In honor of President’s Day I thought I would take a walk back in U.S. history and reflect on some of the examples of leadership that a few of our great presidents lived by.
George Washington, our first president, not only was a great commander on the battlefield, his leadership and courage united a war-torn country and he set the United States on its path to greatness at that time. The most important lesson, in my opinion, that George Washington continue to show throughout his life was that even during the most difficult of times he remained honest and ethical. He truly was a role model for other leaders who followed him.
George Washington was not only our first president he was an excellent business entrepreneur and farmer. If you want to understand the makings of a leader take a good look at George Washington’s life and how he handled himself.
John F. Kennedy is listed in the top examples of presidential leadership. President Kennedy believed that understanding the people you are charged with leading was the most essential skill of leadership. The following quote of President Kennedy’s summed up how important he understood his role of leadership to be.
“Most important of all, and most difficult to consciously pursue, is an understanding of the people you will lead. You, and at times you alone, will be the spokesman for the great and often silent majority. And the final measure of your administration will, in large measure, rest on how well you respond to their inward hopes while leading them toward new horizons of ambition and achievement.”
We have a wealth of information on great leaders of the past right at our finger tips. By looking back at many of these leaders we will find their victories and defeats, and with that knowledge we can improve our own leadership skills.
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