That is what leadership is all about: staking your ground ahead of where opinion is and convincing people, not simply following the popular opinion of the moment.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
We live in a society obsessed with public opinion. But leadership has never been about popularity.
In America, public opinion is the leader.
I know how easy it is for some minds to glide along with the current of popular opinion, where influence, respectability, and all those motives which tend to seduce the human heart are brought to bear.
Leadership is about making the right decision and the best decision before, sometimes, it becomes entirely popular.
Business leaders shape public opinion.
Because the task of a political leader is to do what he believes is better for his country. Sometimes the public opinion is in favor; sometimes the public opinion needs a little bit more time to understand things.
When the initial effort of political and business leaders to influence public opinion on an issue is to threaten rather than to engage and persuade, they further arouse public opposition rather than win support.
Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do something you are convinced should be done.
A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.
There are times when a leader must move out ahead of the flock, go off in a new direction, confident that he is leading his people the right way.
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