For Max and his friends, that means that taking a position in favor of those politicians who comport themselves in their public and private lives in a way that nurtures the highest traditions of electoral office is itself an act of leadership, cutting across the cynicism and moral relativity of the moment. So is resisting the opportunities to behave in ways that do not meet their own standards. Both are difficult because they risk the disapproval of peers. But challenging your own community to close the gap between its ideals and its reality is what leadership is all about. Anyone can become a leader.
Leadership involves getting people to tackle tough problems, and it is a skill that can be learned.
We each have a range of ways in which we can intervene, which we find comfortable. We can each expand our leadership capacity by working on our presentation and communication skills and by expanding our comfort zones by exposing ourselves to situations which are different than those we are used to. Not acting in ways that don t meet our own standards is an act of leadership. Taking a position in favor of politicians who exemplify the highest traditions of electoral office in both their public and private lives is an act of leadership. Challenging our own community to close the gap between its ideals and its reality is an act of leadership.