There's two parts of leadership. You've got to be a good leader -

Hear, O students of greatness, the words of Nick Saban, master of the gridiron and shaper of men: “There’s two parts of leadership. You’ve got to be a good leader—you’ve got to be somebody that people want to emulate and care about the other people. But the other guys that you have have to accept their leadership. They have to respond to it. That’s the chemistry that you never know how that is going to happen.” In this saying, he reveals the hidden mystery of guiding others: that leadership is not a solitary flame but a fire that requires both the spark of the leader and the willingness of the people to be ignited.

The first part, he says, is to be a good leader. This is the foundation. To lead is not to shout commands from above, but to live in such a way that others long to follow. A leader must be worthy of imitation, one who shows discipline, courage, compassion, and integrity. He must care for his people, not as tools for his ambition, but as souls whose growth and well-being matter. Without this, leadership becomes hollow; without this, commands fall like stones upon deaf ears. True leadership begins with character, for people follow not words alone, but the life behind the words.

Yet Saban reminds us of the second part, often forgotten: the people must accept leadership. A leader may be strong, wise, and noble, but if those he guides refuse to listen, to trust, and to respond, his strength becomes futile. Leadership is not a one-sided force but a sacred bond, a relationship of trust and acceptance. This is the chemistry Saban speaks of: the mysterious alchemy that occurs when leader and followers unite, when character meets trust, when vision meets response. Without this chemistry, even the greatest leaders labor in vain.

History gives us clear examples. Consider the tragedy of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor of Rome. In his wisdom, he led with virtue, embodying restraint, justice, and care for his people. Yet his son Commodus, who inherited the throne, did not command the same acceptance, nor inspire the same loyalty. The people could not unite around him, and Rome’s golden age began to decline. Here we see: it is not enough to wear the crown; leadership requires both worthiness in the leader and response in the people.

But we may also look to the triumph of George Washington, who, though weary of power, led with humility, courage, and integrity. His soldiers suffered in cold and hunger at Valley Forge, yet they remained with him, not because he forced them, but because they trusted him, believed in him, and accepted his leadership. The chemistry between Washington and his men was such that they endured the impossible and forged a nation. Leadership and followership merged into one force, and history was changed forever.

The lesson, O listeners, is that leadership is never solitary. To lead is to serve, to inspire, to live as an example—but also to build bonds of trust so strong that others willingly respond. A leader without willing followers is like a general without an army, a captain without a crew. Likewise, followers who refuse good leadership bring ruin upon themselves. The power of change, the force of victory, comes only when these two forces meet and ignite.

Therefore, let your practice be this: if you are called to lead, cultivate your character. Live with discipline, compassion, and integrity so that others may see in you a life worth emulating. But do not neglect the bond with those you guide. Earn their trust, listen to their voices, and build the chemistry that turns command into cooperation. And if you are called to follow, do so with humility and discernment—recognize true leadership, accept it, and respond with loyalty.

For as Nick Saban has spoken, leadership is not a single flame but a fire shared. When the leader shines with character and the people answer with trust, then the chemistry of greatness is born. It is a mystery, yes—but when it appears, it can lift teams, nations, and generations into triumph. And that, O children, is the power of true leadership.