A question I constantly get asked in reference to the processes I teach is, “How do I get my staff excited about these ideas enough to get them to actually do them?”.  What the underlying and real question that is being asked is, “How do I Lead?”.

Although I have established processes for Mangers to use that help them become better leaders, I thought for this article it might be more interesting to discuss where I have found a lot of my guidance in this area over the years.

As many who know me know, I am an avid reader and studier of U.S. History.  As a matter of fact, I find that I learn more about how to sell, manage, lead and motivate from a good history book or biography then I do most business books. 

One of the easiest areas to learn about leadership is from Presidential history.  At this point, the United States has lived through 44 Presidents.  In that time each of the 44 Presidents have left behind a story or guideline of how to or not to lead.  I have read at least two books on each President and sometimes as many as 20 about another.  All told, in my best estimate I have read over 250,000 pages of Presidential biographies not including articles, compilations, or general books on the topic.  What follows is a very short list of a few Presidents and what lessons I have learned from them. 

GEORGE WASHINGTON.  “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of titles, the character of an honest man.”  As President, he knew that every eye in the world was focused on him and how he acted.  He was very aware that everything he did would set precedence not only for his generation but for generations to come.  He took this very seriously.  After all, how would he be able to criticize another for an infraction if he too was guilty of the same infraction?  The Lesson, if you want your people to show up on time and work hard, you need to show up on time and work hard.  Everything you do sets a precedent.

THOMAS JEFFERSON.  When Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase without going to congress for approval first, it was a bold act in leadership. Jefferson did it though because he knew if the United States didn’t expand and claim the land, Brittan, Spain, France or some other future world power would.  If this were to happen he felt, then it would only be a matter of time before they came not after that land but ours as well.  The lesson, grow or contract, there is no maintain.

ANDREW JACKSON.  Lesson, when in a fight, fight fierce and use every weapon you have.  Although there are many examples throughout Jackson’s life that we could use to prove he fought every fight fiercely, my favorite story happened when he was 67 years old.  As the President he had just attended a congressional funeral at the Capitol Building.  Upon exiting into the rotunda, a man approached the sickly President with pistol in hand, aiming at the Presidents heart at a distance of 13 feet. It didn’t fire due to the effect of Washington’s high humidity on gun powder.  Jackson started beating the man with his cane.  During the beating the man pulled a second pistol placing it inches from the President’s heart with the same result.  The man then started to run but was chased by Jackson, caught, with the beating continuing.  Onlookers (one of which was Congressman Davey Crockett) caught up to the fight pulling Jackson away and in the process saving the assassins life. Later when explaining the incident Jackson explained that “A cane, when swung in the air, can easily be blocked. So instead, I used the cane like a spear, hitting the assassin in the stomach and dropping him to the ground.  Once he was on the ground I stomped on him”.  When in fight, fight fierce and use every weapon you have.

LINCOLN. Lincoln served two terms under circumstances that were the toughest that any President before or since has served under, the Civil War.  With most of his days being filled with gloom and bad news, Lincoln found that humor was his best ally.  In many situations when tensions rose to beyond bearable, Lincoln would break the tension and get all to come to an agreement by adding humor through antidotes.  When being brow beat one day by his constituents regarding appointments to several highly regarded posts, one of Lincoln’s most persistent callers entered the room with the news that the chief of customs had just died and wanted to know if he could possibly take his place?  “It’s fine with me if the undertaker doesn’t mind,” said Lincoln.  From that point, Lincoln was largely left alone to choose who he wanted.  The lesson, it is easier to sell an idea or solve a problem through humor then it is through an argument.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT.  The lesson learned from this President is to love what you do and do it with great enthusiasm.   Nobody loved being President more than Teddy did.  Once he put his mind to a task or getting something through congress, he rarely failed.  He would present his ideas with such a level of passion and enthusiasm, that it was nearly impossible to tell him no. “The gift of the gods to T.R. was joy, joy in life. He took joy in everything he did, in hunting, camping, and ranching, in politics, in reforming the police of civil service, organizing and commanding the Rough Riders.” And then his admirer William Allen White added, “Roosevelt bit me and I went mad.”

HARRY TRUMAN.  I believe David McCullough in his Pulitzer Prize winning biography of President Truman said it best when he said, “As much as any President since Lincoln, he brought to the highest office the language and values of the common American people. He held to the guidelines: work hard, do your best, speak the truth, assume no airs, trust in God, have no fear….qualities that made him a figure of world stature, both a great and good man, and a great American President.”  He largely accomplished this by “telling it” the way it was.  He did not mince words.  “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” and “The buck stops here!” were a few statements he used and lived by earning him the nick name, “Give ‘em hell, Harry!”. Lesson.  Tell it the way it is.

So, among other things, setting precedent, grow or contract, fighting fierce in every fight, selling ideas through humor,  loving what you do and doing it with great enthusiasm and tell it the way it is are a few of the leadership principles I have learned from some of the Presidents.  All character traits that can be seen in any great leader, business, Presidential or otherwise.

Recently when asked if I had learned anything from more recent Presidents I replied that I had.  RONALD REAGAN taught me that having pride in what you do and instilling it in those around you is priceless.  From BILL CLINTON I learned that your entire legacy can be lost when you imply that those around you are not intelligent.  He may not have known how the word “is” was being used, but we did.

If you truly wish to become a great leader, I have found that studying those that already have done it from any field is the way best to learn.  Plus it can offer great relaxation and entertainment as well.

Jeff Cowan

President

Jeff Cowan's PRO TALK®, Inc.

Copyright 2007, all rights reserved.

Fixed Ops Magazine, June 2008