Leadership Essay, Research Paper

THE LEADER IN YOU Theodore Roosevelt s children adored him, and they had good reason to. An old friend came to Roosevelt one day in distress. His young son had left home and gone to live on his own. The boy was wild. He was this and he was that. And the father claimed that no one could get along with him. Roosevelt said, Nonsense. I don t believe there s a thing wrong with the boy. But if a boy with spirit can t get the right sort of treatment at home he ll go some place else to get it. Several days later Roosevelt saw the boy and said, What s all this I hear about you leaving home? Well, Colonel, said the boy, every time I go to Dad he explodes. He s never given me a chance to tell my story. I m always wrong. I m always to blame. You know, son, said Roosevelt, you may not believe it now, but your father is your best friend. You are more to him than all the rest of the world.

That may be, Colonel, the boy said, but I do wish he d take some other way of showing it. Then Roosevelt sent for the father, and he began to tell the father a few shocking truths. The father exploded just the way the boy described. See here, said Roosevelt. If you talk to your boy the way you ve just been talking-to me, I don t wonder he left home. I only marvel that he didn t do it before. Now you go and get acquainted with him. Meet him halfway. –DALE CARNEGIE–