Presidential Leadership
Presidential Leadership
Today we transition from President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden. Biden will become the 46th President of the United States. Think about that. Only 45 people before him have experienced what he will. It’s quite remarkable. There is no leadership position in the world that is observed, critiqued, and studied more than the President of the United States. So, with today being a historic day, I felt compelled to share some thoughts.
First and foremost, I want to point out that these thoughts are designed to be apolitical. We will unpack leadership from the lens of some of the most well-known presidents in our history, but none of the thoughts have anything to do with political party. Regardless of what you think about Trump, there’s no denying that he gave us an up-close seat into how the leadership of the president has a massive impact on our society. The office matters. Leadership matters. And we should all be doing our part to learn key lessons from whomever is in office (both good and bad).
With that in mind, I decided to pull quotes of strong leadership from some of our past presidents.
“I walk slowly but I never walk backward”.
- Abraham Lincoln
Leadership is about progressive poise. With leadership comes responsibility. A leader must learn to create space in their life. Great leaders know that they need to respond more than they react. They are strategic. Thoughtful. Often methodical. Walking slowly allows you to play the long game, while not walking backwards allows you to learn and progress. The combination of having the patience to listen, question, and think with the persistence to grow, learn, and improve is a beautiful combination.
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
Leadership is not just about the head, it’s also about the heart. Great leaders love the people they serve. They love them by leveraging communication, respect, and trust. Caring is about connection. A leader who sits on a throne without genuinely caring for his or her people will eventually lose the faith of their people.
“United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.”
- John F. Kennedy
Great leaders unite their people, poor leaders divide them. We are the UNITED States of America for a reason. Our power comes from unity. Leaders that divide create fractures and division. Leadership is about offering hope. Sharing optimism. Bringing people together. Leaders have impact and influence. The best leaders know how to use their influence to help people to see people as people. A great leader focuses on common shared values rather than the differing perceived value of those values.
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
- Ronald Raegan
Leadership is about empowering others. It’s about giving credit when things go well and taking the blame when they don’t. A great leader knows that they are in service to something bigger than themselves. They create systems, frameworks, and strategies to allow others to thrive. A leader’s job is less about executing, and more about strategizing. They have to think about how they can put their people in the best possible position to succeed.
“Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don’t settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world.”
- Barack Obama
Leadership is about inspiration and aspiration. A great leader will inspire others to reach for something that seems out of reach. It’s about seeing more in people than they may see in themselves. Additionally, a great leader provides aspiration; people look to them and hope to see something similar in themselves. The greatest leaders believe in multiple possibilities while constantly growing and learning, and they remain convicted in their mission to work as hard as possible to have a positive influence.
In closing, just as Trump has provided a glimpse into the impact that leadership can have on society, so too can presidents of our past. They show us the good, the bad, the ugly. There is no hiding as president.
As Joe Biden takes office, I hope he can lean into some of the best qualities of his predecessors. The world will be watching.