Lessons on Leadership From the Founding Fathers

Lessons on Leadership From the Founding Fathers
Detail, “Declaration of Independence” by John Trumbull (1819), depicting the Committee of Five—John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Public domain
Joshua Charles
Updated:
It isn’t every day that human beings succeed in creating a new nation—let alone one as physically massive as the United States. For that reason alone, some of the leadership principles implemented by the Founding Fathers should be contemplated.
While the Founders made good on numerous principles, I would like to focus on four in particular, drawing from their own words: vision, character and virtue, sacrifice, and humility.

Vision

Leaders are bearers of vision. They are responsible for painting a picture of what an organization, a people, a nation can be that the average member of that group may not be able to see or articulate themselves. A people must have a direction, a focus, a telos, a raison d’être [“reason for being”]. Without it, their energies cannot be directed, which means they will languish in non-use.
Joshua Charles
Joshua Charles
Author
Joshua Charles is a former White House speechwriter for Vice President Mike Pence, a No. 1 New York Times best-selling author, historian, columnist, writer/ghostwriter, and public speaker. His work has been featured or published by numerous outlets. He has published books on topics ranging from the Founding Fathers, to Israel, to the impact of the Bible on human history. He was the senior editor and concept developer of the “Global Impact Bible,” published by the D.C.-based Museum of the Bible in 2017, and is an affiliated scholar of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center in Philadelphia. He is a Tikvah and Philos Fellow, and has spoken around the country on topics such as history, politics, faith, and worldview. He is a concert pianist, holds an MA in Government, and a law degree. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaTCharles or visit JoshuaTCharles.com.
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