On Ender's Game

The first time I read Ender's Game I was very young and interpreted it much differently. Upon reading it again I understand the underlying messages Orson Scott Card was trying to convey. When I first read the story, I believe I was twelve, and I read it as a kind of adventure book. I imagined myself in Ender's place, and I would imagine what it would feel like to be a leader, overseeing everything that would happen in the 'battles' and using everyone's greatest strengths to my advantage. Reading it again, I realize that the stories interpretation of what the position of leadership is, is one of altruism. In order to be a leader, one must 'win' using all of the pieces, not just handle your own. To be a team member you must be aware of others, yes, but to be a team leader you must be successful both individually and in a group.
I also felt it was interesting that the entire time that Ender was 'playing' the games, in reality he was winning battles using ships as well as lives. I wondered at the end of Ender knew this was happening. I don't think he could have guessed at the beginning, but during the final battles and afterwards when it was revealed that he had been fighting for real he didn't seem too surprised. I fact, it was almost as if he was tired because some part of him knew all along. I have always felt that the ending doesn't quite match the rest of the story for some reason, but maybe it's because I don't include it in the story itself. I believe that the real story happens only at the beginning and during the battles that Ender is battling, and during the learning process. The last few chapters have always appeared somewhat dry to me, because I think all of the lessons occur before then and the ending is functions as nothing but that, simply because the story cannot necessarily have an 'end'. I have a feeling this is one of those stories that I'll read now and then throughout my life.