The Ultimate Leader: Doctor Who

On the opposite end of the spectrum from reluctant leader Jack Shephard from LOST is the Doctor from Doctor Who.

The Doctor is perhaps the most powerful being in the universe. His intelligence and knowledge are unfathomable. He can travel through time and space, and change both. He and his living spaceship, the TARDIS, are drawn to times and places of need—of disaster and suffering. And always, the Doctor saves (most of) the people.

The great thing about the Doctor is that he embraces his role with delight. He doesn’t resent the burdens placed on him by his heritage and his circumstances. He’s excited by every adventure, every challenge.

Amazingly, he has no superiority complex about his superiority. He makes no bones about being the smartest being in the room, but he’s so matter of fact and fun about it, no one takes offense. He also doesn’t consider himself infallible. He delights as much in an idea from a regular human as he does in his own brilliance. He involves everyone around him—the ones who are capable, anyway, because he doesn’t suffer fools, either—and solves the problem.

There are times, though, that he can’t save everyone. He recognizes it, and laments it, and most of the time accepts it. His is a lonely existence, though, and the burden wears on him. That’s why he seeks companions—to ground him, and help him stay connected to those who need him. To keep him from becoming so jaded and cynical that he stops caring, stops helping.

His never-ending quest to keep the human race from destruction makes us love him. He’s not a romantic hero in the sense that the show contains romance (though that might be changing in the upcoming season). But how can we not want to show him how worthy he is of love? How can we not want to be one of the few humans he connects with personally, part of his very small circle of loved ones?

The Doctor doesn’t seek to lead the universe, but he easily could. He’s a complex, very appealing man, and the series makes sure we never outgrow him—or vice versa—by regenerating him every few years. It remains to be seen how much longer they can come up with fantastical situations (I’m really tired of the Daleks, myself) in which he can save people, but the character himself will live—and lead—forever.

Give me your thoughts on The Doctor! Commenters anywhere this full post appears have a chance to win this week's prize, $25 in Omni Bucks from All Romance eBooks/OmniLit!

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