The Penalty of Leadership

The Penalty of Leadership Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” In my opinion, this quote reflects the author’s point of view in the document “The Penalty of Leadership.” The author points out in the beginning of the article that being a leader in whatever you choose to be can have its benefits, but there is also bound to be abuse and rejection coming from the opposition. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the author of this document were stating that when everything is right in the world, it is simple to stand at the front and take responsibility. However, the tricky part to being a leader is seeing how you will respond when the whole world seems to be against your cause. There are several examples over the past few years that suggests the “penalty” of leadership not only exists in political, entertainment, and business situations, but also in the sport and recreation professions in both the present and for the future. The “Penalty of Leadership” is a document that centers itself on the belief that someone leading a large group of people will always be under fire for the decisions and things they say throughout their years of service. In my opinion, the “penalty” the author is referring to is that people who are in a position of leadership will never be out of the spotlight. All of the actions that a leader takes or the words spoken to the public will always be critiqued by the leader’s followers. The penalty of being a leader is the fact that one moment you could feel accepted and respected, but one misstep or mistake that you make in the public’s eye could change the way you are perceived for the rest of your life. It is important to understand that scrutiny will not end, even when the leadership role does. In addition, the penalty of being a leader over masses of people comes with pressure of making the correct