When Not to Lead

by Mark Goulston and Kevin Gregson Lessons from George W: On succession planning, ego and being presidential.

Friends, And Fellow Citizens The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States, being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that should now apprise you of the resolution have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made!!! Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, am unconscious of intentional error, am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to thin" it probable that may have committed many errors! #hatever they may be, fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend! shall also carry with me the hope, that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence$ and that, after forty%five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest! - G. Washington United tates, !"t# eptember !"$% &#ese 'ords represent a transition of leaders#ip unprecedented in all of #uman #istory up to t#at time. &#is can be said 'it#out (merican bias. &#is 'as t#e first time a soldier, turned citi)en*leader, 'illingly and voluntarily turned over t#e po'er of civilian government to anot#er yet to be determined citi)en leader. Kno'n as Was#ington+s ,are'ell address, it 'as not an address at all but an open letter to t#e t#en nascent (merican -eople. .n order to fully appreciate t#e magnitude of t#is transfer of po'er, some #istorical conte/t is important. (lso, t#ere is muc# t#at can be learned by entrepreneurs from George Was#ington, aside from t#is act of selfless leaders#ip and dedication to #is ultimate ob0ective of creating a nation. Was#ington 'as after all, an entrepreneur #imself. 1e #ad to creatively resource t#e ne' and under*resourced 2ontinental (rmy. (s a leader #e #ad to train, organi)e, motivate and manage t#is ne' and different fig#ting force. 1is competition 'as larger, better trained, more mature and better establis#ed in its approac#, and very 'ell capitali)ed. 1e

led #is people t#roug# very adverse circumstances, al'ays keeping t#em focused on t#eir #ig#er purpose rat#er t#an t#eir current difficult state of affairs. Was#ington #ad a keen understanding of t#e importance of making time your ally rat#er t#an your enemy. 1e did t#is t#roug# conscious procrastination, t#e art of picking your spots and not acting in #aste. 1e kne' t#at in order to ac#ieve #is ultimate ob0ective, #e did not #ave to defeat #is enemy in every situation. 1e needed to ac#ieve small, important victories t#at 'ould inspire #is people and so' t#e seeds of doubt in #is enemy. Was#ington understood t#at t#e most important t#ing 'as to sustain and persevere. 3at#er t#an defeat t#e 4ritis# militarily, #e #ad to break t#eir 'ill. 1e #ad to convince t#e 4ritis# command and t#e 4ritis# soldier in t#e field t#at alt#oug# t#e 2ontinental (rmy mig#t not ac#ieve a decisive military victory, t#ey 'ould also deny t#at opportunity to t#e 4ritis#. 1e needed to give t#e ne' enterprise, kno'n as (merica, t#e gift of time. &#e time to develop, congeal and coalesce as a nation. &o understand t#e monumental task t#at Was#ington undertook is to understand t#e stature #e gained upon #aving ac#ieved it. (c#ieving victory 'it# t#e forced e/pulsion of t#e 4ritis# via t#e &reaty of -aris, gave Was#ington nearly unprecedented po'er and popularity. 1e 'as a truly myt#ic figure. 1is likeness 'as every'#ere. 5early all revered #im and even #is enemies and detractors #ad deep respect for #is ac#ievements. &#ere 'ere greater t#inkers, orators and 'riters at t#e time, but no greater recogni)ed leader t#en Was#ington. Was#ington could #ave #ad #imself cro'ned king of (merica at t#at time and t#ere 'ould #ave been little to stop #im. .nstead #e c#ose a different pat#. (nd 'it# t#at c#oice set off a c#ain of events t#at #as led to over t'o #undred years of peaceful, orderly transitions of po'er in t#e 'orld+s oldest operating democratic republic. .n eptember of !"$%, Was#ington demonstrated t#at #e kne' somet#ing t#at entrepreneurs, founders and leaders of all types s#ould kno', but all too often fail to reali)e ** it 'as time. .t 'as time to transition to t#e ne/t level of stability and maturity as a government and as a nation. Good leaders kno' #o' and '#en to lead, great leaders also kno' #o' and '#en to leave. 1ad Was#ington c#osen to continue, #e kne' intuitively, t#at t#e entire future, and nature of leaders#ip in (merica, 'ould be forever different, and not better. 1e 'ould #ave left t#e members of t#is ne' democratic republic 'it# t#e sense of dependency on c#arismatic leaders#ip vested in a man, rat#er t#an t#e independence derived from fait# in t#emselves, institutions, process and t#eir guiding principles. .n effect, Was#ington #ad come to an inflection point in t#e development of t#e ne' nation. 6one 'ell, t#e orderly transition 'ould set t#is ne' country on an up'ard tra0ectory for gro't# and prosperity. 6one poorly, t#e course 'ould be set for dissention, dependency and t#e strong possibility t#is ne' enterprise 'ould never reac# its potential or survive at all.

4y po'erful e/ample, Was#ington created a fundamental precept t#at resonates today in (merican culture. &#at dedication to a cause, an idea, or a principle larger t#an yourself, demands t#at you sub0ugate yourself for t#e good of t#e '#ole. &#e po'er of #umility cannot be underestimated in a great leader. ( clear understanding and recognition of our faults can #ave a profound impact on ot#ers. &#e ,are'ell (ddress is a masterfully conceived message t#at in its entirety embodies bot# great ideas 'it# t#e #umility of a 7irginia farmer of t#e day. &#e ,are'ell (ddress is a great study of #o' one gets t#e message out, and also about kno'ing your audience. &#e ,are'ell (ddress 'as never delivered as a speec#, as many messages of its type 'ere delivered at t#e time. .nstead it 'as publis#ed as an open letter to t#e (merican public in a local ne'spaper and subse8uently picked up and reprinted all over t#e country. Was#ington 'as a master of symbolism, rituals and traditions from #is years of military service. &#e crafting and placement of t#is message is no e/ception. .nstead of an address to t#e 2ongress '#ic# may or may not #ave made its 'ay to t#e people, #e bypassed 2ongress completely and took #is case directly to t#e public. .t 'as #is 'ay of sending a po'erful message about t#eir role as a central player in t#e future success of their country. (gain, an unprecedented notion for t#e time. &#e ne' country and its people 'ere still trying to find t#eir 'ay in t#is ne' e/periment, in effect seeking t#eir vision. &#is strategically brilliant use of media and direct communication not only conveyed t#e message in its content, but reinforced it t#roug# its met#od and use of plain language. 2ertainly, most of t#ose reading t#e message t#en did not take t#e time to analy)e t#e strategic nature of it, but it set a tone and created an environment t#at '#ile conceptual, 'as also palpable. &#at is '#at great leaders do. &#ey set t#e tone and create t#e environment for future success for t#ose best placed to make it #appen, on t#e street, t#e s#op floor or t#e local cubicle.