Citizenship, Character, and Leadership: Guidance from the Words of Theodore Roosevelt

Abstract

Most people would agree that a good leader of the 21st century must first be a person of character and integrity. Too often, however, many do not follow through on the need of a leader to be a good citizen or realize that he or she practices in a profession that is ethically bound to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public. One of the greatest speeches ever given on this subject, in the eyes of the author, is one delivered by Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in 1910 titled “Citizenship in a Republic.” This paper takes the words Roosevelt spoke in the early twentieth century and shows how they apply in the early 21st century. The civil engineer can learn from them.