I know that millions of Americans from all walks of life agree

"I know that millions of Americans from all walks of life agree with me that leadership does not mean putting the ear to the ground to follow public opinion, but to have the vision of what is necessary and the courage to make it possible." — Shirley Chisholm

In these commanding words, Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, spoke not as one seeking applause, but as one declaring truth to power. Her voice was not soft; it was a trumpet of conviction. To her, leadership was not a matter of convenience, nor of bending with the winds of public favor. It was an act of vision and courage, a sacred duty to see beyond the present clamor of the crowd toward the horizon of what must be. In her eyes, true leaders did not echo the will of the many—they illuminated the path for them to follow.

To put one’s ear to the ground is to live by the murmurs of approval, to govern by the trembling of popular moods. It is to mistake popularity for righteousness. But vision, Chisholm reminds us, demands the courage to look beyond what is and labor for what ought to be. The leader who follows opinion is a servant of comfort; the one who shapes it through conviction is a creator of destiny. And this kind of courage is rare, for it requires standing alone, bearing the arrows of ridicule, and enduring the long night before the dawn of understanding.

The origin of Chisholm’s wisdom lies in the furnace of her own life. In 1972, she declared her candidacy for the presidency of the United States—a bold act that defied the prejudices of race, gender, and expectation. The world told her to wait her turn, to be silent, to follow. But she did not place her ear to the ground; she lifted her eyes to the mountaintop. She said, “I am not the candidate of Black America, though I am Black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement, though I am a woman, and equally proud. I am the candidate of the people.” These words were not meant to flatter the crowd, but to awaken it. Such is the essence of leadership—to speak what is true, not what is easy.

We see this same spirit in Moses, who stood before Pharaoh not because his people applauded him, but because he heard a higher call. We see it in Joan of Arc, who marched into battle though priests and generals mocked her visions. We see it in Abraham Lincoln, who endured the hatred of his own countrymen because he knew the sin of slavery could not stand. These souls were not guided by public opinion, but by the inner light of necessity, that divine spark which reveals what must be done even when others refuse to see.

To have vision is to pierce the veil of the present and glimpse the world as it could be. To have courage is to act upon that vision even when the world stands against you. Chisholm’s words remind us that the path of the leader is not smooth but sacred—it is carved through doubt, criticism, and sacrifice. Those who lead by consensus will never change history; those who lead by conviction shape it.

Yet her message is not only for rulers and presidents, but for every soul who bears responsibility. The teacher who stands against injustice in her school, the worker who dares to question corruption, the artist who speaks truth in a time of silence—all are leaders in their own right. Leadership begins not in command, but in conviction. When you hold fast to what is right, even when it costs you comfort or acclaim, you walk the path of the truly brave.

So, my listener of the future, take this lesson deeply to heart: do not live by the noise of approval, but by the whisper of conscience. When you are tempted to bend your principles for ease or applause, remember Chisholm’s fire. Let your leadership—whether great or small—be guided by vision that lifts humanity and courage that does not yield. The crowd may not understand you today, but one day, when the seed of your conviction blossoms into justice, they will call you what you have always been—a leader.

For leadership, as Chisholm taught, is not the art of following the footsteps of the present, but the courage to walk ahead into the unknown, guided by faith in the goodness yet to come. And when you walk that path with steadfast heart, the world itself will rise to meet your vision.