If I were to ask you, who were the leaders who made a strong impact on the whole world, who would they be? We talked about what impact means. It is about adding value to people around you, leaving an imprint or an impression on people. Last week, we also discussed about what does it take to make an impact – the 6 imperatives to make an impact.

The 9 individuals on this list were also the leaders in there own ways. Some left the world with a positive impact; some others made a very strong impact, but a negative one. So, we present the 9 leaders who made the most impact in their times.

  1. Albert Einstein – Einstein probably made an impact so huge that the whole mankind was touched by it.Nearly everyone in this world is touched by at least one of his inventions.
  2. Mahatma Gandhi – How do you win a war? By fighting a war, right? And then, how do you fight a way? What if I said by non-violence? Gandhi, also called “Father of the Nation” threw British Government that ruled India for about 200 years. He first experimented non-violent civil disobedience in South Africa.
  3. Adolf Hitler – Impact can be positive and it can be negative too. Hitler’s speaking skills were fabulous. His speeches aroused thousands of people. He made a strong negative impact on the entire world. Some of the atrocities on Jews were so horrifying that we chose to not repeat them.
  4. Martin Luther King – A prominent leader in the US civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure civil rights for African Americans. He is frequently referenced as a human rights icon. He was one of the greatest orators in the US history.
  5. Abraham Lincoln – The first Republican to be elected as the president on the United States. He led the country through one of the greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War. He abolished the practice of slavery by introducing stringent measures during his term.
  6. Nelson Mandela – A leader who created history in Africa. After spending 27 years in prison to fight against apartheid, he was elected as President of South Africa and won Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He impacted the entire nation and changed the way Blacks were treated in South Africa.
  7. Osama Bin Laden – After atrocities by Hitler, Bin Laden would be the one who made most negative impact on the world. He has become a synonym of terrorism in the modern world.
  8. and 9. Wright Brothers – The way we travel changed only after these two gentlemen invented and built world’s first successful airplane. Orville and Wilbur Wright transformed transportation of people and material. This invention impacted the entire world, directly or indirectly.

Who would you put on this list?

There were many great men and women who left a legacy, many others who were stirred the world and left a blot in the history. This list is by no means complete. If you were to add three more individuals, who would they be? Tell us in the comments below.

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Further Reading –

  1. Key to Making an Impact: What Makes People Believe You?
  2. 6 Qualities You Need to Make a Better Impact
  3. Start Transforming Your Life to Make an Impact

Related Posts:

  1. How Do You Change the World?
  2. 6 Qualities You Need to Make a Better Impact