they inspire confidence by their actions.  They understand that without these traits their leadership is simply an illusion based on nothing more than bravado and arrogance.

The time for these individuals is usually short and once their time has passed history will record that their tenure as a so-called leader was nothing but an illusion. Leaving them with nothing but time to wonder how they could have been a real leader rather than coward.