This article discusses three benefits of reading Leadership in Troubled Times by Doris Kearns-Goodwin. In addition to presenting a comprehensive analysis of the leadership of four presidents, it presents a comprehensive review of their backgrounds. In any case, the book offers excellent lessons on leadership, human relations, and crisis management.
3 advantages
- Get the inside scoop
The leaders featured in this book are as different as night and day. I enjoyed finding out what motivated them. President Johnson, for example, earned the nickname Freeze because he could easily withdraw love and affection. What’s more, he refused to take no for an answer.
On the contrary, nothing could distract Abraham Lincoln once he set his mind on any subject. Also, he spoke from the heart and treated everyone equally.
By comparison, Theodore Roosevelt refused to lose his temper. What’s more, he refrained from taking the criticism personally.
On the other hand, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) threw things against the wall to see if they would stick. If they didn’t, he would admit his mistake and try something else.
In short, the writer helps you understand the whole person. Someone said: “We are the sum of our life’s experiences.” This also rings true for our leaders.
- Unearth your strategies for dealing with adversity
Kearns highlights his leadership during four crises: Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, Theodore Roosevelt and the coal strike, FDR and the Depression, and Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act. Consequently, Lincoln began his presidency with a team of independent and determined men. They were more educated and more acclaimed. Still, to address the issue of slavery, he inspired his staff to identify with something bigger than themselves.
In general, Roosevelt moved methodically. He calculated the risks of getting involved in the strike, gathered the facts, used the story to inform his thinking, assembled a crisis management team, and put together the account.
Like Lincoln, FDR stressed the theme of a common purpose. He regained his confidence by balancing reality and a positive outlook. Then he told the people what they could expect and what was expected of them.
In the same way, Johnson devised a compelling image of the future. He simplified the agenda to pass the Civil Rights Act, determined the most effective way to proceed, used his ability to negotiate and make deals, and followed through on commitments.
- Detect four types of leadership
In no time, identify the differences between transformational, transactional, change, and visionary leadership. While each is significant, the subjects apparently knew what was needed for the time and circumstances.