Is not leadership just a recipe for self-interest?

Absolutely not, in my view. Of course, there are those who are solely interested in their own welfare, (think of the lengthy list of dicators in our life-time alone). However, being a leader is not always easy and being a good leader requires an array of different skill sets, many of which include some level of humanity when dealing with colleagues and other members of staff.

To an extent, you are only as good as the people who work for / with you. If you take a personal interest in your colleagues, are prepared to mentor them and encourage them in their successes, (as well as supporting them when things don't go quite according to plan), this can be immensely rewarding. Watching someone grow and develop in their role is a great reward for good management and generosity of spirit.

"Wanting to make a difference" in both a private or public capacity has given us some memorable figures over the years. Mother Teresa is just one example. She led by example and her charitable works have been recognised world-wide. No doubt there was an indomitable streak which enabled her to secure the funding she needed and the publicity required in order to generate the revenues that were required to run her charitable institutions. So, in this sense, she was certainly a leader, a leader who did so much good for humanity without any self-interest whatsoever. It was all about the poor and needy people that she served.