NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC. "The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt

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Civics And Citizenship

What is Leadership?

Leadership does not come with a title.  Anyone who believes strongly in the betterment of society can be a leader.  Leadership is not bestowed; it is one rising to a challenge when others remain silent.  

“I will not ask what I can do for my country but will act.  I will stand alone at times or with many at times.  I will do my duty to God, my family, and our country.  The definition of duty is unmotivated giving of one’s self to a higher cause.  We must discard apathy and replace it with altruism.  It is helping a neighbor to leading by example.  This is the duty of an American.”   

Leadership is not necessarily defined but a true leader exhibits passion and humility to advance one’s objective.  It is not by any means necessary.  It is achieved by doing what is right whether someone is looking or not.

A leader is a person who is able to articulate a vision, have others accept that vision, explain how to make it a reality and provide the means to accomplish the task.

Sometimes our efforts are met by failure but failure is the stepping stone to success.  Adversity brings humility and humility tempers arrogance.  For arrogance is the cause for failure.  

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again.  Because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”                                                                                        Teddy Roosevelt

Are you willing to be a leader?  Will you stand up and be counted?  Silence implies acceptance of mediocrity and apathy is capitulation to certain failure. For if you are waiting for the right leader to step forward, that leader may be you.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

November 25, 2003