For good or ill, I'm a person of leadership. I do my best. I

Hear, O seeker of wisdom and strength, the steadfast words of Gerry Adams, spoken not with pride, but with a warrior’s acceptance of burden: “For good or ill, I'm a person of leadership. I do my best. I don't dodge responsibility.” In this statement lies the essence of duty — the spirit of one who understands that leadership is not the pursuit of glory, but the acceptance of weight. These words are both humble and unyielding, for they declare that a true leader stands where others would flee, bearing both the praise of victory and the shame of failure alike.

The meaning of this quote shines through like a torch in the storm. Adams speaks of leadership not as a title, but as a condition of the soul. “For good or ill,” he says — for leadership, in its truest form, is never purely noble or purely safe. It is a path where one must act amidst uncertainty, where every choice casts both light and shadow. To lead is to know that even with the best of intentions, some will bless you, and others will curse you. Yet the leader does not shrink from this truth; he continues onward, doing his best, not to please all, but to serve the greater good.

The origin of these words lies in Adams’s own life — a life forged in one of the most turbulent chapters of modern Ireland. As a political leader and key figure in the Irish republican movement, he carried the burden of both hope and controversy. His role in the struggle for peace during the long years of the Troubles placed him between fire and anvil: to one side, the call of justice for his people; to the other, the need for reconciliation and restraint. It was in such crucibles that these words were born — not from comfort, but from the hard-earned wisdom that true leadership demands endurance, sacrifice, and the courage to bear the consequences of one’s choices.

History offers us many mirrors to these words. Consider Abraham Lincoln, who during the American Civil War bore the anguish of a divided nation. He did not seek leadership for comfort, nor could he escape its pain. When accused, blamed, and doubted, he did not dodge responsibility; instead, he carried it to the very end, knowing that unity would demand blood and misunderstanding alike. Or think of Winston Churchill, who once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something.” Like Adams, he knew that to lead is to stand, even when standing invites the storm.

The ancients, too, understood this eternal burden. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor, wrote in his meditations that the ruler must “be like the rock against which the waves continually break.” He did not seek rest, nor praise, but steadiness — the kind of steadiness that leadership demands. Gerry Adams’s words echo this same stoic spirit: “I do my best.” There is no pretense of perfection here, only the promise of effort. A leader does not claim omniscience; he claims accountability. He may err, but he will not hide. He may fall, but he will not flee.

There is also a tone of humility woven through his declaration. To say “for good or ill” is to recognize one’s humanity — that even the leader’s best intentions may bring unintended consequences. But to say “I don’t dodge responsibility” is to stand as a bulwark against cowardice. In these words, Adams teaches that leadership is not measured by infallibility, but by the willingness to face the outcomes of one’s actions. The world has many who desire authority, but few who embrace accountability. The true leader does not hide behind excuses or subordinates; he looks upon his people and says, “The decision was mine — and I will bear it.”

So what lesson, O listener, shall you carry from this? It is this: leadership is not a privilege, but a trial. Whether in the council of nations or the quiet duties of the home, to lead is to serve with courage, to accept both blame and praise without vanity. When things go well, give thanks; when they go ill, stand firm. Do not seek escape in excuses, nor dwell in fear of judgment. For the weight you carry, though heavy, is sacred — it shapes the destiny of those who follow.

Thus, remember the wisdom of Gerry Adams, a man who spoke as one who had walked through the furnace of responsibility: “For good or ill, I’m a person of leadership.” To lead is to step forward when others hold back, to endure the storm without retreat. Do your best — not for applause, but for truth. Do not dodge responsibility — for it is through the burdens we accept that character is revealed, and through character that the world itself is changed.