The primary basis upon which a sense of leadership rests is
undoubtedly confidence in one's general ability and in one's knowledge
of the particular subject being handled. The leader must not only know
but must know that he knows. This makes quick judgments possible, and
the leader and organizer must always be capable of making such
judgments, and of doing it with finality. The baseball player must
decide instantly whether to throw the ball to "first," "second,"
"third," or "home," and he must repeatedly make such decisions
correctly before he can become a strong and respected baseball
captain. The same thing holds true of the foreman in a factory, and
both baseball captain and factory foreman must not only know every
detail of the work done under them, but must _know that they know it_,
and must feel confident of being able to cause those working under
them to carry it on as they conceive it. So the conductor must not
only know music, but must have confidence in his ear, in his rhythmic
precision, in his taste, in his judgment of tempo, in short, in his
musical scholarship; and he must not only feel that he knows exactly
what should be done in any given situation, but be confident that he
can make his chorus or orchestra do it as he wishes. Think for
instance of securing a firm attack on the first tone of such a song as
the _Marseillaise_. It is an extremely difficult thing to do, and it
would be utterly impossible to direct any one else exactly how to
accomplish it; and yet, if the conductor knows exactly how it must
sound, if he has an auditory image of it before the actual tones
begin, and if he feels that when he begins to beat time the chorus
will sing as he has heard them in imagination, then the expected
result is almost certain to follow. But if he is uncertain or
hesitant upon any of these points, he will as surely fail to get a
good attack.

Such confidence in one's own ability as we have been describing
usually results in the acquiring of what is called an easy
manner,--self-possession,--in short, _poise_, and it is the possession
of such a bearing that gives us confidence in the scholarship and
ability of the leaders in any type of activity. But the influence of
this type of manner cannot be permanent unless it rests upon a
foundation of really solid knowledge or ability.

[Sidenote: THE SECOND ELEMENT IN LEADERSHIP]

The second element included in leadership and organizing ability is
the power to m