Oxford dictionary defines leadership as, “The action of leading a group of people or an organization.” The key word that stands out to me in this definition is ACTION. Leaders are distinguished by the actions that they perform throughout their stay in power. Whatever those actions may be, negative or positive, they are what will be remembered about that individual in power. When Sancho is called to leadership when he receives his governorship, he responds amazingly and quite embraces the role. I believe that he is able to do this because of his lower class (down to earth) ways.
” “Then observe brother,” said Sancho. ” I have no DON nor in all my lineage was there ever any. Just plain Sancho Panza is my name, and my father’s name was Sancho, and Sancho my grandfather, and they were all without adding any DONS or DONA…but that’s enough. God understands.”
Everyone expects Sancho to fail, but he is actually quite successful. He is a good man and has a confident faith in himself which allows him to be a just, selfless ruler. Sancho understands the struggle of the poor man and his actions reflect this. His plans as governor consist of kicking out the lazy and protecting the lower classes such as farmers. He has good sound sense. If actions speak louder than words for a leader, Sancho’s are fairly blaring positively.
” Sancho sat there considering a bit and then said: “It seems to me that this case doesn’t merit long delays, since a commonsense judgement can be given right away. So, the sentence is that the tailor loses his labor and the peasant his cloth, and the caps should be taken to the prisoners in jail, and that’s al there is to it.”
Sancho is able to get to the bottom of situations and deal with individuals problems that the upper class with their high talking ways and superficial demeanors cannot pinpoint. Sancho actually truly cares for the people that he is governing. He shows us and the whole of society that the lower class can rise above and become something. There is always potential where there is grit and good sense. One of my most enjoyable moments while reading those chapters is when the priest and carrasco find out about Sancho’s governorship and that it really is a reality. They were the unbelievers thinking all along that Sancho and Don Quixote were crazy. Now, Sancho’s dream has come true. It is an ‘in your face’ moment. The tables are turned and perhaps all along they (the priest and carrasco) were the crazy ones for not believing. This speaks to me, and I feel that it can be transferred to every individual in the world. Who really are the crazy ones, the individuals who believe in something far fetched yet spectacular and chase that dream, or the individuals who have nothing to believe in – no imagination. Through this book and thanks to Sancho, I have begun to think it is the latter, the unimaginative, who are really at a loss.