Leaders lead because it is the right thing to do, because it is "in them," and because they were born for it.  Sometimes, it even gets recognized. 

For this reason, I particularly like it when historians dig up lost stories of selfless sacrifice by unsung leaders.  This excerpt from Alan Axelrod is interesting, partly because it is so little known, and partly because the hero of the story is a woman; a solid reminder that leadership does not have a preferred gender.

"Paul Revere was not the Revolution's only rider of note.  Sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington lived in the small Putnam County, New York, village named for her family, Ludington Mills, the daughter of a Patriot militia colonel.  On April 26, 1777, a messenger appeared at Ludington's door, warning of the approach of the British.  Colonel Ludington had little time to summon and organize his militiamen, who lived miles apart form one another across the countryside.  The messenger and his horse were spent, and the colonel had to remain at home, planning the regiment's action.  It fell to Sybil, a strong and capable rider, and her horse, Star, to make a thirty-mile circuit through the night and rain sounding the alarm: 'Muster at the Ludingtons!'"

Skillful, selfless, brave, spontaneous, and heroic: a simple, great historical example of leadership.  Remember, leaders may be needed at any time: one cannot predict when – best to be willing and prepared!