Lead from the front, not from the polls.

• Author: Ciovacco, Carl J.
• Position: Winston Churchill's foreign policy

Editor's Note: Because of his vision and courage in taking unpopular positions when necessary, Churchill was able to lead his nation and the West in navigating successfully through the perils of the first half of the twentieth century, this essay argues. Will a similarly visionary and courageous leader emerge to help guide our course today?--Ed.

There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader. --Alexander Ledru-Rollin, French politician There are only a handful of leaders throughout history who have possessed both sound vision and internal fortitude in the face of international calamity and public pressure. Without their pivotal guidance, the modern era would have emerged much differently.

Winston Churchill is one such extraordinary leader. His steadfast pronouncements of his beliefs despite unpopularity at times are now regarded as insightful, discerning, and genius. While listening to and embracing public sentiment has its merit--and often its rewards--in a political election, basing statecraft on this sentiment is dangerous, since it is often reactionary and lacks the foresight that visionary leaders must provide. Churchill's strategic intelligence bypassed the human tendencies of groupthink, and provided him the wherewithal to guide Britain's future based on a long-term vision.

The representative form of leadership is fundamental to democracy; however, the trustee type of leadership is essential for heads of state or government, who are charged with both protecting the interests of their people and providing a vision for their shared future. In times of crisis, the need for visionary leadership is magnified because groupthink and the popular tendency to live in the moment can often muddle the decision-making process.

Churchill is one of Britain's greatest leaders because he embraced the trustee form of leadership and voiced an unpopular position even when the public lambasted him for it. His resoluteness in not surrendering to Germany in 1940, when other leaders such as Chamberlain and Halifax most likely would have, demonstrates strict adherence to his vision in extreme circumstances. While this is perhaps his most celebrated feat, three less-publicized decisions also demonstrate this vision in the face of adversity:

1. His disagreement with the Treaty of Versailles' harsh reparations against Germany,

2. His opposition to the appeasement of Germany in 1938, and

3. His desire to keep Germany as a viable actor at the end of...