Rivers, similar to men are unpredictable and require a certain amount of patience to control. As a society, we face different challenges everyday based on conflicting worldviews and ideologies. The decisions we make based on these ideologies allow the world to become a more unpredictable and interesting place. Each day, every individual learns from the surprises that they encounter through the entirety of their day. Each day, we are able to collaborate and share new ideas, therefore shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Each day, our leaders should work together to create a better world for tomorrow. In Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, he describes a society that is autocratically ruled, one with limited freedom for free expression or freedom of thought. In most countries today, we take for granted the freedoms we have to think and act as we wish. Aside from a select few, most countries today provide fair and equal treatment to everyone. The governing bodies of most countries today play appositive role in the development of our ever changing world. Although it is possible that Machiavelli had a truthful point of view, his perspective is flawed within the parameters of today’s world. Rivers are also like everyday life. Similar to life, rivers are wild and difficult to control. Today’s leaders need to control the metaphorical river of life and present themselves as true democratic leaders, rather than autocratic monarchy. As a society, it isn’t fair to compare life in the 1500’s to life as we now know it. Technology and ideas have advanced, making room for all humans to grow. We are now heading towards a brighter future. Although Machiavelli did bring up a valid argument within his telling of The Prince, it cannot be considered suitable for this day and age. Similar to technology, literature has too advanced. We no longer have to read other’s ideas in a novel as an indicator of what we are told to believe. We have come so far as a collection of people, no matter what part of the world we come from. As a united whole, we can act together to make anything happen. We no longer rely on blood to make decisions for us, we rely on each other. Autocracy is the past and we must move past it before we can consider ourselves to be “equals”. We have come so far, and we should not let old habits hold us back from the aspirations we have as a unified team.

Bill Gates:A Transformational Leader