“Abraham Lincoln’s humility was the foundation of his leadership. It allowed him to put his ego aside, appoint his harshest political rivals to his cabinet, and continuously learn on the job. He took responsibility for others’ failures, shared credit, and openly acknowledged his own misjudgments.” Psychology Today
Is there anyone in or out of political office that might fit that description today? Or, are arrogance, conceit, and pomposity intrinsic to 21st-century political leadership?
Have we deleted personal judgment in favor of the ever-present screen? A healthy democracy cannot exist, much less persist, if in the order of things arrogance, conceit, and pomposity are ingrained and motivational.
Surely we know that and should understand that character is much easier to weigh and understand than the intricacies of war and tax policies. I would suggest that Americans pulled along by the forces of retribution or ideology take a 21st-century look at Abraham Lincoln.
Look at his face. Read about his physical awkwardness—“gawky, ungainly”. Read about his dark moments. And then read The Gettysburg Address. It was 272 words—it was informed by the brain and heart, not a political consultant or speechwriter. It was directed to Americans who were fighting each other with guns. Lincoln’s mission was to heal—he wanted to win the peace not just the war.
Lincoln closed his speech on the field where four months earlier the Gettysburg battle had taken place with these words: “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Politics today is a battlefield, aimed at enemies—our fellow citizens as “others”. It leaves most Americans exasperated. Or worse. And as politics leads to overbearing governance, many stay home or choose vengeance at the ballot box.
I served in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and now encounter a number of friends who didn’t vote for either who wish they were back in office. And I ended up serving on a Commission led by President Jimmy Carter; he too understood “servant leadership”.
The current President does not regard himself as a servant of more than his own impulses. If there is a consistent motivation, it is vengeance. The result: deep social and political fissures that go well beyond government policy.
Intense division and its persistence will conquer the soul of our nation. America is strong structurally, but today is weak in its capacity for unified action. Is there a well of goodwill to draw from?
We will soon vote in what are called the mid-term elections; we need legislative checks and balances. We don’t need a victory by the Democratic Party with its own version of hubristic behavior. But, given the President’s unceasing vengeful and self-adulatory behavior, we do need the success of the Other Party. In our two-party framework, that is the way it is.
And as the Presidential aspirants begin to maneuver for support in 2028, concentrate on humility. Know, of course, that persons principally known as humble will not seek residence in the White House. But, if the next President’s character traits do not contain a modicum of humility, know that the future ahead is bleak.
Finally, somebody, maybe the President’s daughter Ivanka, needs to give her father a lesson in human nature. Exploiting the apparent power of the White House to change the names of government buildings or adorning facades with your picture is not only embarrassing, it almost certainly results in the opposite of what is intended. Lincoln has not left America. His name is everywhere. And it is there because he was a great President. The gold was in the standard of success not aggrandizement.
But keep in mind we, the electorate writ large, do not have clean hands. Inevitably in a democracy, if there is a mess, it is our mess. If we choose to regard a national election as a face-off between deified avatars, the ultimate failure will be ours.
My advice at this juncture: Right or Left, stay reasonably close to the Center. Support a self-aware leader whose words and actions show that he/she understands humanity—its strengths and weaknesses. And maybe most importantly, an aspirant who fully understands that he/she is similarly endowed.
