The best way for a society to prepare its young people for leadership in government, industry, or other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree

While the statement claims that the best way to prepare young people for leadership in government and industry is by fostering a sense of cooperation rather than competition, it would be short-sighted to hold this true in all circumstances. This dichotomy does not reflect the complex reality of government and industry where both cooperation and competition are required to succeed.

We live in a world that is inherently competitive. Governments only value the well-being of their own citizenry, often at the expense of those residing outside their jurisdiction. Private industry incorporates an environment where firms attempt to maximize profits in a zero-sum game that often results in financial losses for other companies. Therefore, this innate desire to win is essential to survival (avoid ambiguity or uncertainty in lines of argument), which means that it is foolish to neglect competitive pressures. To succeed as a leader, one must partake and thrive in this competitive world, from which it follows that a competitive leader will be more adept and successful than one focused solely on cooperation. Cooperation is often not even an option in many situations. Can Apple ask Samsung to focus on TV's and Cooking Stoves rather than phones? No, both companies are locked in a technological war to sell the greatest number of phones! Having a leader that does not possess this competitive nature would likely bring failure for their company.

On the other hand, one must consider: what is required to succeed in competition? In the competitive world of industry or government, cooperation within one’s organisation is necessary for success. A young person with a sense of cooperation would lead more effectively, and work together with their counterparts and co-workers more efficiently. Ultimately this would bring greater success than having a leader who only possesses a competitive edge. Hence, having a sense of cooperation can also have great benefits in industry, government, and other fields.

It is crucial to note than the competitive nature of government, industry, and other fields, as established above, does not necessarily extend to all facets that the body deals with. Consider the humanitarian support that many first world countries provide. The attribution of funds to some of the poorest countries and regions around the globe is generally devoid of any competitive desire – due to the innate giving nature of these actions. In these situations, a sense of cooperation is valued more than a sense of competition. In contrast, aid organizations must compete to obtain the resources and funds to do their work in these poor countries. Only limited funds exist in the budget and they must fight and compete with others to receive funding. Thus, although a cooperative sense is critical in these situations, a competitive nature is also necessary. A leader that lacks either of these is likely to fail, or at the minimum not be as successful as one who has both an instilled sense of cooperation as well competition.

Government, industry, or other fields such as these are innately competitive. One organisations success is ultimately the others downfall. For a body to succeed a strong sense of competition is required externally, while internal cooperation is also necessary for effective functioning. This allows a leader to possess the ability to work together with their contemporaries in order to obtain some sort of competitive goal. In some facets of these industries or governmental bodies a strong cooperative nature is more desirable, however, to completely forsake a competitive sense would be a mistake. In conclusion, in order for young people to succeed in government, industry fields both a strong sense of cooperation and competition must be instilled.