Video stands in the streets. His eyes wide as ever. His hands empty and his heart heavy. 

I know this guy. He's a good guy at least he tries to be. But just being a good guy does not get you very far in this world. Tonight i want to bring up loyalty. I think loyalty is a hard thing to discuss because if i was honest I have not really shown it. 

Video takes a seat. 

There are various forms of loyalty. You have loyalty to your friends, family, Godfather, and yourself. You have loyalty to your city and your bodyguards. But rarely do we talk about loyalty of a crew leader. 

Several weeks ago Godfather Rafa died. Two more alongside him passed as well. I think there is an immediate sort of criticism that crawls in your mind. Half of it is from others and the other half is self-inflicted. This sort of criticism had berated me asking why did i not stand up for the dead Godfather. Why hadn't i lead my men and women into a frontal assault against those who decapitated my former Godfather. 

A couple weeks went by and i found myself in a situation quite similar. Detroit, filled with friends long ago were being actively pressed against the wall. Their names began to fill the obituaries and their names ran red in our eyes. I heard them pleading for help and i sat by and watched them die. All they had worked for, those hours they spent here was now gone away. 

Once again my heart spun around in my chest. I considered myself a snake more than anything else. A liar and a traitor. Perhaps the son of one of the fallen will be the one who seeks revenge and takes me to the grave or perhaps the son of one of these men understand what i am now coming to understand about leadership. 

Video spits on the sidewalk next to him. His eyes meet the sky and he stares blankly at the glowing stars. They shined so much brighter when he was just walking these streets. 

When i first came to these shores it was because my friend Water had requested me to bring my family line into the mix. I did not really care to be a leader at first. I did not really care for anything except my closest friends. Soon my friends who found themselves incognito began to appear in my inbox. Old friendships and new relationships began to be created. More than ever i decided to be a leader like my family line once again. I have never been a fan of just being granted title so i tried to earn it. 

The thing about leading is you expect a loyalty from your members. How often is a leader loyal to their members? I immediately received the service of this amazing right hand i know as Tony- his effort and time into helping me create a crew worth remembering will not be forgotten.

When leadership is tested a leader either passes with flying colors or sinks in a dramatic fashion. I found myself questioning not what was the best for me but what was the best for my family: The Regime. As a leader, a true leader, you have to care for the lives of your people more than your own life. I truly believe that. I think that is why i am still here. 

I have always found myself quite invested in these relationships. I have always found that they are the ones worth spending your time with.

Video pauses. 

I think i just needed to get that all off my chest. But a leader goes through many things. And i want to present a topic here. The topic what makes a leader. I think we all know a leader is someone who wears a bold flashy suit but i believe there is something more here. What might that be?  

If you feel the need to disagree on any point i greatly encourage that. If you have more to add i again pray you would do so as we can all learn from each other. 

So all this rambling brings me to my question: What makes a leader?

The following seven points are what i believe to be points of value for any future crew leader. I encourage anyone who has ever had a family member lead in this life or is currently a leader to share your thoughts as well as of course we can all grow in leadership. The following seven points are not something I myself do exceedingly well in but i do strive to work at them. 

1. Leaders Make Hard Decisions - You will never find a time as a leader where you don't make a hard decision. You join a war and know your crew will die or sit idly by and wait till you all die. You will engage in conversations that are not easy.  You have to spend money knowing someone worked hours to give that to you in a way you feel would best honor them.
   1. The list goes. Hard decisions are what leaders encounter regularly. If you desire to lead and know that you will face a decision evaluate all of your options before ever selecting a route. But make a decision and stick to it. 
2. Loyalty is given to ____ - A leader will have loyalty. Either a loyalty has the loyalty to himself and his own success or to the vision of the city or perhaps the leader will have loyalty to a Godfather. Whatever the case a crew leader who is loyal is willing to serve someone with all their potential.
   1. I believe a leader should also have loyalty to his crew. These are the people who are most loyal to you. Your decisions and actions should always do what is in their best interest providing for them the best possible chance to survive and thrive in the future. Sometimes a loyalty a leader has will make their gut twist and turn but it is the most rewarding loyalty. 
3. Leaders recognize their weaknesses - Not all leaders are perfect in every area of this life. Some leaders are fascinating when it comes to the streets. Some leaders build a canon in no time at all. Some leaders can effectively communicate with others. A good leader can evaluate themselves and see what areas need to change for continued growth. 
   1. If you are leading you should aim to look for people who have talents you don't possess and help them cultivate those talents. There are many areas in this life i don't thrive well but I find those that fill those gaps for me and put them in positions to where they can and will help our city as a whole succeed. 
4. Leaders Recognize desire - People find themselves in suits for various reasons. A solid leader recognizes what people in his or her crew want and look to bring that into full effect. Some people love to be active in the streets and business districts, how much better is it for a crew when they see their leader engaging with them? Some people love to build a gun build competition with them by seeing who could be the first to get the most durden kills. 
   1. Look at what your people love and love it with them. Challenge them to be just one percent better in that area and encourage them to grow in another area as well to try something new and unseen by them. 
5. Activity does not mean Productivity - This is simple as all it means is that just because you are wearing your suit does not mean you are being productive. What is the best use of your time as a leader? Shooting your gun once in a while and reaching out to your members is always such an important thing but often we miss the mark in one of those two vital veins of leading. So often you hear of members who don't know their crew leader at all and a leader believes their member should come to them first. 
   1. You should look at what is filling your time when you are wearing your suit. Are you satisfied with where you are as a leader or do you believe that you can continue to grow and improve in your daily tasks? 
6. Your Made Men are a reflection of You - When people see a made man they should always see a crew leader that stands behind him. When a made man speaks in the streets his etiquette and the way he presents himself should be up to the standards of the crew leader. 
   1. When you lead let your made man know they are special to you. That there is a reason they are getting their button and it is not for the reason of them earning 25 units but something far greater. The trust and friendship that was built up should be present to them in your conversations with them.
7. A Leader Leads by Example - Often a leader asks so many things of their crew members. From shot reports to donations. The real question is, is a leader leading by example? Leaders can always be creative with the donations they are given and create new competitions where money is given back out for crew members. 
   1. People wont follow a hypocrite. You will attract the same type of person you are. If you desire to lead well and build a gun people will see that and flock to that. If you are wanting your crew to be active in a particular area of life they will see you doing that same thing and step their game up. It takes time. You dont just create change overnight. Sometimes leaders find themselevs in an inactive flux and want to turn it around, it takes time to turn the attention of the crew around but you have to do it with the example of your leadership.

Thank you, Don Video, for bringing your question to the streets. 

As for my own response, I believe that a true leader is someone who: 1) shepherds the people in their care, building relationships and possessing a willingness to protect them. 2) Adds something of value to our larger society as well.

My hope is that every leader, even those who keep to themselves, fulfills the first point. The second... well, that one is far more difficult. How many leaders venture beyond their walls to add something to their larger district? To their city? To all of us, spread throughout the nation? To me, that is the mark of true greatness. It requires time, ingenuity, effort, and sacrifice- and one must still ensure that they tend to the needs of their own crew, of course.

As for your points, I generally agree with them. The third one, I think, is perhaps the most important. Very few people who have walked our streets have had the skill and time to perfectly lead in every aspect; it is the team they form, ultimately, that will do this.

Those of us who have walked these streets for a long time will have seen this question before; I would argue, however, that it is in revisiting these questions that newer bloodlines have a chance to learn and can greatly benefit from this.

As he was repeatedly breaking Genie out of jail, Rudy hears Video starting a speech..
He listens for a while and gets impressed when he sees this Crew Leader openly admit he feels he has not been showing loyalty, that was a first time he witnessed that. After hearing Video present his list of leadership qualities, Rudy waits a bit, understanding that those that are leading the country should be allowed to go first, and only then steps up

Do you enjoy being a crew leader? If you think you would not, then don't take on the job.. When DavidEcho recently spoke, I learned that not all people are meant to become powerful. I, myself, am one of those and I indeed feel the stars are shining beautifully..

Loyalty should be an interaction, if you don't give your men and women anything they won't give loyalty in return. What you need to give differs per person, though.. Some can be motivated to go far for ther leader if they're given materialistic stuff.. Others just need to sense a positive vibe, a feeling that uppers care.
Maybe there is a point in how far loyalty stretches. And there probably is a difference in whether you have earned  your button in a family or not.
For what it's worth, coming from an earner like me, I would feel that in itself, being a crew leader and not undertaking any action when your Godfather is shot, there would need to be very specific circumstances that would make you not take action. But again, I have no information on what happened, so I can't say whether I could understand. You probably saved a good number of people by not acting..

Rudy paused for a moment before he got on..

Getting to the point, as you already indicated, a true leader can have very different qualities, and maybe doesn't need many even. Some stay in power even because, and only because, they have the right friends..
Actually.. I don't agree with all points.. And if I take them seperately, I would say that I don't even fully agree with all of them..
Yes, leaders need to take big decisions. That is one I fully agree on. Just like what you said on recognizing weaknesses and using the skills of others.. But then..
As for loyalty, I think a leader should make the crew coherent and therefore the members need to show loyalty in case of war, how he does that.. Doesn't really matter... What they desire.. If it's not what is needed, then why let them do it? But I understand what you are trying to say, and it's nice to see people reach their full potential indeed. And it's awesome if that is in an area that complements your own flaws.

Then the points that I disagree most.. Your Made Men are not reflections of you. They are themselves, they are individuals and they carry your honour and they know you trust them. They know how to behave but then, they are themselves. You do not want a pack of Frankfurter sausages as your Made Men, do you?

He wondered if that actually was an expression..

And finally, your last point.. The leader makes the rules, he is in charge. He does not have to be transparent to all his men, unless he feel this could be benificial. But always, the Crew Leader decides in what he wants to share. The other way around is very different. People don't always know what kind of atmosphere a crew has, yet you see little movements in between crews from under-Mades. In my opinion, that means that the flocking together is at most only partially true..

Rudy looked around him and stepped back, respectfully nodding to Video, as a thank you for giving him the chance to speak out his mind on a relevant topic of the structure of the country's organisation.

As Genie was following Rudy again to thank him for the numerous times he saved his ass out of jail, he noticed a crowd surrounding a very well dressed man that looks like a highly esteemed member of this community, Genie with his lack of knowledge to the surroundings he made his way to a near by lamp post around the corner of the street and started climbing on top of it to get a clear view of the situation and a better hearing of what is being said. The man seems to have lost a dear friend and leader recently and seems to be suffering trust issues.

Genie being the newly comer who just landed to these shores had not much to be said, but shook his head at the amount of despair he could feel in Don Video's voice. He waited for him to finish and listened carefully to his new friend Rudy's opinion on the matter before sliding down the post and making his way through the crowd. He clears his throat before starting to speak.

Well sir, I may not be in position to judge you nor your deeds and I absolutely lack the experience in this business to make judgement and criticize someone like you, but if there's anything I have learnt reading my ancestors Journal's is that loyalty is not given and is earned. You earn it by your deeds and if you had earned your late Godfather's loyalty, you did for what you have done for him while he was still here. In this world I believe that business comes first and we all seek to enhance our business portfolio no matter what that costs us. Sometimes we have to make some tough decisions and lose some very dear friends or even relatives.

Genie takes a deep breath and sighs as he remembers reading some similar stories in his ancestors' journals.

Unfortunately this is the life we chosen and that the price that we get to pay.

Finally, I totally agree with you regarding your opinion that you shared about what it takes to make a good leader, and I'd like to add that I believe what is most important for a leader to be successful and effective within his crew is to treat them as a real family.

Genie then tips his hat to the man and goes on to continue his jail-breaking errands

well video, i must thank you for your thoughts on what's being a leader.  i appreciate the fact that your thoughts immediately go to the safety of your family, and i really think that it's a good place to start.

i look at the 2 incidents you speak of - when godfather rafa died and when your friends in detroit were calling for help - and your response was to allow them to die unopposed. that's fine, and we all have choices to make, and i'll never pretend that i know what things made you think that this was the best course of action for you and your family.

but - i ask you this:

if someone were to end your life today - and your family allowed it to happen and carried on their way, in another family with another leader -  is that the response that you would like or expect from them?  to do nothing? 

Nofg This scenario happened to my fathers father a year ago. BrotherHec lived in New York and had a crew who went by the name Regime. I have to admit after a few weeks I myself was a bit upset about their decision to not exact revenge for their fallen leader and then as time went on they eventually lead the game. These two individuals became godfathers and lead cities. I then saw the impact and change they made on the world. 

Personally, so long as i am living i ask for loyalty. If i were to die through a rogue shot or by some other means and My crew had the chance to live on without me I would certainly hope that be the case. In my eyes i would not want more blood spilled. 

I think we have heard this in ancient debates of old. I have always sided with the idea that your loyalty dies with your leader. I have such great respect for those who continue to fight for their leaders memory. I have such admiration for that undying loyalty. 

I do want to address your last couple of words. "To do nothing." I don't believe that is ever an option. I always want them to do something. To evaluate their scenario and do what is best for their city and their life. Sometimes that may seem like it is doing nothing but that would be a very wrong assessment. If carefully evaluated and a response to not engage in revenge over my dead body was the best possible choice I myself would stand very much behind that. That response then would not be a nothing response. I hope this helps you find your answer. It may not be the answer you expected but It is honest.

Rudy First i wish to commend you on your words. I have noticed you in the streets lately and you have certainly garnered much attention. Speaking with you privately earlier this day i would like to publicly echo my sentiment for your words here. Now i do not have much to say as honestly i liked much of it. 

I do believe we are at a slight disagreement on the word reflection. When you use the word reflection i think you might be stating that a reflection is the exact same. I did not intend to mean that. When i speak of a crew leader being reflected by a made man i do not believe that he should be an exact replica or that they should all behave exactly the same. I believe that a Made Man is just that a reflection. Reflections look different depending on what you are looking at. With this in mind i would never exact my made men to be just like me. They are too unique and too creative for that. What i would ask is that they carry forth the same ideals, ambition, and qualities that i carry. A reflection in public life is also something that should be carried forth with this. 

Genie on tough decisions i believe this is something you will face. If you hope to see your name at the top of our world, you will inevitably face choices that you struggle with and dont want to do. If you want to see your family live and continue their growth to their dreams, you will have to do things you dont want to do. Unfortunately in life we our faced in a world where our choices whether big or small will always have an impact. The thing is, you have to make a choice. You can never sit idly by. If you are choosing to be idle and patient you choose that. In this life, a leader can never be re-active. You must always be a proactive person purposely choosing your path. This is true for family competitions, relationships, war, and even gaining more units. 

Don Chambers steps through the rear of the small crowd that had been gathered before him, he has taken time to listen to each of the speakers before him and gather what he could of their collective voices.

"Leading is all about the choices you make, a good lead will not needlessly risk the lives of those under him, or her, however that same leader will also stand up and hold ranks with each of those under them. A good leader should take time to get to know each member, and put their individual skills to use for the betterment of the family as a whole. Some of the decisions made will be difficult, heart breaking even, and will have you questioning yourself as not only a leader, but as a person...this is a good thing, it means you are actively seeking whats best for you, and your people. The day you stop giving your actions serious thought is the day your actions either no longer matter, or you stop being a good leader. Sometimes we have to set friendships aside to do whats best for our respective families. A good leader has good men behind them as well, it's not simply a one way street, but that loyalty, respect, and brotherhood comes with time. A good leader is the one that never stops learning, and never stops correcting their mistakes. It's a tricky, and often fatal road, but It can be navigated. We all know what we signed up for, and are willing to die for our leaders as they should be for us, once you get to a certain point in this life it's only right that your loyalty never dies, and no one could ask any less."

"Arah (All these points are enlightening and convincing, especially since they're backed by your position and experience. They were a good a read,)" Baby Beel said.

"Aloo (However, I wish to touch on a few points that I disagree with, or felt wasn't discussed.)"

On Promotions

"Poo (Some people are satisfied with becoming made and being an official part of the family. Some people are also satisfied with telling stories or just chilling in the lounge. Some actually dislike leadership because responsibilities, much like volunteer-work, come with it. However, I think, quite a few people, especially the new ones or those who couldn't find friends who are in power, would want auth or position too. I agree that hands and auths are the leader's full discretion. A baby still sucking on a mom's tit could be the RHM, if they wanted. However, I also think I am free to express that there are people who do a lot for the family. Our friends, I'm sure, have also contributed a lot, by protecting us, teaching, us, engaging us, and the like. However, there are many unnamed soldiers [and their kin] who also sacrifice their hours of hard work or even their lives [and maybe their kins' lives] for the family. I think they too deserve a chance. I was lucky that my kin were given many chances. I think my kin's crew leaders were great.)"

On Activity

"Roo (Although I agree that activity isn't everything, and too much activity is not necessarily beneficial, I disagree that this should be taken out of the criteria altogether. You really just need time to do some things well. You need time to engage people, time to collect information, time to make alliances, etc. Dare I say it too? You need time for conquest. I think a good leader should take into account that many of their members seek the peak too. And the peak can only sometimes be gotten by taking it from others.)"

"Yoo (I also, however, acknowledge that there can really be only a few who reach the peak. Not everyone can get them. I also like how there are cities who can be a home to people who often sleep. I like that there are neutral and peaceful leaders. I love that many play styles can flourish.)

On Rogues

"Raa (Some people think rogues just want to troll and randomly shoot people. Or they are selfish and their guns can be paid. I actually agree with that. However, to be honest, I think it also spices up this thing of ours. The rogues should be killed, I agree, as we are mafioso who like our turfs to be ours, not some upstart's. However, it's a bit weird if a mafioso can slowly rise through his position like this is some career. A mafioso's life is always hanging on the edge.)"

"Hoo (However, I also think that some rogues have a mission. Some rogues want to express their independence, like that single member of the Chain Gang or Pzo with his Spank the Clank. Some rogues disagree with the leadership, like Jimmy Patterson. Some rogues would take revenge for others like YvesSaintLaurent.)

"Dee (These are the reasons why I tolerate NPEX. He shot my kin in the past, but now, he's in the same crew as I am, and still alive. My trigger finger itches every time I see him chilling in the lounge.)

"Laa (If a rogue wants to build for weeks and weeks and betray their friends [if they made some] for a short moment of glory, maybe the leaders and family are a bit partially the reason for failing to make them loyal [although some really are just determined to do it and we probably can't do much]. The rogue can have their short moment of glory for the price of hours and hours of work, losing their friends, and losing their and their accomplices' lives.)

"Ayaya (However, in the end, I think that the recent leaders, overall, are doing a great job. There are also leaders that suit us. Some people like conquest, and they may find satisfaction in a conqueror. Some people like chill, and they may find satisfaction in a neutral or peaceful leader. We shouldn't treat our mafioso way too seriously. It is really just a game. We make connections, do our roles, do the daily hustle, gamble a little or a lot, and hopefully by the time of our inevitable death, our lives were worth our time.)

DatAss strolls down the street, a new coat draped around her shoulders courtesy of her new friend, and a shine in her eyes. Leadership was something that was important to her, and something she didn't mind discussing.

I believe that someone in a position of leadership should follow certain core principals. The first of these are Honesty and Integrity. If you're not honest, and somewhat transparent with those under you, how can you possibly expect the same from them? 

DatAss takes a brief break to straighten her skirt and look around, giving her ass a little shake before continuing. 

The second of these principals is Confidence. What kind of leader are you if you're not confident in your ability to lead? The old saying is, 'follow the fearless leader!' they have no fear because they are confident. Show swagger, be assertive. Know that you are great. That will go a long way.

She looks around at the people in the vicinity, seeing one that looks familiar, she gives a little wink.

The third principle is to inspire those that follow you. This is mostly self explanatory, but if you don't inspire people, they are going to struggle to give their all to you. Next, and this goes in line with the excellent Video, is Commitment. You've got to be committed to leadership, and committed to your family. If you're not, don't be surprised when their commitment falls off as well. The next few kind of run together, communication and decision making. You've got to be able to communicate with people, and you've got to be able to make difficult decisions, no matter what the backlash from those decisions may be. You've got to be able to man up and take the consequences. 

A little shyly, she pulls out a flask and takes a long drink to moisten her throat, before hiding it back in her jacket, hoping nobody noticed.

The next, and this may tie in with some of what I've said already, is Accountability. You have got to be accountable for your actions, for your promises. If you promise something, follow through no matter what. If you're not accountable, people will remember that, and it will hurt you in the end. Two more things I would like to discuss regarding leadership are Delegation and Creativity. As a leader, your time should be spent getting to know your people, among getting to know other leaders and building relations. Therefore, delegation comes into play. Delegate certain tasks to your hands, be Creative and set up sub crews with their own leaders that delegate certain tasks, essentially have a well oiled machine, and things will run much smoother. Creativity comes into play in other ways as well, but each will have their own interpretation of that.

DatAss smiles and steps down.

I hope you find what I've said agreeable, if not, I would love to hear your arguments!