My take on this is that some would-be leaders never come to fruition because they aren’t ‘ready’? Other leaders steal to arrive at a position of power, and hopefully they are and will be wiped from history (but kept alive as a warning). Some leaders are exceptional. They establish a lasting legacy, but–even good ones–could have been replaced by someone else (in that case, do they actually truly matter?). But some leaders have left a mark on this world that sets us on a trajectory that will never be reversed.
To be pessimistic, failed leadership seems to be the most common outcome in historical events. But there are other leaders who inspired people to be better people. When that happens, and it does happen, we know that leaders matter.
Here, I make connections across and beyond the disciplines. It is a series of biographies, an account of history, it adds to religious studies, and also our understanding of social movements, and it borrows examples from the world of sport and the inner excellence of good coaching.
Read on to appreciate if and when leaders really matter.
