The virtues of building communities by leading them from behind

The media could make a difference by focusing on giving kudos to the appropriate people: Let's ask not ""Which Minister is launching this?" but "Who has been working tirelessly for ten years to make this happen?". Not who is crowing about this, but who is quietly satisfied?

Our "leaders" could make a difference by focusing on facilitating others to succeed, and staying away when they do so: The famous Ted Mack, retired MP, once had a new library in North Sydney opened by its oldest user. Her name is engraved on the foundation stone - and Mr Mack's is nowhere to be seen.

We, the led, could make a difference by adopting that good old Australian attitude of respectful disrespect (dare I say a "larrikin" attitude?) toward anyone in public life who noisily craves the attention, the power, the money, the status. We teach our children to be quiet in their success, now we need to teach our leaders.

We need to insist that people in public life, in government, get their rewards through their selfless service to the common good. We need to decouple the material rewards of our leaders from the self-development rewards of service to the community. Nonsense about parity with corporate leaders is just that: Nonsense.

We need to re-teach our entire society about quiet achievement, and playing the game without caring who wins.

To that familiar question: "What have you done for me today? we need to add a rider: "And who wanted - and who got - the credit?"