Does Sacrifice Equal Better Leaders?

The Spartans seemed to consider boys owned by society more then their families. With the sense of duty that a family felt to maintain Sparta it was essential to train strong soldiers and leaders. As a mother I can't imagine sending my son away at seven. Giving up my son to the state would be a huge sacrifice. If I was living in a community dependent on a strong military to maintain the state that sacrifice would be necessary. Political dedication and involvement in government was associated with the highest degree of prestige. I think many people could make a difference politically if public service was a priority. It would be nice if our society took more interest in training strong political leaders. Maybe our leaders would be more successful.