Who will lead, and who will follow?

With the April 8 election of one new Fernandina Beach commissioner — a second seat was filled when only one candidate qualified to run — I was reminded of the front page story in the Times-Union a few weeks ago about young people who were considered leaders feeling unsure whether they wanted to be leaders.

That got me thinking about the very nature of leadership, especially as it relates to those who are willing to run for public office.

It’s not as if a candidate can simply go to “leadership school” to gain the requisite ability. Proclaiming oneself to be a leader — when few are willing to follow — doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

Yet having a large number of followers (or voters) shouldn’t be the way we judge leadership ability, either. After all, one could argue that Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones were leaders, but where did that get their followers?

When it comes to the health and well-being, safety and security of our country, there’s no question we’ll be looking for leadership ability in the presidential election.

But I would argue it matters just as much in our own backyard.

The very definition of leadership suggests someone who “shows the way; causes to go in a certain direction; influences opinions, thoughts and actions; acts as a guide.”

With these definitions in mind, you’d likely find more “leadership” locally from developers’ attorneys than anyone else.

Before we vote for any candidate, we should be asking questions that help us evaluate certain attributes such as “takes initiative,” “solves problems creatively,” “shows willingness to be held accountable,” “is able to communicate in a non-confrontational manner,” “demonstrates good judgment,” and above all, “has good ol’ common sense.”

It seems to me, however, that whenever there’s a choice to be made, those who do bother to vote simply choose the candidate who best reflects their own personal values and beliefs. Rather than wait for that rare candidate to come along who can transcend partisan politics, we’re the ones who need to do so.

It’s time for us, as voters, to take responsibility for electing those who can inspire us and make us feel optimistic about the future, regardless of party affiliation.