Effective leadership and public service is what drives our country and much of our world. Our ideas of democracy were founded on the premise that competent leaders would be present to uphold basic values and handle capricious situations with great success and versatility. Because America is the most influential democratic nation, it is essential that America's leaders on every level from private organization to national office be exceptional at what they do. Leadership is a very obscure concept to many people; many confuse it with authority, responsibility or even power. Though these may be aspects of certain leadership positions, leadership in itself is much simpler. Leadership is a state of mind. When a person aspires to reach a goal and has in inner drive to work alongside others toward the goal, then the person is automatically a leader. Public service is often what people do to serve the community and improve matters external to and apart from themselves. A true leader does not think of public service as a detached positive contribution that is expected of them, but performs public service because it satisfies their need to improve the lives of other people. Leaders such as Juan Williams, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Mary Frances Berry, who were presented in the Students and Leaders series, exemplify these respectable qualities.

"Journalism was my ticket to the world," Juan Williams, NPR Senior Correspondent, said. He was able to become a great leader in journalism because he took his dreams and aspirations to heart. From him I learned that the great leaders of today were the ordinary students of yesterday. It does not take a special kind of person to be a good leader, because anyone can develop good leadership skills if they commit to their goals and work cooperatively with others. Sandra Day O'Connor also expressed that even gifted individuals need proper guidance to be leaders and that leadership is an acquired skill that is not innate or easily taught. When Juan Williams spoke of his high school experiences and the apprehensions he once had about the future, I realized that every aspiring leader has hope and success in leadership is something that all people can attain as long as they are not discouraged by set backs. Mary Frances Berry of the Civil Rights Commission taught me that a good leader must be open minded in order to make the most fair and beneficial decisions. After the Oklahoma City bombing, Mary Berry defended the rights of Arab Americans when other officials immediately suspected that Arabs were to blame. "You cannot stereotype," she said, and because of her efforts, the true bombers were punished and ethnic discrimination was avoided in that situation. Mrs. Berry exemplifies the true public servant because she gains satisfaction from knowing that others are treated properly. As Sandra Day O'Connor said, every great leader begins with a "spark" in their mind. It is our responsibility to act upon that spark and ignite a lifetime of leadership and public service.

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