Comments on: George Washington — the ultimate crisis leader https://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/george-washington-the-ultimate-crisis-leader/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=george-washington-the-ultimate-crisis-leader 53 years and 204,000 miles of business, CEO, leadership, startup, political, military wisdom Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.11 By: JLM https://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/george-washington-the-ultimate-crisis-leader/#comment-161 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:09:00 +0000 http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=777#comment-161 In reply to Drew Hardin.

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The Stockdale Paradox is an account of both personal courage and pragmatic and heroic leadership. It is a great concept to be mulled over by thoughtful people. It is not to be taken lightly.

Adm Stockdale suffered an unfair and shallow response from journalists and the public when he ran for office as Ross Perot’s VP but he was an accomplished leader and a truly heroic leader. He won the Medal of Honor and several Silver Stars for both his heroism during captivity and his heroism while engaged in air operations against North Viet Nam.

Nobody can touch Washington as the one person most responsible for the American victory and then refusing to be crowned King driving the emergence of a principled representative democratic republic.
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]]> By: Drew Hardin https://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/george-washington-the-ultimate-crisis-leader/#comment-160 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:52:00 +0000 http://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/?p=777#comment-160 To me this is similar to the Stockdale Paradox, highlighted as an example of the Hedgehog Concept that Collins discusses. The best leaders are the ones who are completely pragmatic about the reality of their situation, they don’t sugar coat it, but they have an iron will to do whatever they have to in order to make it happen. Washington knew if he huddled his men in tents, which would be the easy decision, that would be the end of his campaign and the war. Stockdale understood the damage to the American war effort that would ensue if he ended up on tv as propaganda for the NVA, as well as the dismal situation the POWs faced without a leader. Both made what had to be gut wrenching decisions: to attack and disfigure oneself, because that is what it took to see it through.

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