Liquid Leadership: Inspirational lessons from the world's great leaders

Chapter 7. LIQUID SUNSHINE

"A leader is a dealer in hope."

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE (1769–1821)

In the 1984 US Presidential elections, Ronald Reagan regularly told a story that left a deep impression on the voters. He compared both himself and his opponent, Walter Mondale, to 5-year-old children. "Mondale," he said, "could be left alone in a room full of toys, but within a few minutes he would become upset after breaking a toy and be scared that he might get into trouble." Reagan, however, suggested that he himself could be left alone in a room full of manure and still have a good time. "With so much manure," he laughed, "I'd believe that there had got to be a pony in there somewhere!"

This characterization of both men, Mondale as a pessimist and Reagan ...