Almost anyone can be a leader, but not every leader can go down in history and be remembered as someone special, as someone who had the skills and strength to do what he was needed to achieve their goals. The founding fathers are considered great leaders because they inspired people so as to enable a new government by combining ideas and politics to gain trust among the people. The founders were willing to risk their property and status to form an egalitarian system of government. Teddy Roosevelt possessed and demonstrated the same characteristics that, according to Gordon Wood, also made the founding fathers great leaders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” said the 26th president of the United States of America, Theodore Roosevelt. What he meant by this was to "start calmly, but keep a decisive weapon in reserve" (Martin). Teddy was an admirable man with a legendary history. It has made this nation an international force. He was a man of action, a well-known environmentalist. Theodore focused not only on creating great government, but also on giving back to the land, enthusiastically establishing national parks and forests. Because of his passion for helping the Earth he became known as the "conservationist president." In six years, Teddy Roosevelt established six national parks. Connecting to Gordon Wood's thesis, the founders all worked to create a government on an egalitarian basis, a government where all men are created equal, Theodore helped grow the idea in the United States too. Roosevelt designated several African Americans for federal positions and “advocated treating all people on their merits rather than on their race or religion” (Dan). Realizing that monopolies were beginning to dominate the country, Roosevelt launched a crusade to split up those monopolies by encouraging competition. Gordon Wood describes the founders as “different”, Teddy was no ordinary man either. He was truly aware of the needs of all his men and cared about them, "he made a serious effort to care for the well-being of the average American" (Dan). To be a leader one must show uniqueness in inspiring the groups he is trying to lead. The revolutionary figures, the founding fathers, were all willing to sacrifice a lot for their people and their country. One of the great sacrifices is to inspire people, another is to show strength. Roosevelt was shot in the chest in 1912, during a campaign speech. Injuries aside, President Teddy Roosevelt stood and continued to give his speech for another ninety minutes. He told the crowd that he had been shot and that "it takes more than that to kill a bull elk." The bullet went through Teddy's glasses case, a copy of his speech, and lodged three inches deep in his chest. For the rest of his life that bullet remained in his chest. While the bullet could have been taken out, keeping it inside proved that it would take more than an assassin to get it to fall. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The full quote was “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Teddy dealt with his problems delicately through a tactic of caution, but was not afraid to pull out the big stick and take the "violent" action required. For this reason he went far. Not only did he help his nation but also his planet contributed to creating bases in which men are not divided in differences but united in uniqueness..