The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet. Theodore Hesburgh (1917-) International readers will be less taken up by the outcome of the recent United Kingdom (UK) general election than the indigenous population, but there are lessons for all in what has transpired to date. Tradition was broken in the run-up to the election as the three main party leaders agreed to have televised debates, following the well rehearsed example of the United States. The viewing figures were massive, all ages of the population were engaged in the processes and polling figures were well above those of previous elections. Most interestingly, a comparatively unknown figure, the leader of the least dominant party of the three, the Liberal Democrats, commanded huge interest and the usual two-party debates widened. So much for the power of television. However, voting did not bear out the initial enthusiasm for complete change. In the event, no party achieved sufficient votes to form a government, thus putting the Liberal leader in an enviable position of power as an alliance was sought from the party who had the majority of votes. You may ask why I am referring to all this, surely now the Conservative-Liberal coalition is up and running, this is done and dusted? I refer to it as there it is a classic lesson here for nursing across the globe. It is bedded in the politics of balancing power.
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