Who are the true leaders of Kansas? Who are the genuine leaders of this central part of the nation? Who are the five, 10 or 15 most influential Kansans who can lead, inspire and cause others to want to do a better job in their respective areas of activity?

We have plenty of followers but far too few true leaders.

A recent issue of U.S. News & World Report devoted a sizable portion of the magazine to “America’s Best Leaders.” The magazine’s editors write, “Motivating people to work together to accomplish great things. That’s the fundamental definition of a leader and the measure employed by the distinguished panel of judges who selected this year’s America’s Best Leaders. : In all these leaders, beyond the academic accomplishments, the program successes, and the sales numbers lies a commitment to public service, to nurturing new leaders and to making a lasting contribution to the public good. They (the individuals selected by the magazine to be true leaders) are models for anyone who hopes to motivate and inspire.”

In selecting the nation’s 18 best leaders, the judges weighted their assessment with 25 percent based on how the candidate “sets direction,” 50 percent on “achieves results” and 25 percent on “cultivates a culture of growth.”

In the “sets direction” category, the judges recognized individuals who build a shared sense of purpose, set out to make a positive social impact and implement innovative strategies.

The “achieves results” part of their judging covered individuals whose accomplishments are of significant breadth or depth, have a positive social impact and are sustainable and exceed expectations.

The final area of judging, “cultivates a culture of growth,” recognized individuals who communicate and embody positive core values and inspire others to lead.

Again, who and where are the leaders of Kansas? If the state is to be a leader, take advantage of its opportunities, have its residents excited about doing what they can to help build a better and stronger state, there must be some outstanding leaders.

Such individuals should not necessarily be thought of as true leaders merely by being a political leader, college president, employer of hundreds or thousands of individuals, owner of the largest farm or ranch, or the richest person in Kansas. This does not mean such individuals are automatically eliminated from consideration, but they shouldn’t be elevated to a true leadership position just because they may be the biggest or best at this or that.

Kansas is in short supply of leaders. Maybe some strong candidates don’t want to step forward, don’t want to expose themselves, their families or businesses to some of the negatives associated with leadership. Maybe they are comfortable as they are, leading the good life without the demands of leadership.

The state has a number of programs – Leadership Kansas and Lawrence’s leadership program, for example – that encourage individuals to become more involved in their communities. There are many examples of graduates of these programs becoming more engaged in community and state programs, elective politics and/or civic activities, but as yet few have emerged as true leaders with the ability to mobilize and inspire the public.

It’s interesting to note that no one from Kansas was selected to join U.S. News’ 36-member panel of judges this year. Does that send a message?

Once again, who and where are the leaders of Kansas and why doesn’t the state have individuals such as the late Kansas University Chancellor Franklin Murphy or the late Charlie Kimball, who led Kansas City’s Midwest Research Institute, who were able to motivate so many area leaders?

Kansas is in dire need of leadership, vision and courage.