Hunger Games: Is Katniss Everdeen A True Leader?

A leader is someone who is in charge and is the guideline for others to follow to achieve greatness. Katniss Everdeen is a survivor of the previous Hunger Games and in many eyes the main cause of uprisings. The Hunger Games is an annual event in a random arena with 24 tributes consisting of 2 tributes per district, they have to eliminate each other for one to claim victory. A quarter quell is held every 25 years and a special twist is added, this year all the previous victors will be part of this new game. Katniss Everdeen is a not true leader because of her lack of social skills and being able to talk to others even in the arena she misses some crucial skills that many leaders have, she acts before thinking of the consequences of her actions

She has a hard time talking to others in the arena, she had to make them allies for the Hunger Games since it was Haymiths plan, she doesn’t know how to talk to them which a leader should know how (Collins, pg 227). A leader should know what to do to get the best for herself and her team. This proves contrary to what a leader should do. Instead of socializing with the rest of the tributes to maintain her comfort, she kept her distance and luckily found Wiress and Beetee and enjoyed talking to them (Collins, pg 231-232). She had a mission to team up with others since she was the center of attention, therefore, being a big target. This also is important later on because Haymitch's plan was for Finnick to escape with Katniss along with other tributes and she had to ally with them. As a consequence of not socializing with others, her time in the arena becomes harder and her trust for others isn’t

A leader is not independent but they work together with their partners to achieve the greatest possible outcome. When Katniss is facing a problem she tries to handle it by herself and thinks it’s all about herself. Firstly, when Katniss encounters trouble she acts without seeking advice or permission from her allies. For example, when Katniss said “Mockingjays are all the rage in the Capitol, thanks to you” she was talking to Madge when she gave Katniss the Mockingjay pin Katniss never thought about the aftermath of wearing it (Collins, pg 91). Now because of this, the Mockingjay pin became a sign of hope to all of Panem. Also, Katniss tries to deal with all the issues alone, trying to only think about the values in her life and the people she wants alive, for instance, Peeta told Katniss “Isn't it strange that I know you'd risk your life to save mine” which shows that Katniss does not hide the fact that she values Peeta’s life more than hers (Collins, pg 52). As stated before, these are reasons why Katniss cannot be considered a true leader because of these