I think of the heroes of my lifetime, leaders from Martin Luther King to Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, who gave the hopeless hope; people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett who taught us that the best thing you can do with money is give it away in a noble cause; and the unsung heroes of our hospitals, schools and local communities who daily remind us that happiness lies in what we give to the world not what we take from it. Some of these had power, others didn’t, but what made them great was influence, the way they inspired others and spoke to the better angels of their nature.
Not all of us have power. But we all have influence, whether we seek it or not. We make the people around us better or worse than they might otherwise have been. Worse if we infect them with our materialism or cynicism, better if we inspire them with what Wordsworth called “the best portion” of a good life, our “little, nameless, unremembered acts / of kindness and of love.” That quiet leadership of influence seeks no power but it changes lives. In tough times like now we need it more than ever.
I find much to think about in the insights of the Chief Rabbi. This article is a good argument for a servant leadership. I also liked
[blockquote]Yet who do we remember all these centuries later? Most of the kings are long forgotten, yet the words of the prophets continue to inspire.[/blockquote]
Definitely something to think about, and be thankful for, although I don’t suppose the prophets were the easiest people to invite for dinner.