You would think, with all of the self-proclaimed leaders in this world, that leadership was something to be coveted, desired, obtained, or achieved. However, no one goes willingly into the crucible unless they love beyond themselves. In the crucible, the ego is exposed. In the crucible, God reveals the purpose of inadequacies. In the crucible, pressure and heat destroy that which isn't eternal and create something eternal out of what's left.

Not everything survives the crucible, which is, after all the point. It's also the reason so many try to avoid it. They say one should never trust a knight in shining armor because that's a knight who hasn't seen battle. One should never trust a leader who hasn't been through the crucible because that person isn't leading you anywhere you want to go. The journey out starts by going in.