e
must be one who is successful in his own farm business and who
understands the better methods of agricultural production and marketing
if he is to be able to interest others in them and to wisely guide the
policies of his group. The successful agricultural leader must first of
all be a good farmer, for the basic ideal of his group is the best
agricultural production. Not infrequently an unsuccessful farmer who is
a good talker comes into prominence because he is willing to devote more
time to public affairs, but he rarely attains a position of real
leadership in his own community, for being unable to manage his own
business he is unable to wisely direct that of the community.

Unselfish leadership is the highest form of community loyalty and is
essential for permanent community progress. There are obvious
satisfactions in leadership, but the true leader must have a clear
vision, a strong purpose, and intense faith in his people, if he is not
to become discouraged by the lack of loyalty in others and their slow
response to his ideals. For the true leader must always be thinking in
advance of his community. It is his function to see what is needed for
the common good and then to gradually convince the group, and he must be
willing to withstand the criticism and rebuffs of those who are as yet
unwilling to sacrifice temporary personal advantage for the common good.
The real leader will not attempt to do everything himself but will
constantly seek to discover leadership in others and to inspire them
with his own enthusiasm and faith in their ability. Not infrequently
this involves the supreme test of leadership, for the leader must be
responsible for the failure of his helpers, and although he may feel
that a given undertaking would be more certain of success were he to
assume direct responsibility for it or place it in the hands of some one
who has demonstrated his ability, yet because of his belief in the
distribution of responsibility as essential for a strong community and
because of his faith in the individual and in the undertaking, he takes
the risk and lends his influence to the success of the other. The
discovery and training of leadership is one of the chief concerns of the
true leader. Witness the devotion of the Master to the chosen Twelve and
his willingness to leave his whole cause in their hands.

The willingness to assume leadership is the acid test of community
loyalty, for only through the development o