"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." -Ralph Nader, American Attorney and Political Activist, Ralph Nader books

Leaders make leaders - reality or fiction? In everyday life, it is rare to find a person in a position of leadership who follows this principle. The norm, it seems, is for people with power to subjugate those beneath them. A hierarchy in which the workers, or the people, serve the leader, or the master, is commonplace in the workplace, government and, unfortunately, the home. Every once in a while, though, a true leader comes into your life. He/She is the coach you respected most; the teacher that inspired you to learn something new; the boss that developed you for a promotion; the politician who encouraged you to vote and get involved in the community; and, the friend or lover who would do anything for you and vice versa. These people made you better, or at least, they brought out the best in you. How did they do it? Usually, it came from a willingness to put your interests ahead of their own, which is not a common tactic of people with power who want you to follow their direction. True leaders understand the value and strength of Nader's premise, but unfortunately, very few people in a position of leadership ascribe to this principle.