The story of The Wild Geese is one of courage. It is facing hardships and overcoming them to make a difference. In 1691, when The Wild Geese had to make their fateful choice, the soldiers has Patrick Sarsfield to look to. He lead them in the right direction, his strong sense of duty and commitment to a cause, encouraging them when times were tough.

Today we still look to leaders in times of peril, who can inspire us when we’re faced with adversity and unforeseen circumstance. One such example is Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey, who has made sure that his term in office is one of action.

(Photo by Veni Markovski, via Flickr Creative Commons)

When the east coast of the USA was hit by Hurricane Sandy last October, Newark was amongst the victim cities. People across the city were left without food, power and supplies, which spurred the mayor to take action and lead by example.

He famously worked 22 hour shifts, personally delivering supplies to those in need. His Twitter feed became a helpline, from which he could coordinate how best to help his community. Seeing Booker take an active role in relief efforts helped lift the morale of the city can keep the community together.

‘It helps spread a message and a spirit of heroism to others’ declared the Mayor in a recent interview.

Although Newark has a shady reputation, during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy there were no reports of looting and a sense of community that Booker was very proud of:

‘It’s a great spirit in our city, people pulling together and watching out for each other’

For Booker, these actions are not just about ticking boxes on the election papers. Booker has worked tirelessly to reinvigorate his city from collecting investments from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, to championing policies that help keep the city healthy. This relates back to a higher cause that drives Booker, and like The Wild Geese, he cannot ignore:

‘My Mom said, “You have this obligation to live a fearless life. You should try to push the limits of what’s possible, because you were given so much, that’s what your obligation is”‘

Cory Booker at the 2012 National Democratic Convention (Photo by Steve Bott, via Flickr Creative Commons)

A true leader and unafraid to take action, many are already calling on Booker to challenge for Governor. For now though, he is making a difference in his own community, playing parent, superhero, protector and leading by example.