I think one of the keys to leadership is recognizing that

Ben Carson, a healer of bodies and a seeker of wisdom, once spoke with clarity about the nature of command: “I think one of the keys to leadership is recognizing that everybody has gifts and talents. A good leader will learn how to harness those gifts toward the same goal.” In these words he gives us a vision of leadership not as domination, but as orchestration. For a true leader is not the loudest voice nor the strongest arm, but the one who sees the hidden strengths in each person, and weaves them together into harmony.

The ancients, too, knew this truth. In the Republic, Plato described the just city as one where each soul fulfills its unique role: the thinker guides, the warrior defends, the laborer sustains. Harmony arises not when all are the same, but when all are different, working together under wisdom’s hand. So Carson’s words echo this old wisdom: that everybody has gifts and talents, though some are quiet, some unseen, and some misunderstood. The art of leadership is to draw them out, polish them, and turn them toward a greater purpose.

Consider the story of Pericles, who led Athens in her golden age. He was not the fastest rower, nor the strongest soldier, nor the most gifted sculptor. Yet he recognized the gifts of others: the architects who raised the Parthenon, the sailors who ruled the seas, the thinkers who debated in the agora. Pericles united them under one vision, and Athens became a beacon of glory. His leadership was not to overshadow their talents, but to direct them toward a single shining goal.

Carson himself came to this wisdom not only through politics, but through the operating room. As a surgeon, he knew that one man’s hands cannot save a life alone. The anesthesiologist, the nurse, the technician, the orderly—all bring their talents, and without their unity, even the greatest surgeon would fail. This truth of medicine became a truth of life: greatness is never achieved by one person, but by many, bound together by a leader who knows how to call forth the best in each.

The lesson for us is plain. We must never despise the gifts of others, nor overlook our own. Some gifts shine in public, others labor in silence, but all are needed. The leader who sees only the loudest voices will miss the quiet strength that holds everything together. The wise leader, however, looks deeper, asks questions, listens, and learns to place each person where their light shines brightest. In this way, small talents become mighty when joined, and weak parts become strong when supported by the whole.

Practical actions flow from this wisdom. In your family, recognize the unique abilities of each member, and let them serve in their strength. In your workplace, notice the quiet talents of those who are overlooked, and encourage them. In your friendships, honor the gifts each one brings, and let no one feel useless. If you are a leader, strive not to make others copies of yourself, but to draw out the best of who they already are. This is how vision becomes reality, and how people rise together.

Thus, children of the future, remember Carson’s teaching: leadership is not about one, but about many. To lead is to see the gifts in others and to bind them to a common purpose. Do this, and you will not only achieve great works, but also give dignity to all who follow you. For the true leader is not the one who shines alone, but the one who lights the stars of others, until the sky itself burns with a thousand flames.