Solitude and Leadership

“My title must seem like a contradiction. What can solitude have to do with leadership? Solitude means being alone, and leadership necessitates the presence of others—the people you’re leading.”

While announcing the topic of his speech, William Deresiewicz addresses a question his listeners may have about the contradiction between solitude and leadership. By doing so, he both connects with his audience and provokes curiosity. He also introduces two important elements of the work, contradiction and probing questions, which serve as literary devices to illustrate his theme of independent thinking.

“Leadership is what you are here to learn—the qualities of character and mind that will make you fit to command a platoon, and beyond that, perhaps, a company, a battalion, or, if you leave the military, a corporation, a foundation, a department of government. Solitude is what you have the least of here, especially as plebes. You don’t even have privacy, the opportunity simply to be physically alone, never mind solitude, the ability to be alone with your thoughts. And yet I submit to you that solitude is one of the most important necessities of true leadership.”

Deresiewicz gives his definition of solitude (being alone with one’s thoughts) and his thesis (solitude is necessary for leadership). He also highlights the importance of his address by emphasizing the role of leadership in the lives of his listeners. Furthermore, he acknowledges the second apparent contradiction in his speech, that the cadets have little opportunity for the solitude he endorses. This paradox again functions to engage the audience awaiting his solution.

“Great heart surgeons or great novelists or great shortstops may be terrific at what they do, but that doesn’t mean they’re leaders. Leadership and aptitude, leadership and achievement, leadership and even ex­cellence have to be different things, otherwise the concept of leadership has no meaning.”

“Solitude and Leadership” proposes leadership reform in America. Deresiewicz first challenges current conceptions of leadership, those that equate it with success or advancement.