Volume 8 Leadership Edition Nesterine Blair | Page 39

SUCCESS STORIES

GEORGE OLIVER III

Leadership

“ Do not go gentle into that good night , Old age should burn and rave at close of day ; Rage , rage against the dying of the light .
Though wise men at their end know dark is right , because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night ”.
- Dylan Thomas
When I was asked to write about leadership , I had to ponder what it really meant to me . As I gave deep thought to the challenges we face , the poem by Dylan Thomas continued to surface in my thoughts . “ Though wise men at their end know dark is right ” would suggest that one should lay down his / her weapons without struggle or protest . In this case our weapons should refer to our voice which is an extension of our courage , passion , confidence , determination and ambition . The phase “ because their words had forked no lightning ” would suggest that even though we use our voices to fight against the tyranny of a status quo system , it falls on death ears at times . Our courage and passion for serving the people inspires us NOT to go gently into that good night , but to keep fighting .
As Leaders exemplify leadership , I would identify them as the people that nurture the strengths and talents of others to build teams that are committed towards achieving common goals . To sum up my personal thoughts regarding leadership , I can only offer this ; Leadership is the courage to lose sight of the shore in order to discover new oceans and to inspire others to do the same .
Kindest regards , Commissioner Oliver
City of Ocoee Commissioner , District 4 150 Lakeshore Drive , Ocoee , Florida 34761 Phone : 407-905-3112 Email : Goliver @ Ocoee . org
www . IamGeorgeOliver . com