Today, I foolishly thought that seeking advice from the people that I admire most in the field of philanthropy and public service would simply answer the phone when I call. I suppose it would be that easy if the people I weren't trying to reach weren't Michael Nutter, the current beloved mayor of Philly, or Governor Ed Rendell, whose pretty busy running things in the entire state of PA. I figured if they were too busy to have a talk with me, then maybe President-elect Barack Obama could squeeze me into his schedule? I'd settle for Michelle too; to emulate her is an ambition in its own right.
Dr. Cornel West says that in order to lead the people, you have to love them, and in order to save the the people, you have to serve them. Such motivating words is what gave us people like the Obamas, Mayor Nutter and Governor Rendell. When I think of leadership, I think of them, and I am inspired. But what did they do when the problems were much steeper than they imagined? What about the 'oh shit, this is worse than I thought' moment? What inspires them to keep going, keep fighting, even when the challenges seem entirely too great for an administration, a small league, or even a large group of people, who are simply running out of steam?
I think that's something I'd like to ask each of them. I found myself wondering today, "What would Barack do? What would Michelle do? How does Michael Nutter feel right now?" I hope to find the answer, and I hope that the answer doesn't show itself as a result of my personal failure or defeat...
