Some day a quest for a more objective and possibly even scientific method of choosing statesmen may arise. How would one go about such a task? - Two qualities would certainly have be looked for, namely community sense and competence. The first one seems a modest enough order, but it has heavy implications. Integrity, for instance, community sense simply does not go with the deviation of public means in any form or under any pretext, nor does it match with favoritism. Resting solely on the general recognition of work done, it dispenses with support from relatives, friends, confidants, and party pals.

Unfortunately, community sense is known to make dreamers. Therefore it has to be accompanied by competence. A statesman must be realistic, quick in grasping situations, skillful at analyzing and solving problems. He cannot be an expert in all aspects of community life, but he can absorb expert advice, choose the best available and act on it. In this respect he is not different from the corporate manager. In fact, successful corporate managers would probably make better statesmen than the charismatic politicians who are so often and with such tragic consequences carried to power on the waves of popular enthusiasm.