The Leader of Massachusetts Boys State, Larry D, also known as LSD, I believe is a prime example of good leadership. Through his speeches, he was able to convey the ethical beliefs and political awareness in such a way that was humorous to some extent in addition to having deep insight. His ability to educate 800 teenage boys in an auditorium on such topics that range from the importance of voting to banking to sex was incredibly impressive. He organized these lectures and also organized other education such as in economics, law, and government, delegating duties to others to teach these classes. His ability to laugh at himself was very important in this. The topics that he lectured on were generally dry, or ones that we did not want to hear, but using his humor- which is why he goes by LSD- he was able to liven up the situation. He also had humility, able to laugh at jokes that boy’s stater candidates directed towards him in order to receive the votes of the masses. He then took these jokes and reciprocated them in order to show authority on all levels, not just on the topics of his lectures but also on a social level. This is one of the biggest problems that modern day leaders have, being able to relate to those they lead. For example, one of the problems that Mitt Romney had in the presidential race was that he lived a life of fiscal security to such an extent that he could not relate to those who did not have a similar amount of money. Also comedy is becoming increasingly important in order to catch the attention of an audience. Without this aspect, a potential leader could be overlooked and his opinion not heard. LSD’s dilemma was that he needed to find a balance between making the lecture bearable and not going so far as to undermine the whole point of the lecture with humor. He though did a fantastic job of managing such a teetering situation.  


-Patrick Flathers