Doris Kearns Goodwin, noted U.S. Presidential historian, weaves the lives of four U.S. Presidents into an enlightening exploration of Leadership in Turbulent Times(2018). Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Baines Johnson faced extraordinary circumstances during their terms in office. Their experiences as youth could not have been more different yet their experiences cultivated resilience and persistence that allowed them to rise to the moment when they could make a difference – and they did.
Kearns Goodwin does not explicitly reference any leadership theory in her analysis yet she notes some of the most prominent leadership theories in a section titled “Business Books on Leadership Skills” at the end of the book. I would not characterize most of the books she lists as either related to business nor would I recognize them as skill-based in their approach. However, any differences in word choice I have are eclipsed by the depth of her documentation of historical and biographical conditions that shaped the leadership of these four Presidents. Among the questions she visited in preparing to write the book were: “Are leaders born or made? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? What is the difference between power, title, and leadership? Is leadership possible without a purpose larger than personal ambition?” (Forward). While exploring these questions, Kearns Goodwin concluded that what distinguished the four Presidents most was their fierce ambition, high drive to succeed, perseverance and hard work, and tenacity in enhancing the qualities they were granted by personality or experience.
Leadership provides a chronology of the four Presidents’ lives that aligns with the four broad areas on which they are compared: ambition and the recognition of leadership; adversity and growth; how they led; and their legacy. In fascinating ways, the four compose a family tree or lineage that spans over a century. Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were Republicans and Franklin Roosevelt and Johnson were Democrats, yet all four strove to grant full rights to all within the provisions of the U.S. Constitution and they worked tireless to address the inequities of economic privilege that existed in their time.
The combined details of each President’s youth and young adult years resulted in a collection of attributes that are often associated with leadership promise; Lincoln’s remarkable memory, ability to break down complex issues into more simple elements, empathy and affection for others, and willingness to admit errors and learn from them; Theodore Roosevelt’s voracious appetite for reading, laser focus, and abandonment of his own privileged background; Franklin Roosevelt’s humility, congeniality, optimism, and emotional and connective intelligence; and Johnson’s negotiation skills, ability to exploit the levers of power, work ethic, and wisdom in securing wise and faithful mentors.
Each of the four experienced deep tragedy or disappointment in their youth or early adult years that helped prepare them for the greater challenges they would face in political life. Kearns Goodwin identified a broad set of strategies that became the collective tools for success in the Presidency. These tips are most useful for positional or political figures. Examples included: for Lincoln – find time and space in which to think, anticipate contending viewpoints, set a standard of mutual respect and dignity, shield colleagues from blame, and keep your word; Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘embattled hero’ view led to – calculate risks of getting involved, remain uncommitted in the early stages, adapt as a situation escalates, be visible, cultivate public support, frame the narrative, keep temper in check, find ways to relieve stress, share credit for success; for Franklin Roosevelt – infuse shared purpose and direction, tell people what to expect and what is expected of them, lead by example, forge a team aligned with action and change, address systemic problems and launch lasting reforms, stimulate competition and debate, adapt and change course quickly when necessary; and finally, for Johnson – make a dramatic start, lead with your strengths, simplify the agenda, know for what and when to risk it all, impose discipline in the ranks, identify the key to success, set forth a compelling picture of the future, know when to hold back and when to move forward, and celebrate by honoring the past and building momentum for the future.
Throughout her writing, Kearns Goodwin provides quotes that, compiled together, comprise some of the most enduring phrases of all time; Abraham Lincoln’s “Counsel woven into the fabric of real life is wisdom” or “I must die or be better,” Theodore Roosevelt’s “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” or “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” Franklin Roosevelt’s “Above all, try something” or “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and Lyndon Johnson’s “Time is the most valuable thing you have; be sure to spend it well.”
Abraham Lincoln brought a young nation through civil war, Theodore Roosevelt challenged the “Gilded Age” titans of industry, Franklin Roosevelt steered the nation out of the 1930s economic depression and to victory in war, and Lyndon Johnson’s tragic entry into the Presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy led to negotiating essential civil rights legislation – these were the turbulent times each faced and transcended. Capturing a common challenge to all four Presidents, Franklin Roosevelt implored citizens to work for the common good because the “rock of class hatred” was “the greatest and most dangerous rock in the course of any republic.” Capturing the spirit of all four of these U.S. Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed during his unsuccessful bid for a return third term as President that, “Win or lose I am glad beyond measure that I am one of the many who in this fight have stood ready to spend and be spent.”
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