Passover, the celebration of the Jews' freedom from slavery in Egypt, is a time to reflect. It is a time to appreciate what we have (freedom) and to remember what it was like when we had nothing.

During the Seder, we retell the Passover story and pass it on from one generation to another, because by doing so, each of us can feel like we were there when the Red Sea parted and the Exodus from Egypt happened. Part of the story is particularly memorable for Jewish fathers and sons. It involves the four sons, who each look at Passover differently.

The wise son is the responsible one. He wants to learn from his father all there is to know and he understands his responsibility as a link in the chain. There is the simple son, who doesn't quite get why this is important, and the son who does not even have the ability to ask a question because he is so removed from his heritage. Then there is the contrary son. He argues with his father about everything, and he proclaims that this entire ritual has no meaning for him. Some traditions call him the wicked son.

We don't have to look too hard to find the four sons represented in the business world. Wise leaders understand they have a responsibility to the people they lead. They listen to their employees, groom them for success, and take pride in being part of their community. Some leaders are just happy to get by. They are tactical, not strategic, and they are focused on survival. And as we have seen too often recently, there are the contrary leaders. They can be self-absorbed and even cruel. They think the rules don't apply to them and that there will be no consequences for their actions.

What kind of leader are you? One who feels a responsibility to your employees and a connection to your community, or one who feels that it's a cutthroat world and it is not your responsibility to worry about whether someone else falls on hard times?

In challenging times, we need to decide what sort of leader and person we want to be. Because that decision will have an impact well beyond our own personal Seder table. It will influence how people think about us now and how they will remember us in the future. It will determine what sort of world we leave to the next generation.