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To Jim Martin Jr. of Solutions A transformational leader

CONTENTS Introduction: The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton and the Founding Fathers

ix

1: Prepare Yourself

1

Recognize Your Challenges

6

Set Personal Goals

8

Never Give Up

11

2: Exemplify Moral Integrity

17

Be Honest with Your Followers

22

Admit Your Own Weaknesses

24

Develop an Environment of Trust

27

3: Go Beyond Self-­I nterest

35

Define What Is Most Important

40

Develop a Plan for Change

42

Demonstrate Your Personal Commitment

44

4: Establish Clear Goals

51

Define a Challenging Team Goal

56

Show Everyone How to Contribute

58

Provide Meaningful Guidance

60

5: Respect Your People

69

Treat Them as Individuals

74

Intellectually Challenge Them

76

Honor Their Beliefs and Families

80

6: Convey an Inspiring Vision

85

See the Future

90

Describe Your Vision

92

Turn Followers into Leaders

94

7: Be a Mentor

101

Be Humble

106

Keep Learning

108

Share Knowledge

110

Epilogue 117 Endnotes 123 About the Author 130

INTRODUCTION

THE LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON AND THE FOUNDING FATHERS

The Founding Fathers’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights was the most revolutionary demonstration of leadership in American political history. Collectively, these documents established the spirit, the letter, and the protection of a radical form of government that was founded not on the rights of kings but on the rights of the common man.

Democracy had been attempted by societies and

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

city-­s tates at various times in the history of mankind, and it had always failed. But in North America in the late eighteenth century, in spite of the violent resistance of a king who ruled the most powerful nation on earth, democratic government finally succeeded.

What was the primary reason for this success?

It was not because of the political unanimity of the nearly four million colonists in North America. A significant minority of the people, perhaps as much as one third, opposed the establishment of a new nation.

It was not because of the strength of the American armies or navy, since they were immensely inferior in numbers, equipment, and weaponry when compared to their foes. It was not because of the wealth and financial independence of the colonies, because the thirteen colonies had fragile economies and were highly dependent on trade with Great Britain.

The key ingredient to the successful establishment of the new nation was leadership—­the leadership of a handful of men known today as the Founding Fathers. x

The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton and the Founding Fathers

The Founding Fathers (also called Founders) inspired the support and sacrifice of millions of Americans for the cause of establishing an independent, republican form of government. This desire for independence from Great Britain began to take root in the colonies in 1763, shortly after the end of the French and Indian War. To help pay for the standing army he kept in America, Britain’s King George III started taxing the colonists. American political activists, who began to call themselves Patriots, protested that taxation was unfair because the colonies had no official representation in the British Parliament.

These protests ranged from verbal denunciations in newspapers to violent actions—­the latter of which were usually initiated by a Patriot organization known as the Sons of Liberty. The king’s loyal citizens in America (called Loyalists or Tories) as well as his appointed governors, jurists, and officials were sometimes the object of harassment or violence.

Hoping to avoid bloodshed, the American colonies xi

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

convened the First Continental Congress in 1774, which appealed to King George III for his intervention. This appeal was ignored, and conflict broke out between American militia and British troops on April 19, 1775, in skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

In June of 1775, Congress appointed George Washington commander in chief of the Continental army, and the first major engagement of the war occurred at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston. After a year of war, delegates Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin led the effort to draft the Declaration of Independence, which was signed by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

Congress also began drawing up the nation’s first constitution in 1776, which became known as the Articles of Confederation. It was a weak document, and went unratified by the states until 1781, but it nevertheless provided some degree of governmental structure until America won the War of Independence in 1783. xii

The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton and the Founding Fathers

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had no power of taxation, was wholly dependent on the states for its money, and had no authority to force delinquent states to pay. This resulted in hyperinflation and the nation’s being unable to pay its bills. To rectify this, in 1786 Alexander Hamilton introduced a resolution calling for a convention to amend the Articles of Confederation. In response, the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. This convention was chaired by George Washington and lasted from May to September of that year. During those eventful months, under the leadership of James Madison, delegates from the states went far beyond the simple amending of the Articles of Confederation, and they drafted a completely new United States Constitution.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held behind closed doors, and the reason for secrecy was the political difficulty of getting fifty-­five state representatives to agree on a framework for democratic xiii

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

government. For months the delegates argued about intrinsic issues such as the method of apportioning the House of Representatives, the relationship between state governments and the federal government, and the division of power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

After this prolonged, provocative debate (and what George Washington proclaimed to be a miracle), the delegates signed the Constitution and sent it to the states for ratification. Although this was a huge accomplishment, if it were not for the subsequent leadership of Alexander Hamilton, the proposed constitution would probably not have been ratified. Hamilton, along with James Madison and John Jay, wrote a series of eighty-­f ive articles now known collectively as The Federalist Papers. These intellectual arguments in support of the Constitution were essential to its acceptance and ratification by the states, which was completed on June 21, 1788.

In addition to The Federalist Papers, there was xiv

The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton and the Founding Fathers

another key factor in the successful ratification of the Constitution. Concerned with limiting the power of the federal government and securing the liberty of citizens, many states had refused to ratify the Constitution without the adoption of a bill of rights. Answering this call, James Madison led the development of a series of amendments, ten of which were ratified by the states on December 15, 1791. These first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known today as the Bill of Rights.

After the Constitution was ratified, the Founders realized that it was imperative that the first president of the United States be a man who could unify the young nation. All knew that the first presidential administration would establish important precedents in the areas of finance and foreign relations. George Washington was the only logical choice for president, and his appointments of Alexander Hamilton as secretary of the treasury and Thomas Jefferson as secretary of state proved indispensable to the rapid expansion of the nation. xv

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

“But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and the hearts of the people, a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations… This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution.”

—­J OHN ADAMS I

There are a wide range of leadership theories which could be used to analyze the Founding Fathers. Among these are the great man theory, trait theory, behavioral theories, contingency theories, transactional theories, and transformational theories. Although the Founding Fathers individually practiced a broad range of leadership xvi

The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton and the Founding Fathers

techniques, as a group they are widely recognized today as transformational leaders, so the focus will primarily be on this theory.

Transformational leaders are unique in that they motivate followers to make personal sacrifices and go beyond their own self-­interests for the good of the larger group. According to James MacGregor Burns, an early contributor to the theory, transformational leadership is a process by which leaders and their followers raise one another to “higher levels of morality and motivation.”ii Although there are many variations of transformational leadership theory, most theorists accept Bernard M. Bass’s opinion of what a successful transformational leader does. The transformational leader usually inspires followers to feel trust, loyalty, and respect toward him or her. Followers are motivated to do more than they originally expected to do, and they continue to persevere and make sacrifices toward their common goal in spite of personal difficulties or hardship. xvii

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

Americans faced enormous difficulties and hardships during the Revolutionary War. Whether they were among the freezing, starving soldiers at Valley Forge, the countless young mothers trying to care for their families while their husbands were away, the thousands of farmers who lost everything to the passage of ravenous armies, or the myriad of small businessmen who fell destitute because of hyperinflation and devalued currency, they all contributed to the victory over the king’s armies. They not only won the War of American Independence, but they established for themselves and future generations the first successful, as well as only surviving, democratic government on earth.

The modern-­ day leader may not have a task as monumental as the one that faced the Founding Fathers. However, the principles the Founders followed are still useful for various modern leadership challenges such as the establishment of a new company, the rejuvenation of a failing business, and the motivation of an uninspired workforce. xviii

The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton and the Founding Fathers

This book explores seven leadership secrets of selected Founding Fathers (Hamilton, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Henry, and Franklin). Most of the leadership skills examined are taken from transformational leadership theory. Each chapter begins with a historical event that illustrates how one or more of the Founding Fathers used the discussed leadership skill. The chapters, which are generally presented in order of historical occurrence, are as follows:

1. Prepare Yourself 2. Exemplify Moral Integrity 3. Go Beyond Self-­Interest 4. Establish Clear Goals 5. Respect Your People 6. Convey an Inspiring Vision 7. Be a Mentor Each leadership secret is supported by three key actions for success that can be employed today. xix

1

PREPARE YOURSELF

Of all the Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton stands out as the one who began life with the fewest prospects for success. Most of the Founders were raised in either stable or advantaged families in the American colonies; Hamilton was born out of wedlock, raised in the West Indies, and orphaned at thirteen years of age.

The year of Hamilton’s birth is uncertain, but most historians now believe it was 1755. When Alexander was four years old, his mother, Rachel, was abandoned by

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

her common-­law husband James Hamilton, who claimed she was an adulteress. Rachel Hamilton did the best she could to provide for Alexander and his brother, James, but she would probably have failed if it had not been for some financial aid from relatives. She managed a general store out of the first floor of her home on the island of St. Croix and lived with her sons on the second floor.

Because of the accusations of her former husband, she and her children were at a social disadvantage in the tiny island community, and young Alexander was forced to receive much of his education from a tutor or self-study at home rather than from the church. A life of hardship for young Alexander was further punctuated with tragedy when his mother died of a virulent fever in 1768.

Without close relatives to adopt them, Alexander and his brother were separated. James became apprenticed to a carpenter, and Alexander had the good fortune of being taken in by a local merchant named Thomas Stevens.

At the age of fourteen, Hamilton became a clerk 2

Prepare Yourself

at a local import-­export firm, Beekman and Cruger, which traded various goods such as livestock, building materials, and perishable commodities. As a clerk, Hamilton learned all aspects of the business, including accounts management, inventory, and the conversion of foreign currencies. His employers discovered that he had a keen mind for trade and global commerce.

By the age of seventeen, he was put completely in charge of the business for months when the owner put out to sea.

When not clerking, Hamilton voraciously devoured books on a wide variety of subjects, which included theology and the Greek and Roman classics. He wrote poetry, some of which was published in a local newspaper, the Royal Danish American Gazette.

Finally, Hamilton’s self-­ education paid off when St. Croix was devastated in 1772 by a powerful hurricane, which inspired him to write an article for the Gazette.

This human-­ interest story was written “with such verve and gusto”i that municipal leaders decided this 3

LE ADERSHIP SECRETS OF HAMILTON

talented, amiable youth should be given an opportunity to improve himself. They pooled their resources and sent Alexander Hamilton to New York to pursue a college education.

Upon arriving in New York, Hamilton immediately enrolled in a preparatory school to begin last-­minute cramming in subjects such as mathematics, Greek, and Latin. He studied incessantly, and he so impressed his educators that he was enrolled in King’s College (now Columbia University) in 1773 as a private student, and was formally matriculated in 1774.

At King’s College, Hamilton’s powerful mind, exceptional work ethic, and agreeable personality soon earned him the respect and friendship of both peers and professors. King’s College was a bastion of Loyalists, and Hamilton was initially sympathetic to their cause, but he soon found himself agreeing with those who advocated American independence. He published two popular pamphlets that supported the actions of the Sons of Liberty. He supplemented his 4

Prepare Yourself

academic pursuits with studies in the military arts, and after the first shots of the rebellion were fired in 1775, Hamilton joined a New York volunteer militia company.

Three key actions for preparing yourself

☞☞ Recognize Your Challenges ☞☞ Set Personal Goals ☞☞ Never Give Up 5