3
PENALTY
OF
LEADERSHIP
I
N
every field
of
human endeavor, he that
is
firstmust perpetually live
in the white light of publicity.VWhether the leadership be vested
in a man or in
a
manufactured product, emulation and envyareever at
work. TIn art. in literature, inmusic, in industry,
the
reward and
the
punishment are always
the
same.
VThe reward
is
widespread recog-
nition;
the
punishment, fierce denial and detraction. TWhen a man's
work becomes a standard
for
the whole world,it also becomes a target
for the shaftsof the enviousfew.BIf his work be merely mediocre,
he
willbeleftseverelyalone
-
if heachieveamasterpiece, it willsetamillion
tongues a-wagging. vealousy does not protrudeits forked tongue at
the
artist who produces a commonplace painting. VWhatsoeveryou
write, or paint,
or
play, or sing,orbuild, no one will strive tosurpass, or
to
slander you, unless your work be stamped with the seal of genius.
lbng,longaftera great work or a
good
work has been done, those who
aredisappointed or envious continue to cry out thatit can not be done.
ISpiteful
little
voices inthe domain
of
art were raised against our own
Whistler asa mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him
itsgreatest artisticgenius. fMultitudes flockedtoBayreuth
to
worship
at themusical shrine of Wagner, whilethe little groupof those whom he
had dethroned anddisplaced argued angrily that he wasno musician at
all.
TThe
little world continued to protest that hlton could never
build
a
steamboat, whilethe big worldflockedto the river banks to see
his boat steam by.YThe leader is assailed because he
is
a leader, and
theeffort to equalhim
is
merely addedproofof that leadership. qFailing
to equal
or
to
excel, the followerseekstodepreciate andtodestroy
-
but
only confirms once more thesuperiority of that which
he
strivesto
supplant. (There is nothing new
in
this. (It is as old asthe world
and asold
as
the human passions
-
envy, fear, greed, ambition, and the
desire to surpass. IAnd it all avails nothing. BIf theleadertruly
leads, he remains -the leader. TIMaster-poet, masterpainter, master
workman,each in histurn isassailed, and each holds hislaurelsthrough
the ages. ?That which
is
goad
or
great makes itself known, no matter
how loud the clamor of denial. TThat which deserves to live- lives.
CCaddac
Motor
Car
Co.
Detmit,
Mich.)
'
APPEARED
AS
AN ADVERTISEMENT
'
IN
1
THE SATURDAY EVENING POST
n
JANUARYZND, IN THE YEAR
191s
1
COPYRIOHT. CADILLAC MOTOR CAR DIVISION
