"The future you have will largely be determined by one factor: what people you choose to connect with. When you take along people of talent, your own potential for growth becomes truly unlimited", said Dan Sullivan. The quotation helped me understand why our leaders, whether in government or in opposition, do not grow. They all choose mediocre people for key posts who, in turn, act as their yes-men. They sing paynes of national interest but that is generally to camouflage their own personal interests. -MIR TABASSUM MAIRAJ, Islamabad, via e-mail, October 7.