A great leader must make hard decisions, keeping people of all levels of income in mind.

A great leader wears diplomacy like a well-worn glove; it fits the person as a whole.

A great leader does not whine and relate certain projects back to his own hard times.

A good leader will bring forth awareness and shine light on an issue, not on personal problems that should have been handled. That is called personal growth.

A good leader would find a program solution that would help those in need to move forward.

Gov. Paul LePage has made some hard decisions and strengthened certain areas in state government. That is the leadership needed to make a great leader.

However, the state of Maine is not to be equated with Marden’s, where one can pick and choose. Each department, each level of people, needs attention and fair treatment. The more open the grasp of the hand, the more responses will be received. That is called goodness and strength. Strength does not always equal control; it works hand-in-hand.

LePage should be more aware of the structure of state government and allow department heads to communicate when asked, in order to expedite matters.

There are times when LePage ends up being the big guy carrying a small stick.

LePage, as the head of state, needs to soften his rhetoric. He may find that the small stick he has been shaking at government might become the more powerful one he needs. It might be too late.

L.S. Knight, Oxford