Those who hold the positions of power in a party, government, legislature, etc.; the ability to lead—not only to be able to manage people and institutions, but to show others a path and inspire them to want to follow it. Societies going through periods of uncertainty often bemoan the lack of leadership, and long for a "strong leader," but in many cases they get more than they bargained for. Dictators of all stripes may be "strong leaders" but that doesn't mean that they leave their societies better than they found them. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger recently made a distinction between the modern political leader and those of a former generation, such as Sir Winston Churchill: "The political leaders with whom we are familiar generally aspire to be superstars rather than heroes. . . . Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus; heroes define themselves by the judgment of a future they see it as their task to bring about. Superstars seek success in a technique for eliciting support; heroes pursue success as the outgrowth of inner values." See also statesman.