In my book, “Beyond the Cherry Tree: The Leadership Wisdom of George Washington,” I elucidated on leadership principles using various leaders as examples, but focusing on America’s foremost leader, President George Washington. I have selected a few quotes from the book that may be instructive on leadership, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower defined as follows: “Leadership is getting other people to do work because they want to.”
Good character is a vital attribute in a leader. Sam Piazza, CEO of Price Waterhouse, observed, “It has become dramatically clear that the foundation of corporate integrity is personal integrity.” Senator Alan Simpson wisely stated, “If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.”
According to author Stephen Covey, “Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often an unconscious pattern, they constantly, daily express our habits.” George Washington said, “Between a stimulus and a response, there is a moment in which one must make a choice of what action one will take. The more thoroughly ingrained the ethical leadership principles are within us, the more likely we will choose to act correctly.”
At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Colonel William Woodford asked General Washington’s advice on the proper conduct necessary to be the most effective leader of men. Washington responded:
"The best general advice I can give is to be strict in your discipline, that is, to require nothing unreasonable of your officers and men, but see that whatever is required be punctually complied with. Reward and punish every man according to his merit, without partiality or prejudice; hear his complaints, if well founded, redress them, if otherwise, discourage them in order to prevent frivolous ones. Discourage vice in every shape, and impress upon the mind of every man from the first to the lowest, of the importance of our cause, and what it is they are contending for. Forever keep in view the necessity of guarding against surprise. Be plain and precise in your orders, and keep copies of them to refer to, that no mistakes may happen. Be easy and condescending in your deportment to your officers, but not too familiar, lest you subject yourself to a want of that respect, which is necessary to support a proper command. These, Sir, I have presumed to give as the great outlines for your conduct.”
Warren Buffett believed that leaders had a responsibility to ensure integrity in the group, saying, “Leaders must take action to not only act properly themselves but to enforce ethical conduct by their followers.”
Another important attribute of a leader is vision. Author Stephen Covey wrote, “I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a ‘transformer’ in any situation in any organization, such an individual is the yeast that leavens an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage and faith to be a transforming leader.” George Washington credited his education with helping him to craft his vision for the future: “My broad education and wide reading and reflection upon my own and other’s experiences had prepared me to find new opportunities and strategies the better to fulfill my vision. To remain effective, I continued to read and reflect.”
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Winner of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge Medal of Honor
Member: National Speakers Association, American Society for Training and Development
Cynthia F. Hodges, JD, LLM, MA
