Wendell Willkie was an American politician. He always he maintains integrity in his life.  He was originally a Democrat (Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, n.d.). When he was against the New Deal and the government’s lack of military preparedness by Franklin D. Roosevelt, he joined the Republicans and ran for a nominee of President in 1940 even though he was not known publicly he nominated. His passion moved the public and finally he became the Republican nominee. However, Franklin D. Roosevelt turned his policy during the campaign, Wendell Willkie made an avowal of Roosevelt’s policy and Roosevelt was elected to be the president for his third term.  Afterwards, during World War Ⅱ, Wendell Willkie corporated with Roosevelt and traveled around the world in the interest of global unity and peace (Watson, 1951). Through the travel to more than a dozen countries, “he got was not of distance from these people, but of nearness to them”(cited in Northouse, 1951). He wrote a book whose title was One World about his findings. His message through his book was   ”Our thinking must be world-wide…. There can be no peace for any part of the world unless the foundations of peace are made secure throughout all parts of the world” (Watson, 1951).

When we see things, especially because we live in the busy life day-by-day, we tend to put priority only on our own interest and benefit and forget to see the whole picture as a person living in the world. His story reminds me of the importance of living with a big picture and make an action towards it. When we say world-wide, suddenly the issues become too big to empathize or think as our own interest. As a leader we should have a kind of idea we are one of the residents living together in this world sharing the Earth. With his attitude towards his country, the interest of global peace the first priority, he was a real ethical leader.

References

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences. (n.d.). Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt glossary. Retrieved from https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/willkie-wendell.cfm

Watson, L. E. (1951). Light from many lamps.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.

James Lane Allen is an American author who wrote one of the most popular self-development inspiring small books called As a Man Thinketh… . “A man is literally what he thinks” is the basic philosophy laid down in his book, which he would like to deliver to people. When I read this lesson, only one simple sentence consisting of a few words, it hit me and has stuck with me for a while. How many lessons does a simple sentence contain?  Here are some lessons for leadership which I take away from this lesson.

First, we have to be humble to be aware that our present circumstances, where we are and how we are now, are the result of our thinking. What we harvest now are from what we planted in the past. We always tend to complain about our outer world surrounding us and what we are given. Everything we thought in the past makes our presence.

Four years ago, I made a big decision for myself and my family. I stopped working as a plastic surgeon and moved to Canada with my three children to focus on raising them. I have not work for three years in Canada and even usually forget that I used to work as a doctor. However, recently I was surprised to get one email from Japan. It was from a publisher in Japan and they selected my article which I wrote five years ago to put into a new book with other physicians’ articles. I am so surprised that my footsteps I made in the past suddenly showed up in my present life. I am proud and happy to meet Hiromi of the past.  At the same time, lots of regrets come up. How much am I accumulating from my daily life now for myself in the future? I tend to live the day-to-day busy life. Do I not use “busy” or “family” for a good excuse to live my present life without thinking? 　I acknowledge that we have to live our present life as a routine, not passively but actively to plant seeds for the future.

At the same time, I feel encouragement from Allen ’s lesson.  If everything is the result of our inner thoughts, we can change ourselves anytime anywhere by lifting up our thoughts regardless of any circumstances. It is hard to change the outer world, but once we change our thoughts toward things and other people, we can transform ourselves to change things and other people. We need to have self-control and make an effort to grow our thought for our ideal life.  “Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.” by James Lane Allen (cited in Watson, 1951, p.171) teach me we always have to get ready for our future.

References
Watson, L. E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

When I read the story of William Ernest Henley, I feel awe with his strong soul.   How could he keep having so positive and strong uplifting soul?
The poem Invictus also reminds me the first president of South Africa president, Nelson Mandela. This poem was his most favorite poem that it became the name of the movie about the story of President Mandela and South African rugby team. Nelson Mandela was a person of will. He spent 27 years in a prison separating from his family, he kept working on finishing  apartheid which he believed it was right. What he felt in the prison might be exactly the same as  Earnest poem ” Black  as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.”(Henley cited by Watson, 1951,p. 86) After he became the president, he still kept fighting for his belief, racism using national rugby team.

I respect him very much as one of the greatest leader in history.  This story tells me the importance to have a strong belief and believe myself positively. Once you believe something, try anyway to move forward. Sometimes nobody may understand you. Don’t give up. When I reflect my thirties, there were so many private issues happened and I was always pushed around. I became depressed  and more indecisive. I was influenced by the outer of world and let them to knock me down. Not many people can be like Henley or Mandela, I appreciate that I an opportunity to know them and have a lesson of “being  the master of my fate, the captain of my soul.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” (Nelson Mandela)

It is interesting to read the book “Light from many Lamps” and appreciate that I am given this opportunities to look back  my life reading through each lessons taught by great people. Every essays gave me essences of life welfare and inspire me, but I am attracted by the lesson of Dr. Frederic Loomis the most.

Dr. Loomis’s story goes like this. One day Dr. Loomis received one letter from China written by the lady who he met before but he didn’t remember, which effected to change the rest of his life. In the letter, the lady appreciated the empathy Dr. loomis gave her before in the middle of her desperate time so much that she would do something in turn to give the words ” Enjoy yourself. It is later than you think.”

This story is very meaningful for me in many ways of leadership.
First, Dr. Loomis visited the lady who was desperate for lost her child and empathized her even though he was very busy and she was not his patient.
Second, he is openness to listen to the advice from the person even he didn’t remember.
Thirdly, this is the most impressive part for me is that Dr.put the idea into practice instantly.
Finally, he affected your friend, acquaintance who met during his trip and he wrote book and influenced the public.

To my reflection, I have been struggling to be a man of practice and output my ideas to influence somebody. The people appeared in this story are decisive to get the things to be true. SO did the lady who wrote the letter to the doctor.
When we would like to influence someone as a leader, not as manager. It is important to show the direction decisively.
I would improve my decisiveness and determination from today because “it is later than you think”.

Reference
Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.