An article at the U.S. Air Force web site titled “Leadership not defined by shapes, sizes,” caught my attention this morning.
After reading “Short in stature at 5 feet 4 inches, not particularly handsome, a bookworm and not exactly the life of the party,” I became very hopeful that the subject of this essay was going to be yours truly. But when I read something about “his brilliant mind and leadership skills,” my hopes were dashed.
The writer, Col. Jerry Wizda, was in fact writing about our fourth president, James Madison, telling us:
Short in stature at 5 feet 4 inches, not particularly handsome, a bookworm and not exactly the life of the party, James Madison does not fit some perceptions of a leader.
In today’s world, he probably would have been perceived as a nerd. But, his brilliant mind and leadership skills now have historians re-embracing Madison’s presidency and his leadership.
Wizda continues:
President Madison is best known as “The Father of the Constitution.” He was a delegate, unequaled in his writing abilities, who kept written documentation at every secret Constitutional Convention’s meeting. Later, his Virginia Plan became the basis for our Constitution. What most people do not remember is President Madison’s equally successful presidency, when he led an infant nation against the greatest naval power in the world and won. The War of 1812 remains “The Forgotten War.” Many do not realize it was through President Madison’s leadership the U.S. escaped becoming, once again, subjects of Great Britain.
Wizda then asks, “So what personal attributes made this man an unlikely leader, and what can you take from the story of President Madison and apply to today’s world to make you a leader?”
Having observed, on the occasion of the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, a lot of discussion on “the worst U.S. presidents” and on what some have called a “rush to judgment” — perhaps on both sides — on the legacy of our 43rd president, the question immediately rose as to where this president, James Madison, ranks among our 44 presidents. (Allowing for the fact that President Grover Cleveland is usually counted as both the 22nd and the 24th president because the terms were non-consecutive.)
While some scholarly and not-so-scholarly polls or rankings have Madison among the top 10 to 15 presidents — for example, Madison comes out fifth in this one — most polls place Madison pretty much in the middle of the pack. A presidential rankings survey of 65 historians and professional observers of the presidency done by C-SPAN, ranking each president by leadership attributes, ranked James Madison in 18th place in 2000 and in 20th place in 2009.
The same survey, in 2009, placed George W. Bush towards the bottom of the pack — #36 — “outdone” only by Millard Fillmore, Warren G. Harding, William Henry Harrison, Franklin D. Pierce, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan.
While many claim that it is too early to rate or judge George W. Bush’s presidency, and while Bush, and Nixon, slip in and out of the bottom ten (“the worst presidents”), depending on when, by whom, why and how the ranking is done, the following former presidents seem to have more or less found a permanent place in the cellar, a crowded place hosting the “worst U.S. presidents”: James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, John Tyler, Warren G. Harding, William Harrison, and Ulysses S. Grant.
For an assessment of the more recent U.S. Presidents, in my opinion, a lot of opinion (and perhaps even — heaven forbid — partisanship) comes into play. That is perhaps why so many have already judged George W. Bush’s presidency to be the worst in U.S. history and why almost an equal number of Americans have already judged President Obama to be the worst president “ever.” So the debate continues, and will continue as long as we have our political party system.
But back to the question of what personal attributes made James Madison a leader and what we can take from the story of President Madison and apply to today’s world to make us and others leaders.
Col. Wizda:
First, always believe in yourself and never doubt your abilities. This is probably the hardest perception to embrace. Each day when President Madison went to the Constitutional Convention meetings, he stood up and rallied for a democratic government with election of congressmen directly by the people. He wrote the Federalist Papers with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton; documents considered to be the best interpretation of American government, even in present times. He truly embraced his ideals, and this spurred him to speak and write what was in his heart. His conviction to his ideals gave us the great nation we have today. At work, strive to be the best you can be. Work from your heart. If you give already 100 percent, strive to give 110 percent.
Secondly, stay true to yourself and stand by your convictions. After President Madison asked Congress to declare war on Great Britain June 1, 1812, riots began because of the decision. Talk of succession in New England ran rampant. But, President Madison stayed true to his belief in freedom for America. And, despite opposition to the war, he stood his ground. He said, “If we lose, we lose independence.” People will perceive you as a leader if you stick to your beliefs and do not go back and forth on your ideals. Even those who do not agree with you will respect you for your steadfast loyalty and convictions.
Lastly, know when to stay and know when to run. Even the best leaders must give up the fight at some point for the sake of their people. On August 24, 1814, President Madison and Congress fled Washington on horseback as the British advanced on the city. While it may have been perceived as cowardly to run, fleeing the city was the only choice President Madison had.
Wizda concludes, addressing members of the U.S. Air Force and, in a way, all of us:
If he had a chosen to stay and ordered Congress to stay, they would have been captured or killed. Merely three days after fleeing, President Madison returned to Washington, rallied the citizens, and connected with the people like he never had before. President Madison rallied Congress and met in a post office, the only building left standing. He began the work of the government from scratch and turned the tide of war. Think carefully about your decisions and of the consequences down the road. Is the fight worth it?
Not all of us will become president, but each in our own way, can be a successful leader. Every day we make decisions that affect our families, the Air Force and its Airmen, and our country. Many of these decisions are simple, and many can be life-altering. If we embrace the lessons of our forefathers, we are sure to become successful Airmen and leaders in our own right
Not bad advice, and not bad for a “middle-of-the-pack” President — especially one short in stature and not particularly handsome.
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.