The Penalty of Leadership

[JasonA]

An ad appeared in a 1915 Saturday Evening Post. It was a Cadillac advertisement, all text, and was titled "The Penalty of Leadership". An attachment is included to this post from the 1997 Cadillac owner's manual, but it's obviously not the original ad.

Does anyone have a lead or link to a copy of the original ad? All I'm looking for is an image, so I can plot it out reasonably large (C or D size) for my office.

Thanks.

[Bruce Nunnally]

Apparently the author also helped coin the term "dependability"; interesting.

elvis.com notes this; you might consider doing what Elvis did and have someone do it up in calligraphy:

The Penalty of Leadership

In 1967 Cadillac mailed out scrolls of “The Penalty of Leadership” to a customer list. Elvis was on that mailing list. This written work by Theodore F. MacManus had been used in some Cadillac ads as far back as the 1920s. Elvis happened to be out in his father’s office behind Graceland after this had come in the mail. He read “The Penalty of Leadership” and said that, even though the piece had been written before he was born, the author could have just as well been writing about him. Elvis said it described his life. He framed the scroll and hung it near the desk in his own office upstairs at the mansion. He periodically referred to it and quoted from it. He even had a friend, Janelle McComb, draw up and frame a version in hand calligraphy, written in colors to match his bedroom so he could hang one in there. The one Elvis hung in his office is on display for Graceland visitors.

The Penalty of Leadership

In every field of human endeavor, he that is first must perpetually live in the white light of publicity. Whether the leadership be vested in a man or in a manufactured product, emulation and envy are ever at work. In art, in literature, in music, in industry, the reward and the punishment are always the same. The reward is widespread recognition; the punishment, fierce denial and detraction. When a man’s work becomes a standard for the whole world, it also becomes a target for the shafts of the envious few. If his work be merely mediocre, he will be left severely alone - if he achieve a masterpiece, it will set a million tongues a-wagging. Jealousy does not protrude its forked tongue at the artist who produces a commonplace painting. Whatsoever you write, or paint, or play, or sing, or build, no one will strive to surpass or to slander you, unless your work be stamped with the seal of genius. Long, long after a great work or a good work has been done, those who are disappointed or envious continue to cry out that it cannot be done. Spiteful little voices in the domain of art were raised against our own Whistler as a mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him its greatest genius. Multitudes flocked to worship at the shrine of Wagner, while the little group of those whom he had dethroned and displaced argued angrily that he was no musician at all. The little world continued to protest that Fulton could not build a steamboat, while the big world flocked to the river to see his boat steam by. The leader is assailed because he is the leader, and the effort to equal him is merely added proof of that leadership. Failing to equal or to excel, the follower seeks to depreciate and to destroy - but only confirms once more the superiority of that which he strives to supplant. There is nothing new in this. It is as old as the world and as old as the human passions - envy, fear, greed, ambition, and the desire to surpass. And it all avails nothing. If the leader truly leads, he remains - the leader. Master-poet, master-painter, master-workman, each in his turn is assailed, and each holds his laurels through the ages. That which is good or great makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial. That which deserves to live - lives.

By Theodore F. MacManus

[JimD]

Call your city library and ask about periodical holdings around the state; they will have a copy of a Union List of Serials that identifies titles and which library holds what issues. University libraries will certainly have microfilm copies of 1915's journals and some may still have the original paper copies. Even a larger city public library could have the microfilm available.

Be prepared to make an image at the library however. Most libraries do not circulate bound paper journals or microfilm reels.

[Cadillac Jim]

There is a replica in your owner's manual in the front material.

[BodybyFisher]

Jason, I sent an email to a collector that may have the 1915 magazine, I will post their response to me, Mike

[JasonA]

Thanks Mike.

Jim, what is in the owner's manual is what I attached. The text is there, but I'm looking for the actual ad as it appeared in print in the Post.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

[BodybyFisher]

Jason here is my email to Mike Sandusky at weborders@millionmagazines.com

In 1915, Cadillac Motor Company has an advertisement, entitled "The Penalty of Leadership", I am not sure what month of the Saturday Evening Post the ad was in. Do you think this is available? Thanks, Mike C

Here is his response:

No, it's not, Mike. We've had this ad several times over the last few years so try to put it aside when we see it. It also appeared in the Literary Digest. It's sold out for now. Mike

Jason, You might want to see if he would put it aside for you, referencing my email to him. I think if you try you might find it. He gave a new source also, the Literary Digest.... Mike

PS, I love, The Penalty of Leadership! Its so true, look at how many people hate Duke Basketball and Coach K, and how there is a backlash against it... ALL BECAUSE OF SUCCESS!!!

[JasonA]

Thanks Mike.

Re: Coach K, he's both loved and hated here. Those who hate him do so for "questionable" coaching practices. Those who love him are blind to any mis-doings and just love Duke basketball.

[JimHare]

"The man who discovered fire was probably burned at the stake"...

http://www.nasonart.com/personal/lifelesso...untainhead.html

[BodybyFisher]

Thanks Mike.

Re: Coach K, he's both loved and hated here. Those who hate him do so for "questionable" coaching practices. Those who love him are blind to any mis-doings and just love Duke basketball.

I know of no questionable coaching practices. My experience is that people have gotten bored with Dukes success, much like the Yankee's success. Success is success to me no matter how you get there, as long as its legal.

Much of the Duke Basketball hate comes from the fact that Coach K recruites SMART, TALENTED players with good character and families. They play a disciplined style of basketball with good fundamentals. It has been described in the basketball forums as "white" basketball if you can believe that.

That he played for Bobby Knight, who coached me in summer camp is a HUGE plus!! I have nothing for admiration for DUKE BASKETBALL and COACH K, and I can not believe that anyone could not admire their successes.....

[JasonA]

A few years ago, Coach K totally hung one of his players out to dry. J. J. Reddick in fact. Duke lost a game one night, and Reddick didn't perform up to his usual 200% of the team average that night, and K went on TV and blamed the loss of the game on J. J. It was totally gutless and he (K) lost a lot of respect, from me and from a lot of other otherwise Duke basketball fans. I'm not much into basketball, but for a coach to hang one of his players up to dry, no matter the sport, that's just sorry. K is snotty, arrogant, and pompous, and one might expect that from the leader of such a successful program.

But remember that the sting of success not only has an effect on the competition and public -- it goes to the heads of those involved as well.

[BodybyFisher]

That is interesting, I have not seen that side of Coach K. I do know he got on JJ at some point, I think JJ even said so. I have never seen K bad mouth or even single out one of his players. Honestly, whatever he did ended up making JJ a great player. I am a big fan of Bobby Knight also, I think discipline is very important, this game to be played on a high level needs execution. Wimps need not apply.

You might get a different angle on Duke and Coach K in that you are in North Carolina. I have nothing but great respect for him from what i know of him.