In the meantime, the bureaucracy continues to trudge along, doing business as usual. When disaster strikes, the bureaucratic response is to flip through the volumes of policy manuals to make sure applicable procedures were followed. In the meantime, our elected leaders wait for "actionable intelligence" — an excuse to do nothing and blame it on the amorphous "institution."

Great leaders make decisions by asking big picture questions (imagination) that provide direction. They are knowledgeable about the problems of society. They gather facts and make decisions without exhaustive clearance procedures. They realize that there are no unqualified final answers and move forward with confidence. Another quality of good leaders is a realistic sense of who they are, including the humility to admit mistakes. They are not concerned about their egos or getting re-elected. They are committed to the public good.

Our nation faces great outside danger as never before. The greatest danger we face, however, is from within. We have become complacent and indulge in self-congratulation, believing we are the greatest nation in the world. There are people from other nations who believe America was a great world power in the 20th century but not in the 21st. We should take heed. A little humility is in order. It could serve as the wake-up call that will rekindle the American spirit needed to keep us moving forward.

We must stop our preoccupation with tending the machinery of government and stop blaming our problems on it when it fails us. Nations draw their strength from leaders who can bring people together around what is important to the society. Leaders become the symbol of our values and provide the vision and hope that make us believe and work for a better future.

Each of us must also take personal responsibility for making sure our nation never loses the spirit upon which it was founded. We start by electing leaders who provide the vision and advance the values we hold dear. It would be well to remember the words of the late John W. Gardner, who said: "This free society begins with us. It mustn't end with us."

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net