”...it is plain now that our traditional concepts of leadership stand in need of some revision...”
With our Quote of the Week, we join Sargent Shriver in supporting leaders who work not to accumulate power but to serve others, who strive for a world in which, in Sarge’s words, “liberty under law is the possession of all ... and not just a privileged few.”
This week’s quote is from Sargent Shriver’s Address to the National Federation of Catholic College Students, in which he spoke about the popularity of the Peace Corps and the leadership that thousands of young people had shown in becoming volunteers. It is a timely piece to read in a moment where many of us are questioning our leaders and are prone to cynicism. Sargent Shriver consistently reminds us that we do have positive examples of leadership among us.
We continue to see such examples today: from the teachers who work to nurture our children; to the volunteers with organizations such as Community Action or Head Start, who devote time to expanding opportunity for the most vulnerable in our communities; to the young people, such as the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas students of Parkland, Florida, who have risen up to organize and empower others, we have plenty of examples of leaders who act from their highest ideals. It is up to us to support “untraditional” leaders who work not to acquire power but to create a more peaceful, just, and inclusive society. And it is also up to us to show such leadership whenever we can!
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