The Penalty of Leadership

Author Unknorvn

ln every field of human endeavor, he that ir first rnurt perpetually live in the white light of publicity. Whether the leaderrhip be verted in a man or in a rnanufactured product, emulation and envy are ey€r at work ff the leader truly leadr f,g 1sm.im-tte leaden Master-poet, master-painter, marter-wodrrnan, each in hir turn ir asrailed, and each buildr hir laurelr through tte ager.

In art, in mueic, in [terature, in indutry, the reward and the p"nirf,-"o1 are dwayr the sarne.

The reward is widerpread recogirition; the prmiehnent, fierce denid and detraction. When a man'! work becomer a standard for the whole world it dro becomer a target for the rhaftc of the enviour few. If hir work be merely mediocre, he will be left rerrerely alone. If he achieve a masterpiece, it will let a million tongues wagging.

Jealouey does not protrude itr forked tongue at the artist who produces a c(xrurronplace painting.

Whatroever you writg or paint, or plan or ring, or build, no one will rtrive to rurparc or elander you, rmlerr your work be rtamped with the sed of genius.

Long, long after a great work, or a good work har been done, those who are dirappointed or enviour continue to cry out that it cannot be done.

Spiteful little voicee in the domain of art were raired againrt our own Whictler an a mormtebank, long aftcr the big world had acclaimed him itr gr€ateet artirtic geniue.

Multituder f,ocked to Bayreuth to wonhip at the musician shrine of Wagner, while the little gfoup of thore whom he had detlroned and dirplaced argucd angrily that he war no musician at all.

The little world continued to protett that Fulton could never build a rtearnboat, while the big world f,ocked to the river banks to ree hir boat rteam by.

The leader is a$ailed because he is a leader, and th6 efrort to equal him is merely added proof of that leaderrhip.

Failins to equal or excel, the follower reekr to deprecate or dertroy-f,ut only confirms once more the superiority of that which he rtriver to rupplant.

There ir nothing new in this.

It ie as old as tte world, ar old ar hurnan panionr -'+nvy' gred' fear, ambition, and the derire to sryarE.

And it all availr nothing.

That which ir good or greag makes itself lmown, no matter how loud the cLamour of denial

That which dererrree to live-livee.