There is a crisis today not just in the United States, but all over the world. The crisis is a lack of leadership in virtually all of out institutions and organizations. People want and need individuals who are honest, competent, forward-looking, and inspiring. They want and need leaders.

People want and expect their leaders to be credible and trustworthy. But how do leaders earn the trust and confidence of the people they serve? They do it by standing for the commitment to a common cause.

The world community is very diverse and it has very high expectations of its leaders. People today are more demanding and harder to please than at any time in history. Surveys show that the majority of people are very disappointed in the lack of leadership in all their institutions. In fact in most modern institutions the very notion of strong leadership has been shattered and cynicism has taken its place.

Make no mistake about it: people still need and want leadership now more than ever. They want leaders who hold an ethic of service and are genuinely respectful of the intelligence and contributions of the people they serve. They want leaders who will put principles ahead of politics and other people before self-interests.

Still, leaders cannot do it alone. Neither can companies, communities, or countries. Everyone, leaders and the people that they serve, share responsibility for getting extraordinary things done. Leaders need the energetic involvement of the people around them just as much as the people need the vision, courage, and conviction of their leader. Responding to the demands of a highly diverse population is a social challenge and a personal struggle. Respect must run both ways.

Think about the two issues that top the list of concerns for business leaders: they are improving quality and enhancing customer service. Regardless of the industry, sector, or region, these to have been the top two items on most surveys of critical business challenges so far in the 21st century.

Superior quality of products and services alone will not guarantee that businesses, public agencies, nonprofits, independent sector organizations, and communities will be successful in this new century, because the demands and expectations of people are constantly changing with time. It will be the quality of leadership that will allow these organizations to anticipate and commit themselves to meeting the requirements of future years.

The ambitions for high-quality products, services, and leadership share a common foundation: they are all supported by an even more powerful force that shapes people