John Maxwell once said, "People believe in the leader before they believe in the vision." A leader must have a solid foundation as a human being before he can try to convince the public to spread his visions. He will be examined from every angle regarding his leadership traits, style, characteristics and so on. All of these areas of leadership come together in what we know as integrity. Integrity is doing what is morally right; it requires honesty, making the “right” decisions for the community, taking blame, and being selfless. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Machiavelli's The Prince, there are various examples of what the difference is between a good leader and a bad leader, including the leader's initiative, responsibility, generosity and values. A leader must learn to take initiative for many of his needs. his projects. In Julius Caesar, Cassius tries to convince Brutus to join the conspirators against Caesar. Cassius says that sometimes men are responsible for their own destiny and should not attribute it to an external force (Shakespeare I-ii 147-150). Therefore, if they blamed God for the situation, it would be of no use because they would not even try to take action to change their fate. In this example, Cassius demonstrates that a leader should take initiative and responsibility; a good leader should be courageous and try to do something for the common good. Machiavelli agreed because he said that the Romans would try to solve a problem before it actually developed, knowing that a problem only got bigger if it wasn't solved immediately (11). Being proactive, rather than reactive, will help the leader stay one step ahead of the game. However, the initiative should always be for the greater good and not for the benefit of the…middle of paper…erudite leader. However, a leader can always learn to be better. In the two books, Julius Caesar and The Prince, many things are shown about how a leader should be and act, and there are many things an individual can learn from these two books. Some examples of leadership that can be learned from the two books are generosity, initiative, responsibility and personal values. All of these traits begin when the individual realizes who they are and where they stand to become a leader. As Jack Welch said: “Before being a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about making others grow.”Works CitedMachiavelli, Niccolò. The prince. Trans. Harvey C. Mansfield. Chicago, 1998.Shakespeare, William. “The tragedy of Julius Caesar”. Elements of Literature: Kylene Beers. Austin: Holt, 2009. 842-963. Press.