All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it wa… — John Kenneth Galbraith

All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.

John Kenneth GalbraithEconomist · American · 1908 – 2006

More from John Kenneth Galbraith

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. — Mark Twain
I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. — Mohandas Gandhi
Leadership to me means duty, honor, country. It means character, and it means listening from time to time. — George W. Bush
In economics, hope and faith coexist with great scientific pretension and also a deep desire for respectability. — John Kenneth Galbraith
There's a certain part of the contented majority who love anybody who is worth a billion dollars. — John Kenneth Galbraith
The commencement speech is not, I think, a wholly satisfactory manifestation of our culture. — John Kenneth Galbraith