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A review by mikegray6
Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
4.0
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