Leaders of Men

We have grown up hearing tales of great men. We have heard tales of kings and conquerors, saints and sinners, heroes and villains. Always, these men and their victories and defeats have seemed to belong to times long past. Of course, times long past is now a relative term. We know more about human history than ever before. That is where all the stories come from. History is how we know of the many great men who have come before us; men who changed the world, for better or worse. Yet the very fact that we depend on history to learn of such men, means that we walk in their footsteps. Those men cannot be our contemporaries; and although I’m glad I wasn’t around in the same time as Hitler, I sometimes wish I had seen Churchill. I’m grateful Stalin couldn’t touch me with a stick, but I wouldn’t have minded hearing one of FDR’s Fireside Chats. Inspiration can be found in many places, but there are few things as inspiring as a leader of men. I have read about such men, but in the words of history books, I have seldom felt that rush of feeling that one is supposed to in the company of great men. Real leaders, I have often thought, have disappeared from the world; or at least are in hibernation. And that has always seemed to be such a pity. I’m no expert, but in very few cases have I seen people satisfied with a leader they elected. And since I began taking interest in leadership, I have thought that people usually have to be content with the leaders they get stuck with. But today I saw a man tell thousands of people that one voice can change the world, and they believed him. It was no longer a choice between bad or worse. They were ecstatic. It was one of the few times I’ve felt glad to be proven wrong. Leaders of men may be in short supply; but it seems they may be around for a little while longer.