Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 143,000,000 followers, it will no longer be America. Truly American leadership is not of any one man. It is of multitudes of men — and women.

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) American general, US President (1953-61)

“An Open Letter to America’s Students,” Reader’s Digest (1948-10)
    (Source)

Quoted in different locations with various numbers for the US population. The letter was written while Eisenhower was President of Columbia University.