This world is a place of business. What an infinite bustle! I am awaken almost every night by the panting of the locomotive. It interrupts my dreams. There is no sabbath. It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. An Irishman, seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. If a man was tossed out of a window when an infant, and so made a cripple for life, or scared out of his wits by the Indians, it is regretted chiefly because he was thus incapacitated for — business! I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, to life itself, than this incessant business.

This was written by Emerson in the 1800's but when I read it I find so much wisdom in today's world. Our world cries for great leadership. Cries out for those execptional few who can be the difference, not just try to make the difference.

Where are the leaders of tomorrow?
Where are the Henry David Thoreau's, the Henry Ford's,
and the Thomas Edison's of tomorrow?

They are present in every college and business that is operating today.
They are in every organization, and every person you will meet.

The leaders of tomorrow must have a never dying amount of faith and everlasting quantity of trust. They must have the highest integrity and live and lead by universal laws. For the leaders of tomorrow to be successful at leading others the will need to be masterful at leading themselves. There will be no margin for error, as our society or the world as a whole, cannot afford even one mistake.

This will not be a position to be take lightly. The world in which we live will be no better or worst than the leaders that lead it. We will not follow any leader that does not posess the courage to face the dangers of our civilization. The determination to stay the course, and the wisdom to use all available resources at their disposal.

It is for this reason that we must focus our attention on training and developing our leaders of tomorrow. Today, this day, we must begin, for much time has already past.

We have an abundance of great people in our midst that have the desire, the qualities, and the traits necessary to become great leaders. We must encourage and inspire them to follow their desire. Move toward the beacon of leadership. Each and every one of them has a leader of greatness inside them waiting to be unleashed.

Be the one who inspires, who stands out, who has made the choice to lead.

If ever Peter Drucker's advice, "Know thy times," was relevant, it is today. Knowing our
times in all the ambiguities, anxieties, and uncertainties we face in 2007 requires all the
insight, awareness, and "looking out the window and seeing what is visible but not yet seen"
we can muster.

Many people look to history for perspective on our times. "The past is prologue," after all.
I agree. Yet it is also important to look to the future. How can we see what the future
holds? We can look to the leaders of the future, those who are just starting out on their
journeys.

There is something special about this generation of young leaders. I find they have little
cynicism, and great, great interest in making a difference. I see in their principled,
ethical, courageous leadership their definition of the leaders of the future, which they
just happen to be.

On college campuses this last year I witnessed a remarkable convergence of interest in
leadership, values, and ethics in just a few weeks-on three Saturdays. The
convergence was all about leadership, all about ethics, all about inclusion, all about
creating a brighter future. Three Saturdays showed me a generation that will look at
the darkness of our times and see enormous opportunity to make a difference, wherever the
work, whatever the sector. They will make opportunities to change lives, help build the
healthy community, and in the end, sustain the democracy. To me this is the big picture of
the class of 2007. They know they are called to make a difference. Big call, bright future.
To these young leaders, "to serve is to live" is not a strange language.