Journal of Sacred Work

Days 109-113 – The “Barbarian” President

   All leaders are also caregivers. The larger the position, the more important this role. Yet, our best leaders are subjected to enormous criticism & are frequently unappreciated by their contemporaries. 

Abraham lincoln   "He is a barbarian, Scythian, Yahoo, a gorilla in respect of outward polish…" wrote attorney George Templeton Strong in 1860. He was describing Abraham Lincoln. 

   Noted educator Carl Schurz, described Lincoln thusly, "He is an overgrown nature-child and does not understand artifices of speech and attitude." 

   On a fall day in Gettysburg Lincoln delivered the finest speech in American history.

   How could Strong & Schurz have been so wrong? They judged surface instead of substance. 

   In fifty years of leading & of studying leaders I have seen the full array. Every leader has a different personality but every successful one operates from the same core energies: Integrity, high purpose & an inner peace grounded in humility.     

   The next American President is sure to impact healthcare. We need substance. Yet, the current campaigns are rife with battles that sometimes sound childish. 

   Amid concerns over healthcare, the economy & terrorism Ted Cruz & Donald Trump have engaged in disputes about who insulted the other's wife first, whether John McCain was a hero & (stunningly) whether Donald Trump's hands & penis are large or small. The only GOP candidate displaying integrity is last place John Kasich. He spoke the best line of the campaign, "I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land." He has integrity & experience & has been largely ignored. 

   On the once-civil Democratic side the capable Hillary Clinton & independent Bernie Sanders have taken to shouting at each other. Meanwhile, vitriolic attacks on President Obama suggest that some think he, too, is some kind of barbarian. 

   This election is important to every caregiver because Presidents set the nation's tone. A negative approach can influence millions to decide cynicism is better than optimism. Every great President has led with hope & love, not fear & disdain. 

   Fortunately for America the "barbarian" President Lincoln became a model of Radical Loving Leadership. What if we used his example to judge today's candidates?

-Erie Chapman  

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6 responses to “Days 109-113 – The “Barbarian” President”

  1. Teresa Reynolds Avatar
    Teresa Reynolds

    “they judged surface instead of substance”.
    This is such a wonderful frame for the conversation, “what makes a good leader in the first place?” Does leadership happen on a continuum? Does a good leader in one situation make for a bad leader in another situation? Thank you for your inspirational leadership!

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  2. ~liz Wessel Avatar
    ~liz Wessel

    You pose a provocative question, Erie and the stirring remembrance of a great leader who offered this inspiring message during his inaugural speech, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
    I appreciate your unwavering dedication to living RLC and to challenging us to become the better angels of our true nature.

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  3. Jolyon Avatar
    Jolyon

    And the rest of the Carl Schurz quote is… “But he is a man of profound feeling, just and firm principles, and incorruptible integrity. One can always rely upon his motives, and the characteristic gift of this people, a sound common sense, is developed in him to a marvelous degree. If you should sometime find opportunity to read his official papers and his political letters you would find this demonstrated in a manner which would surprise you. I know the man from personal observation as well as anyone and better than most. I am quite familiar with the motives of his policies. I have seen him fight his way heroically through many a terrible battle and work his way with true-hearted strength through many a desperate situation. I have often criticized him severely and subsequently have not infrequently found that he was right. I also understand his weaknesses; they are the weaknesses of a good man.”
    Carl Schurz was a General with the Union troops at Gettysburg. The horrors that President Lincoln talked about in his Gettysburg Address were still fresh in the general’s mind. They were his troops and comrades. President Lincoln’s words showed that he cared for his fellow countrymen and the Union that is the United States of America. His ideals of compassion and inclusiveness resonate with us even more today.

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  4. erie Avatar
    erie

    Thank you so much for this addition, Jolyon. As you know, many other influential northerners were completely opposed to and consistently critical of Lincoln. You are right that Schurz was more balanced.

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  5. erie Avatar
    erie

    Thank you, Liz. As you know, I deeply appreciate YOUR commitment.

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  6. erie Avatar
    erie

    Good point, Teresa. My experience is that leadership skills transfer to many situations. However, as you suggest, I have seen leaders who are good in some situations who are not as effective in others. For example, some leaders are good with the complexities of daily interpersonal reactions but may not be as good in the hight stress of handling emergencies.

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