So, I suppose this is both a simple question and a decidedly not simple question: What makes great leaders in Lusternia great? What qualities do they all share? What qualities do they differ in? I've heard good things about Magnagora under Thoros, Celest under Forren, and Glomdoring under Talan, for instance, but I haven't been in any of those organizations at those times.

Basically, what's the difference between a decent Lusternian City/Commune leader and a great one?

I didn't know him, but I've been told Rhysus was an amazing city leader. And I know for a fact Sheia was amazing. Mainly because she had to fight against the idiots just to bring Celest back from an extreme tilt to a semi-flat.

I can't speak to Lusternia, but for the Sentinels under Covenant it was a mixture of having a leader with a vision, who knew how to make things work, and who had people that respected him and followed him without drama.

I like leaders who write inspiring news posts/summaries but I think being very active, having the ability to rally people to your cause, (respect you as a person and do what you say) having a solid understanding of the mechanics of the mechanics and dynamics of the game and leading by example are the most important qualities of a good leader, roughly in that order.

Whoops, ignore me.

I'mma let you finish but Shamarah was the best city leader of Celest of all time.

I hate you right now.

Great leaders are the ones who, after they are gone, are still talked about with awe and respect (that would be you, Malicia).

When I think about who to vote for in elections, these are the questions I consider-- are they in touch with the people they represent? Do they keep people informed of what is going on? Are they willing to accept criticism when they are wrong, yet stand their ground when they are right? Are they manipulative? Satisfactory answers to all of these earn my vote for a good leader.

Which is why I have such a hard time voting in RL political elections...

Covenant once taught me, before I got into politics in Achaea or Lusternia, that if you don't have at least one group of people trying to undermine you, spread rumours, and generally hating you, then you are doing it wrong. He also was of the school of thought that you don't kick those people out, you let them stay in the org so you can keep a close eye on them. It was one of the few points him and I disagreed on. I prefer to just remove the trouble makers and be done with it. There was also a whole lot of drama in the Sentinels, but drama there was a lot more subtle than it is here.

Shayle. Not everyone cared for her, but she was definitive of a flavor of Glomdoring that I miss. She was active in getting novices involved in Glomdoring's story and RP. I always knew, when she showed up, that I was in for an experience that would leave me remembering why I came to Glomdoring (and Lusternia) to begin with - even if the experience itself was a difficult one (we were the forest of no mercy, after all).

When she left, a lot of Glomdoring's spirit went with her, and although others did a fine job trying to keep up the same kind of RP intensity in Glom, no one was really able to match her in that respect.

Even for the people who really couldn't stand her or the Glomdoring she promoted, I think it would be hard to find another individual who was as formative of Glomdoring's identity and experience as she was at the time.

I forgot someone. Daevos! He was one of the most amazing warlords I ever dealt with He let the city have more of a vote, even if you were a serf. And while it may seem cliche for me to say this, he listened.

Murphy was pretty cool too, I guess. Maaaybeee.

Forren. That is all.

Xenthos still runs Glomdoring, so I guess we can't really talk about his legacy yet.

Pfft.

I'm retired.

I've heard good things about Ryleth. A really modest leader.

So, what makes all of these leaders great?

Mostly that they're leaders and not politicians.

Most Lusternian leaders seek to make the org a better place through systems, processes, and laws that will make things work better. It's extremely well intentioned in most cases, but that's still just the work of a politician.

A leader does awesome things and makes room for other people to follow and advance in their own right. Daevos was the Warlord. He led Magnagora on a frightening warpath that was fun for those in his camp and awe inspiring for everyone who watched from the outside. There will never be another, much like the RL titles of Czar and Kaiser does not make your wimpy successors one of the Caesars. Forren was secure, confident, and competent. He did stuff, people came along for the ride, and awesomeness ensued. Xenthos was so good at what he did that he can't even retire properly.

(On that same note, I'd disagree very, very strongly with the assertion that Rhysus was one of Lusternia's great leaders. Rhysus was a politician, and not even a very remarkable one. Even Shamarah might be a stretch, no matter how awesome Shamarah is as an individual.)

Personally, I don't care how "representative" or "in touch" an elected official is. If the person is good at the job and is a good leader, the populace will move towards the leader without any coercion, and everyone is better for it.

^ That. A lot of orgs in recent times have only had politicians for the most part.

I concur.

Yea, I have to agree with what someone else said. A good leader in Lusternia is one who allows citizens to have fun. The leader could almost run the city into the ground as long as it's a fun ride. This is a game, after all.