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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
3.5 Very good. I learned a lot about these Presidents as I listened to this audibook. I would recommend reading this over listening. It moved fast, and was tricky to really note and recall the leadership principles discussed when only listening to the book.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
A methodical and enlightening exploration of what it means to be a leader in difficult times. Kearns Godwin unflinchingly examines where these four men excelled and where they failed. She certainly brings to the fore the toll the presidency can take on a person as well. The only thing that could have made this a better book would have been to partner with a psychologist or a political scientist to get a view of these people and events from another discipline.
Very solid history of 4 incredible presidents accompanied by extremely valuable leadership principles and lessons from each.
(Headers below for reference later)
Abraham Lincoln:
Acknowledge when failed policies demand a change in direction
Gather firsthand information, ask questions
Find time and space in which to think
Exhaust all possibility of compromise before unilateral executive power
Anticipate contending viewpoints
Assume full responsibility for a pivotal decision
Understand the emotional needs of each member of the team
Refuse to let past resentments fester
Set a standard of mutual respect and dignity, control anger
Shield colleagues from blame
Maintain perspective in the face of both accolades and abuse
Find ways to cope with pressure, maintain balance, and replenish energy (was theatre for him)
Keep your word
Know when to hold back and when to move forward
Combine transactional and transformational leadership
Be accessible, easy to approach
Put ambition for the collective interest above self-interest
Theodore Roosevelt:
Calculate risks of getting involved
Secure a reliable understanding of the facts, causes, and conditions of the situation
Remain uncommitted in the early stages
Use history to provide perspective
Be ready to grapple with reversals, abrupt intrusions can unravel all plans
Reevaluate options; be ready to adapt as a situation escalates
Be visible. Cultivate public support among those directly affected by the crisis
Clear the deck to focus with single-mindedness on the crisis
Assemble a crisis management team
Frame the narrative
Keep temper in check
Document proceedings each step of the way
Control the message in the press
Find ways to relieve stress
Be ready with multiple strategies, prepare contingent moves
Don’t hit unless you have to, but when you hit, hit hard
Find ways to save face
Share credit for the successful resolution
Leave a record behind for the future
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Draw an immediate sharp line of demarcation between what has gone before adn what is about to begin
Restore confidence to the spirit and morale of the people. Strike the right balance of realism and optimism
Infuse a sense of shared purpose and direction
Tell people what they can expect and what is expected of them
Lead by example
Forge a team aligned with action and change
Create a gathering pause, a window of time
Bring all stakeholders aboard
Set a deadline and drive full-bore to meet it
Set forth and maintain clear-cut ground rules with the press
Tell the story simply, directly to the people
Address systemic problems. Launch lasting reforms
Be open to experiment. Design flexible systems to deal with new problems
Stimulate competition and debate. Encourage creativity
Open channels of unfiltered information to supplement and challenge official sources
Adapt. Be ready to change course quickly when necessary
Lyndon B. Johnson:
Make a dramatic start
Lead with your strengths
Simplify the agenda
Establish the most effective order of battle
Honor commitments
Drive, drive, drive
Master the power of the narrative
Rally support around a strategic target
Draw a clear line of battle
Impose discipline in the ranks
Identify the key to success. Put ego aside
Take the measure of the man
Set forth a compelling picture of the future
The readiness is all
Give stakeholders a chance to shape measures from the start
Know when to hold back, when to move forward
Let celebrations honor the past and provide momentum for the future
(Headers below for reference later)
Abraham Lincoln:
Acknowledge when failed policies demand a change in direction
Gather firsthand information, ask questions
Find time and space in which to think
Exhaust all possibility of compromise before unilateral executive power
Anticipate contending viewpoints
Assume full responsibility for a pivotal decision
Understand the emotional needs of each member of the team
Refuse to let past resentments fester
Set a standard of mutual respect and dignity, control anger
Shield colleagues from blame
Maintain perspective in the face of both accolades and abuse
Find ways to cope with pressure, maintain balance, and replenish energy (was theatre for him)
Keep your word
Know when to hold back and when to move forward
Combine transactional and transformational leadership
Be accessible, easy to approach
Put ambition for the collective interest above self-interest
Theodore Roosevelt:
Calculate risks of getting involved
Secure a reliable understanding of the facts, causes, and conditions of the situation
Remain uncommitted in the early stages
Use history to provide perspective
Be ready to grapple with reversals, abrupt intrusions can unravel all plans
Reevaluate options; be ready to adapt as a situation escalates
Be visible. Cultivate public support among those directly affected by the crisis
Clear the deck to focus with single-mindedness on the crisis
Assemble a crisis management team
Frame the narrative
Keep temper in check
Document proceedings each step of the way
Control the message in the press
Find ways to relieve stress
Be ready with multiple strategies, prepare contingent moves
Don’t hit unless you have to, but when you hit, hit hard
Find ways to save face
Share credit for the successful resolution
Leave a record behind for the future
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Draw an immediate sharp line of demarcation between what has gone before adn what is about to begin
Restore confidence to the spirit and morale of the people. Strike the right balance of realism and optimism
Infuse a sense of shared purpose and direction
Tell people what they can expect and what is expected of them
Lead by example
Forge a team aligned with action and change
Create a gathering pause, a window of time
Bring all stakeholders aboard
Set a deadline and drive full-bore to meet it
Set forth and maintain clear-cut ground rules with the press
Tell the story simply, directly to the people
Address systemic problems. Launch lasting reforms
Be open to experiment. Design flexible systems to deal with new problems
Stimulate competition and debate. Encourage creativity
Open channels of unfiltered information to supplement and challenge official sources
Adapt. Be ready to change course quickly when necessary
Lyndon B. Johnson:
Make a dramatic start
Lead with your strengths
Simplify the agenda
Establish the most effective order of battle
Honor commitments
Drive, drive, drive
Master the power of the narrative
Rally support around a strategic target
Draw a clear line of battle
Impose discipline in the ranks
Identify the key to success. Put ego aside
Take the measure of the man
Set forth a compelling picture of the future
The readiness is all
Give stakeholders a chance to shape measures from the start
Know when to hold back, when to move forward
Let celebrations honor the past and provide momentum for the future
challenging
informative
medium-paced
A more intimate and personal look at who these men were, faults and all, and how who they were allowed them to do what we remember most about them.
I enjoyed this book. It is primarily a biography, but it is organized to cover Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ at similar points in their lives in order to draw out their respective examples of leadership. I found it effective as a history book. The best sections were the two on the formative "growth" part of their early careers, and the periods of their maximum impact and how that grew out of that formative portion.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Another excellent book by Goodwin! I loved the deep dive into Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ and have gained a deeper appreciation of how their leadership styles (and individual quirks) have influenced moments of crisis in the US. The parallels with our current era are striking. Highly highly recommend!
DNF- about 50 pages left.
Goodwin is a stellar historian. I couldn't bring myself to finish this one though, mainly due to its patchwork nature. The book feels like sections copy/pasted from much longer works. While the text is very accessible, she kind of dips in and out of portions of the presidents' lives with slightly bumpy transitions.
There is a structure to the book, to be fair. It just felt like one of those "previously on this tv show" segments at the beginning of some programs, attempting to form a cohesive narrative but mostly just jarring the reader at precisely the moment things started getting good.
Goodwin is a stellar historian. I couldn't bring myself to finish this one though, mainly due to its patchwork nature. The book feels like sections copy/pasted from much longer works. While the text is very accessible, she kind of dips in and out of portions of the presidents' lives with slightly bumpy transitions.
There is a structure to the book, to be fair. It just felt like one of those "previously on this tv show" segments at the beginning of some programs, attempting to form a cohesive narrative but mostly just jarring the reader at precisely the moment things started getting good.