I have been surrounded by some of the smartest, brightest, most

Hear, O listener, the words of Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the United States, who spoke with humility and gratitude: “I have been surrounded by some of the smartest, brightest, most caring lawyers, by agents who are willing to risk their lives for others, by support staff that are willing to work as hard as they can.” This is not the boast of an individual, but the acknowledgment of one who knew that leadership is never carried by a single pair of shoulders. It is a song of praise for the fellowship of service, for the unseen strength of those who labor together for justice.

The meaning of this teaching lies in the recognition that greatness is not solitary. Lawyers, with their wisdom, guide the pursuit of truth and the defense of law. Agents, with their courage, stand at the threshold of danger, risking their own lives so that others may live in safety. And support staff, often unnoticed, carry the burdens of endless work, ensuring that justice does not falter for lack of diligence. Reno’s words are an offering of honor, reminding us that true power lies not in the leader alone, but in the community of servants, bound together by purpose and sacrifice.

History bears witness to this truth. Consider the Nuremberg Trials after the Second World War. It was not one judge, nor one prosecutor, who brought justice to the architects of atrocity. It was a multitude: lawyers who built the cases, agents who gathered the evidence from the ruins of Europe, staff who sifted through mountains of documents. Their collective labor established a precedent that crimes against humanity would not go unpunished. The world remembers the verdicts, but Reno’s wisdom reminds us to remember also the countless unseen hands that made those verdicts possible.

Nor is this lesson confined to courts of law. Think of the firefighters of New York on September 11, 2001. They were not lawyers or clerks, but they too were agents of courage, rushing into flames to save others. Behind them stood dispatchers, doctors, nurses, volunteers, all playing their part. Just as Reno honored her staff and agents, so too should we honor the invisible multitude in every great endeavor—the ones history seldom names, but without whom no hero could triumph.

Mark this well, O listener: Reno’s words carry humility. Though she held one of the highest offices in the land, she did not lift herself above those who labored beside her. She declared instead that she was surrounded—encircled by brilliance, courage, and devotion. A true leader does not claim glory for herself alone, but shines light on those whose toil and sacrifice make victory possible. This is wisdom for every generation: never forget the fellowship that makes your path possible.

Let this be the lesson: in your own life, remember that no work is accomplished alone. Cherish those who labor with you—the friend, the colleague, the quiet worker who stays long after others depart. Honor them with gratitude, for their strength multiplies your own. And if you hold a place of leadership, do as Reno did: speak their names, praise their efforts, and give them the dignity they deserve. For only in honoring the many do we reveal the true measure of the one.

Therefore, O child of tomorrow, carry forward the spirit of Janet Reno’s words. See beyond the surface of every success to the hidden multitude who stand behind it. Do not let pride blind you to their worth. For in the end, it is the community of the brave, the wise, and the diligent that sustains justice, secures freedom, and shapes the destiny of nations.

Thus, Reno’s words endure as both gratitude and guidance: that we are never alone in our labors, and that the true legacy of leadership is not the power of one, but the harmony of many, joined in service to the greater good.