"The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude;

be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully;

be thoughtful, but not lazy;

be humble, but not timid;

be proud, but not arrogant;

have humor, but without folly." – Jim Rohn


It's a leader's job to look out for his people. It's the leader's job to know what to do and when to do it, to be able to inspire hope when times are bad, to be the shining light in the midst of darkness. A leader must be confident, dependable, loyal, humble, compassionate, truthful, wise, patient, and loving. A leader has to be all of this and more, because people need someone to look to – someone to depend on.

In the eyes of many, both human and Autobot, Optimus Prime met every requirement and more. He was the perfect leader; one that some humans would secretly wish was leading their own world. Did the Autobot Prime have any flaws at all? Many would say no.

It is also a leader's job to put on a front, if need be, when the leader feels that he cannot measure up to what is required of him. To stand tall when things are going so badly that the leader cannot possibly see a way out of the darkness. To put the needs of those who are being lead before the needs of himself, even when the leader feels one step away from collapsing in exhaustion, when stress makes him just want to walk away from all of the pressing responsibilities, or when grief threatens to crush him to the ground, incapacitating every last function with pain.

People tend to forget about that last responsibility.

No one would be wrong in their assumptions that Optimus was a good leader – he was wonderful, in fact. He was incredibly wise and often had insight into situations that no one else had noticed. He was compassionate and merciful, though in the eyes of some, too much so. He had the ability to inspire those who followed him, encouraging and pushing them forward even when things were at their worst. He was patient and respectful, even to the humans and Autobots who could nearly push him to his limit. Even in those rare times when he lost his temper, he was quick to get it back under control. He was everything one could ask a leader to be.

But even Optimus had his flaws.

Optimus would never describe himself as being perfect; in fact, he would be the first to admit that he was not. If he was asked if he thought that he was worthy to lead the Autobots or humans who willingly placed themselves under his command, he would have said no. But as the leader, he could never have the freedom to voice his doubts and fears aloud, and it was a rare few who he allowed to see his faults. What kind of image would that present to those who looked to him for guidance?

Optimus had fears, despite the common belief that he was brave beyond the point of feeling anything but courage. He didn't fear death or pain…he was afraid that he would fail; that he would make a mistake that would cost the lives of those who followed him. He was afraid that he would let others down and be unable to be everything that they needed him to be.

There were also moments when he had a hard time trusting himself, sometime spending hours over a decision, weighing the costs and benefits before carefully coming to a conclusion. Every word that he spoke was the final authority except for that of Primus, and it was a fact that was often in the forefront of his processor. Everything that he said or did carried meaning, and he had to hide the fact that at times he was unsure of himself in order to continue to present himself as the strong leader that others needed so badly.

He also tended to blame himself when things went wrong, carrying guilt much longer than he should, even when events were not his fault. True, there were some times when he made a poor decision, especially in the days when he had first been named Prime, but Optimus often carried the blame for things that he could not have prevented. It wasn't even that others blamed him – in fact, those who followed him often seemed to have a clearer perspective on the situations than he did when it came to placing blame. Sometimes the face of a mech or femme would come to mind – one that he had failed to rescue in time or that he had been unable to protect in battle. A failed mission, a lost battle, a dead friend…Optimus carried the blame and guilt for each failure, whether it was his fault or not. And that was another weakness that he could not afford to show.

Many would often point to Optimus as a pillar of strength when it came to dealing with tragedy. They would look to him for inspiration in dealing with their pain and staying strong. Optimus didn't bother to put on a constantly happy face for his people – that would have been unbelievable and fake to those watching. He showed grief – he mourned for the dead and the hurting, but he only let others see what he knew they could stand to see – what wouldn't make them lose their faith in him. Others would see his grief, but they would also see a strong mech who had the ability to carry on, even when it hurt and who didn't let sorrow overtake him. What they didn't see was that there were times when this was simply another front. There were moments when the grief and pain felt like it was too much; that the sorrow would simply crush him and never allow him to feel any happiness again. Sometimes he wondered if he could bear to watch another friend die, to let another soldier fall in battle – one who was following his orders, no less. He wondered if he could watch the Decepticons take another victory. But his followers were right about one thing – he did carry on, refusing to let his own hurts destroy him. He did it because he had to. He did because he was their leader.

What Optimus failed to see was that even if every single one of his flaws was to be put on display for all of Earth and Cybertron to see, those under him would still follow him. What he couldn't see was that his greatest weaknesses brought out some of his greatest strengths. His fear of failing those under him showed the depth of his care and concern for others. His self-doubt showed his humility. His self-blame showed that he wasn't one to push the consequences of his actions onto others, but also that he knew that he was not above reproach. His sorrow and pain showed that he had not let the war with the Decepticons steal his ability to feel compassion and love. While he believed that his weaknesses were completely hidden from view, there were many who were not blind. They saw both his strengths and his weaknesses, yet they followed him. They saw each strength and failure come together to make him the leader and mech that he was – one that was worthy of their loyalty. And that was why they followed him. That was why they loved him.

A leader must be brave, confident, and strong even when he feels that it's impossible to carry on. He must bring hope to others and guide them through hard times. A leader must be everything the people need and more, because the leader is the symbol of hope to those who follow. In the eyes and optics, hearts and sparks of others, Optimus Prime is this and more. And nothing could be closer to the truth.