Dennoch!

"Only he has the calling for politics who is sure that he will not crumble when the world from his point of view is too stupid or base for what he wants to offer. Only he who in the face of all this can say ‘In spite of all!' has the calling for politics."

Since I read Max Weber’s "Politics as a Vocation" as a college student studying political science, this has remained my favorite quote. The determination to face reality as it is and the ability to keep hope alive and push forward are, I believe, the most essential requirements for not only political leaders but anyone who assumes a leadership role in the process of social change.

During my career, a good part of which was in the nonprofit field, I have seen many colleagues who possessed one of these qualities, but only a few who were equipped with both. I have experienced times when I was so absorbed in an enthusiastic sense of mission that I lost sight of inconvenient reality, when I was frustrated by selfish donor interests, or obstructive government authorities and angered by dishonest beneficiaries inflating their needs, and when I felt so tired as to be tempted to withdraw to my office and settle for simply fulfilling my functions as circumstances require. In such moments, recalling Weber’s quote spurred me to eagerly understand realities with humility, question them with integrity, and persist in taking responsible action to find a way forward.