Leadership 
Leadership is not merely an inborn quality in a person but one that requires cultivation and nurturing. In many cases, leadership workshops serve to train and nurture talent in leadership among the relevant groups in the society. Leadership workshops view leadership as an important matter in the society. The matter is both an inborn talent also driven by passion. It is defined in the ability of one person to bring together a group of people in any given activity in unison. This essay seeks to explain the nature of leadership and good leaders. It makes use of the examples of Jesus from He Becomes Deeply and Famously Drunk along with Lieutenant Jimmy in Things They Carried. It seeks to expound on the simplicity of leadership as something that can be found anywhere. It shows the humility aspect in leadership as something of service rather than servitude.
The existence of great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy shows the extents that leadership can expand to. These people developed into the characters they were from very humble beginnings. It is their ability to relate and work with people that allowed them to become who they were. Abraham Lincoln was not loved by all as he had enemies in his own political party, however, the man knew how to deal with his friends as well as his enemies to ensure a better nation. In Udall Brady’s book, Jesus is a leader due to his ability to solve problems and help out the people around him. The young man has the capacity to see where more potential can be achieved and uses aggressive approach to apply these skills. Despite his young age and subordinate position at the ranch, Jesus takes the initiative to help the narrator find his way around the farm. The narrator expresses how impressed he was by the young man when he realized that Jesus had special qualities despite being a part-time worker at Mr. Platt’s farm. Every other person despised the young man. Apparently, such resentment is common amongst the community that a leader breeds. Leaders are different and do things in the most efficient manner. For this reason, the rest of the community might not agree with their methods since they mostly appear to differ and are not understood easily. It is in the bigger picture that the meaning of processes makes sense for other people speculating the actions of a leader.
In Cathedral, Robert, a blind man who loses his wife appears to be the most reasonable person in the plot. Even though he has no sight, Robert has the ability of vision and is an interesting man. He knows how to get along with the people that like him and to manage the ones that do not. When he meets the narrator, Robert charms his way through encouraging the man to visualize his life. He tells the man to draw a cathedral as a way of understanding what his heart wants. The irony in these leaders is that they are not at the top in society. They are ordinary people that know how to do things in a different and an extraordinary manner. Leadership is therefore a matter of heart intelligence. It is not a thing of the mighty and does not necessarily involve the able and privileged. Leadership and leadership skills are a matter of personality and are seen in any situation. Robert illustrates this concept by living his life to the best of his ability despite his inability to see. The man does not even wear glasses to cover his damaged eyes. For him to walk with his open eyes indicates a great deal of confidence and good self-esteem. It means that Robert has not let anything stand in his way of becoming who he wants to become.
It is interesting to note how much the narrator’s wife loves the blind man despite his inability to see. In fact, the narrator’s wife could be in love with the man following the great qualities that he had as a leader and a man. In The Things They Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the leader of his men at war. One would expect that he is a tough master strong and without flaws. However, the lieutenant is a man with baggage, he is also a free man. He chooses to think about what is important to him and that is his girlfriend. In this manner, the Lieutenant makes a point of working hard just so that he can return to her. He is driven by passion and therefore has the motivation he needs to be at war.
Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is all the same, a man that daydreams all day. Interestingly, everyone in the group has their own baggage; the only difference is that the lieutenant bore n emotional baggage above the physical one. It is very important to realize that all the three men perceived to be leaders are actually incredibly weak men. They have more flaws than the rest of the group with Jesus being a young and perceived as ignorant. He is only a part time worker anyway. One would expect that the young man be the least in the ranch when in fact, he is the strong man on the inside with an unimaginable sense of braveness, kindness and the heart to lead his friend. As for Jimmy Cross and Robert, they have become great leaders due to their ability to overcome their deepest fears. For Robert, his challenge was sight; however, it is evident that he has a greater sense of vision. Jimmy Cross on the other hand bears the love of his life. He is deeply nostalgic and in love at the same time and does not want to be responsible for his men. Despite his feelings, Jimmy goes on to overcome and lead his men with the greatest wit that he can muster.
Conclusively, leaders are people who face the same challenges as every other person in life. They are as normal as every other human being. However, it is their choice to act responsibly and solve problems that makes them the people they become. Such ability makes men so much more. Looking at Jimmy Cross, one realizes that leadership is about the people that one is in charge of despite his feelings. Indeed, he is a man of great heart intelligence and maturity. The three characters encourage potential leaders to put other people before them if they are to succeed at leadership. It means that they lead by example and through sacrifice.
