The more successful sons and daughters know when to lean on their parents - and when to go their own way. George W. Bush helped run his father's presidential campaigns in 1988 and 1992. But in his winning campaign for governor of Texas, he never mentioned his father's name in any of his campaign commercials.

American political scions evoke a central contradiction in our thinking. We believe - or say we do - in nurture, not nature. Yet we are comforted by the aristocratic notion that leadership might run in the bloodlines.

So the result was that as one approached a political convention for most of the 19th century and for most of the 20th century until the 1960's, part of the drama was the fact that you didn't know ultimately who was going to be the nominee at the end of that convention week.

First of all, there's no mention of political parties in the Constitution, so you begin American history with not only no political conventions but also no parties.

This Congress is simply not doing its job under Republican leadership.

Military veterans have unique skills, experience, and qualifications that are invaluable to today's workforce, including teamwork and leadership skills, the proven ability to learn quickly, a strong work ethic, dedication, and the ability to work under pressure.

The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.