A link to an article where Cronin describes leaders as "inventors, risk-takers and entrepreneurs. Leaders are individuals who can help create options and opportunities, who can help clarify problems and choices, who can build moral and coalitions, who can inspire others and provide a vision of the possibilities." These leaders possess a "contagious self-confidence, optimism and idealism that allow them to attract and mobilize others to undertake tasks these people never dreamed they could undertake."

Cronin uses a Thoreau quote to describe perception of self. "What a man thinks about himself," wrote Thoreau, "that is what determines, or rather indicates his fate."

Poet Robert Hass in conversation about the role of leadership and media in contemporary culture. The most relevant-to-leadership-conversation starts about half way down.

Black Poetry in the Diaspora: How Poets Become Leaders In a 2006 interview Madhubuti said , "If an artist, or any person, actually understands the condition of the Black world, it will be a dereliction of duty to not write about that world and expose the injustices that exist in it-injustices imposed upon the weak by white, Black and other cultures."

A cartoon illustrating a reality of Utah leadership. This makes me think about how our (as a culture) perception of leadership has changed over the years. Makes me wonder about how a leader is being portrayed and how our perceptions of what visions (or lack of visions) a leader has can reinforce contemporary feelings of nostalgia, complacency, and helplessness.

One can learn and appreciate leadership by reading the actual writings of a leader. "The Collected Writings of Samson Occom, Mohegan: Literature and Leadership in Eighteenth-Century Native America" is a compilation of twenty sermons and diary entries of transactions written by Occum, a Native American leader and Presbyterian minister in the late 1700s. Such writings provide readers with insights into the actual life of a leader instead of and in contrast to the accounts written by others who purport to know what such a leader's burdens, struggles, and motives are.

Leadership is an inner sojourn and is found in acts of self-expression. The book, "Leading from Within: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Lead" by Sam M. Intrator and Megan Scribner, is divided into seven sections: Called, Defining Moments, Sometimes it Aches, Pay Attention, Dare to Endure, Leading Together, and Back at It. Each section has about fifteen poems in it. The thesis of the book is that real and authentic leadership comes from the voice within and "from our own realization that the time has come to go beyond dreaming to doing."

I found this story of interest because Romanello, president of a teacher's association, is portrayed as a leader who follows procedures; he seems to lack accountability and motivation. Transformational leadership suggests motivation is needed to move beyond an "expected outcome."

I wonder how is accountability related to leadership?

This is a site with many quotes. The first one is: "To lead people, walk beside them ... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate ... When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!'" --Lao-tsu