Hope

"Leaders are dealers in hope" Napoleon is credited with coining that maxim.

I read an article recently about George W. Bush and his new book. I wont comment on the irony of "W" writing a book. But the article talked about one of his biggest regrets. The picture of him peering through a window of air force one high above the misery of Katrina. The picture didn't give us much hope as a nation and especially little to those on the ground. It is odd he hadn't learned a lesson from what was credited by many as his shining moment - standing at ground zero speaking to the workers there in the midst of that carnage. He gave those folks and a whole nation hope at a time when we were all left feeling angry, sad and vulnerable.

John Maxwell says "leadership is influence". Since we all are in that sense leaders at one time or another in our lives it will pay if we all try to deal out hope to those around us.