The next generation of global leaders is being built in the home

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, center, and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith right, are pictured with students from Wesley College during a visit to Kings Park State War Memorial in Perth, Australia, on Friday, July 25, 2008. | Ross Swanborough, Associated Press

Some of our world’s greatest leaders have common attributes developed at home

A class of BYU students recently participated in a seven-part series titled, “Addressing Global Issues at the Local Level.” Speakers included a state senator, the CEO of a prominent charitable foundation, a faith-based community affairs spokesperson and a number of activists heavily invested in community improvement.

The most profound question raised during the series surfaced after students read Bonnie L. Oscarson’s 2017 General Conference talk, “The Needs Before Us,” which invites readers to address global issues not far beyond their doorsteps. In response, one student asked, “Can we effectively solve world problems from our homes?” That simple question set the tenor for these discussions with distinguished speakers, as well as resonated with me as I survey the scope of global problems in the 21st century.

What raises the stakes even higher is that we need a generation of leaders — not simply a talented handful — to address questions as diverse as corruption, economic inequality, inadequate water supplies, urban congestion and political instability. Part of the solution lies in recognizing that leadership is not the ability to speak loudest, but an unyielding disposition to use one’s talents to bless as many people as possible.

Thankfully, the unique skillset and attributes that will enable young Utahns to rise to the occasion are within reach of most and best modeled in the home. The lives of world leaders confirm that the support of strong family or mentor, intentional educational opportunities, trained talent in any field, integrity and faith in God often distinguish effective leadership.

Family or mentored support. In her coming-of-age memoir, “Lazy B,” former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor writes of how her father held high expectations of his daughter in carrying out routine activities on the ranch, including cooking for hungry cowboys during roundups, but also treating her as an equal in their conversations about her aspirations.

Intentional educational opportunities. No one better exemplified this than Condoleezza Rice’s parents, who, upon relocating to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, from Birmingham in the late 1960s, encouraged her to attend speaker series and other extracurricular learning opportunities — while she was in high school. Intentional educational experiences need not be elaborate nor costly but do require effort beyond pushing children out the door to schools.

Trained talent. The litany of problems facing humanity are so diverse that young people with any expertise are in a position to contribute. That may be in the local community or halfway around the world. A recognized ability to perform a technical skill or professional service competently is within the reach of most, particularly with the encouragement of family members or a trusted mentor.

Integrity. Corruption ranks close to the top of humanity’s collective inability to spread the benefits of a high quality of life among men, women and children. This is as true in the “first” world as it is in those most in need of development. Curiously, former U.S. president Jimmy Carter has written repeatedly that his commitment to honesty developed out of deep respect for his father and mother, who modeled integrity within their community of Plains, Georgia. Although he faced his own political challenges and was never one to shy away from a moral tempest, domestically or beyond our nation’s shores, he tried to apply his private integrity in the most public of service.

Belief in God or a higher power. While belief in God does not preclude blessing the lives of others, it does speak to our yearning for the transcendent — an intuitive sense of a power beyond our own to cope with life’s problems, as Jimmy Carter wrote in “Faith: A Journey for All.” And, as Carter’s tumultuous presidency attests, it does not always guarantee a tidy outcome; however, it generally aligns a leader’s behavior with a set of recognized ideals.

Ultimately, world leadership begins in the home. It is within the capacity of most young Utahns, and often begins with strong family or mentor support, intentional educational opportunities, cultivated talent, integrity and a belief in a higher power.

Evan Ward is an associate professor of history at Brigham Young University, where he teaches courses on world history. His views are his own.

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