George Washington Leadership Style Analysis

Richard Neustadt, Presidential Scholar at Harvard University, once said of the greatest leader in American history, “It wasn’t his generalship that made him stand out...it was the way he attended to and stuck by his men. His soldiers knew that he respected and cared for them, and that he would share their severe hardships.” This is the full characterization of this great leader’s style. He never asked of his followers what he did not, first, demand of himself. He could inspire others to do what they could not even imagine possible. He not only conveyed a galvanizing vision, but he also lived it. He valued the input of others and gave them a voice. This is what it means to be a leader. This is what it means to be George Washington.

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They appropriately explain his leadership style and show just how effective he really was. These are well worth noting and studying for any of today’s aspiring leaders.

Lt. General David Palmer, historian and former Superintendent of West Point is quoted as stating that, “people who really study Washington recognize that he had a rare trait...and that was vision, and the ability to see what could be done and to embrace change.” A leader needs to understand that when the world changes, one must then change the world. At the age of twenty-nine, Washington inherited his plantation, Mount Vernon. He then expanded his acreage so that he could grow the most coveted crop available at the time - tobacco. This particular crop was highly regulated by the British, causing profits to vary. The Virginia soil was poor and made it impossible for Washington’s crop to make the cut. Washington saw what could be done about it and embraced change. He replaced tobacco with common farmer’s crops, like corn, wheat, and flax. This enabled him to grow domestic crops for domestic consumption. He was constantly innovating; he was constantly asking himself if there was a better way to accomplish the task, and this is one area that made him a great