[March 17, 2016] “Trust, but verify.” This quote is classic Ronald Reagan, 40th President to the United States. It exemplifies his ability to precisely put his thoughts into short, clear sentences and it tells us he understood the psychology of humans. Reagan is considered to be one of the best U.S. presidents of the 20th Century and his leadership helped guide America to a prosperous time.
Born in 1911 to a poor family in upstate Illinois, he managed to graduate from college and begin work as a sports announcer in 1932. Shortly thereafter he moved to Hollywood and became an actor and even starred in a few major productions.1 Politically he was a liberal Democrat but changed to the Republican party in 1962 and was soon elected governor of California. His success at turning the state’s budget into a surplus and handling of protest movements gained him many supporters.
“There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” – Ronald Reagan, U.S. President
His skills were not something that happened quickly. His ability to make people feel welcome had a lot to do with his personality and to his wife Nancy Reagan who, in herself, was a wonderful, dedicated person. Reagan’s leadership traits were:
- Communicator and gifted speaker
- Visionary who could help the nation by having them believe in themselves again
- Ability to successfully overcome difficult and unexpected events
- A master of self-presentation
- Surrounded himself with a smart, reliable, trustworthy, and energetic staff and delegated authority to them
- Great storyteller, self-deprecating, and full of humor
- Strong leader who held beliefs that he would not compromise
- Religious, honorable, straightforward, and loyal to the American people
Frequently referred to as the “Great Communicator,” Reagan was a political conservative who believed in less government because it was the people in America who were truly great and could achieve anything if not interfered with by the government. His legacy was that he convinced Americans to “believe in themselves again.”
[Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker at our Facebook Page.]
—————————