Looking for Leadership in America

Sometimes the best leaders in our lives are the ones who sit beside us in class, or thumb through the library aisle on the other side of the shelf, or even room with us.

Leadership is not an extravagant, ceremonial event. Think about how you lead in your life on a daily basis--whether it is your campus, your classroom, your local hang-out or your room. What can we do to improve?

Consider the following from PBS NewsHour essayist Richard Rodriguez:

"Potentially great leaders fade into obscurity because they do not preside over calamity. But pity the powerful who are tested by history -- and fail."

"All of us can name people who are powerful in America. But who can name leaders from among their ranks? Whether in Washington or at the state capitol, whether on Wall Street or in some church hierarchy, there is power, not leadership."

"My concern here is with the disconnection between power and leadership in America."

You can find the rest of the essay here http://www.pbs.org/newshour/essays/july-dec05/rodriguez_11-14.html.

Share your stories. Believe it or not, when people in Fort Collins, Colorado learn how people in Santa Barbara, California lead every day, they become better leaders themselves. When people in Manhattan share stories with people in Mobile, we are that much greater. We all matter, and we all have a stake in each other's futures.

If we are going to improve this nation, we need everyone's help.