A leader must know how to arrive at the correct decision; he needs both assertiveness and a degree of aristocratic nobility, courage combined with self-confidence, charisma and a facial expression which communicates worlds of thought without uttering a single word.

In Chapter 49 of Genesis, we learn that the Patriarch Jacob felt his days were numbered; he sought to appoint one of his sons to head of the family after his passing. For various reasons, he found Reuben, Levi, and Simon not suited to leadership. The choice fell upon Judah, his fourth son. Jacob explains:

Judah, thou art he to whom thy brethren will pay homage.

Thy hand is on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.

A young old lion is Judah, above plunder, my son, art thou risen;

He kneels down, he rests like a lion, and who would rouse him up to an excited lion?

(Genesis 49:8-9)

As the future leaders of the Children of Israel, Jacob chose the tribe of Judah, and blessed them with the words above shortly before his death.

Let us look to the comments of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch on these verses to learn just which characteristics Jacob found in Judah that made him fit to serve as a leader to his brothers. As Rabbi Hirsch writes in his commentary to these verses: "When Jacob mustered his sons to find which of them was qualified to serve as the leader, he found the three oldest, Reuben, Simon, and Levi, lacking.

Next in line was Judah, of whom Jacob declared: "You are the one, you are the one who is called on for the position. You combine all the qualities which are required, and which Reuben, on the one hand, and Simeon and Levi on the other, are lacking.

"It is not your sword that keeps your enemies down, but your hand, the respect you command. You do not slay your enemies; rather you control them. You have no need of instruments of violence, such as those your brothers, Simeon and Levi used (when confronting Shechem and Hamor). "The development of your power will bring about such respect that your enemies will turn their backs to you and not dare to attack you. They will be pleased if you but leave them alone. And within your own people, you will stand in such noble superiority that your brethren will voluntarily submit to your rule. "You combine the courage of youth with the prudence of age. You have no lust for fighting and winning plunder for their own sake. You are no wildcat and no wolf, but a lion, who is above theft and murder."

Yehudah's greatness lay not in fighting and the thick of the fray. Nor was it in flaring up courage, which wins respect in the hour of danger, then fades away. What distinguished Yehudah was the fact that, even when he was resting quietly, he remained a lion. His greatness commands respect even in political repose and ensures security from without. Within, it brings peace, which under his guidance, allows development to proceed along well planned lines.

It is patently clear that the secret of leadership is a quiet, noble quality of the individual who inspires awe in those around him. The ideal educator is one whose very glance will quell any attempt to breach his discipline. He is the educator who needs not raise his voice in order to maintain peace and quiet. Neither does his temper rise. He has no recourse to severe punishments in order to ensure that the reins remain in his hands. He combines courage and presence of mind. His profound strength is reflected on his facial expression and resounds in every word he utters, no matter how calm, quiet, or relaxed. He is confident of his power to lead; when he speaks, his words are concise and clear, and leave no room for doubt as to his meaning.

It is this combination of quiet strength and silent confidence which set him apart, so that those around him sense that this is, indeed, a man and a leader of men.