We in The West inhabit a world of institutional mediocrity - where a mixture of over-promoted middle managers and psychopaths are in charge of global, national and functional institutions.
There are very few good, and no great, leaders in mainstream public life...
The exceptions may be found in some competitive sports. Here we can see the truly vast difference that great leadership can make when compared with the usual poor-mediocre standards.
Until last summer, the England cricket Test Captain was Joe Root; who is one of the greatest modern batsmen - but a poor captain.
Last summer, Ben Stokes took-over, for lack of any alternative; and turned-out to be one of the greatest international captains anyone can remember.
Working with essentially the same group of players - and supported by a new coach who he gets on well with (New Zealander Brendon McCullum); Stokes has converted England from a team that almost never wins, to a team that almost never loses:
England Test Match Cricket record since 2021
W=Win
D=Draw
L=Lose
Starting from 2021 - Joe Root: WWWLLLDLDLWLWLLLDLDDL...
From Summer 2022 - Ben Stokes: ...WWWWLWWW
Several of these victories - such as that today in Pakistan - have been among the most remarkable in Test Match history; and done while playing an extremely exciting, sportsmanlike - and happy! - style of cricket.
Such is the difference made by a great leader (which, obviously, includes the power to do what needs to be done)
Imagine, now, what might have been possible if such leadership had been introduced and supported in other areas of institutional life!
(Well, actually you don't need to imagine: there is a current real life example, but not in The West: I mean the Fire Nation.)
