My favorite quotation can be found under the sub-title
“Ambition” on page 10.
Keep away from people
who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really
great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
-
MacLaren, Morally
We Roll Along, 1993, p. 66
Lately, I have spent a great deal of time examining
leadership and vision. As part of my upper-division honors class, I have
conducted a series of interviews with individuals who have exemplified
leadership and vision within the TCU and Fort Worth community. The idea is to
capture the oral history of TCU’s exponential growth over the past several
decades. This process has taught me quite a bit about the concept of
leadership, the definition of which is hard to pin down. The subject must be
approached carefully as it takes a variety of forms.
This quote aptly summarizes my view of leadership. A leader
is an enabler. He or she should not only succeed individually, but also promote
a culture of responsibility and success. I could go on with my description of
leadership, but I think Mark Twain’s quotation can do so more eloquently. The
idea, simply put, is that leaders make others around them great.
Twain’s quotation has special significance as we (students
in this class) are all in a place to cultivate growth in those around us. A
college campus is a place of learning, most of which takes place outside of the
classroom. Whether or not we hold a title in one organization or another, we have an opportunity to
foster progress in those around with our unique skill set. More importantly, Twain hints that nothing
a leader's actions are free. Those who make you feel that "you, too, can be great" ask nothing in return.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteI actually loved this quote, too, and am super happy that someone else picked it! It was in my top 6. I completely agree with the idea that a true leader is able to encourage others to push themselves to be better people. I know that I can think of people who have influenced me in this way. I also like your emphasis on how leaders give to others without taking anything in return. Those kinds of actions show how true leaders are selfless. All in all, great quote and great quote! You've definitely given me something to think about.
Madeline
Well said! I think you've marked something extremely important about the motivations of a true leader. I also agree with how relevant this type of leadership is to our experiences as students. I'm not sure if we think about it, but there are opportunities to lead every day simply by supporting those around you. Thanks for this thoughtful post!
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