Recently I had the pleasure of touring some of China’s great treasure spots. It gave me excellent perspective on leadership and just how universal it is.
It was sponsored by the National Association of Farm Broadcasters and the tour was put on by Custom Travel Network out of California.
Bernhard Steiner and his staff was extraordinary and seamless in all accommodations and local guiding. I highly recommend him.
It was a part business, part vacation trip for me.
A group of thirty of us attended, all with various backgrounds, but an overall common interest in agriculture, broadcasting, business, and China.
We began in Shanghai. A city three times the size of New York City, roughly 24 million inhabitants.
This place was lit up like Las Vegas on steroids during the evening and featured the second tallest building in the world.
(Second tallest building in the world from the top on left, from the bottom on right.)
Beijing was our next stop. This city possessed some of the older majesty of China, like the Forbidden City and Great Wall. 
The Great Wall is atop a mountain range, some 13,000 miles long (including all its branches), made of brick, and created over 2000 years ago!?!
To see it in person makes it even more hard to understand the depth of building it…
Clearing the trees, bringing the product up the mountain range, the engineering?!?
I’m guessing it couldn’t have happened without a leader with a vision, creating a solid team to put that together.
A true wonder of the world.
Between this and experiencing the rest of China’s cities, 
I reflected on our country.
Barely 250 years young.
What impact will we be leaving…
I hope all of us realize that we matter.
And our voice is important. We have a choice in how we choose to shape our future.
Unlike China, we live in a democracy. Free to choose.
(Photo of Xiam night life.)