This week, I've been reading David McCullough's biography
of President Harry Truman, and it's an amazing story for
anyone who desires to be their best and achieve more. There
are lessons here, and we need to take them to heart.
Harry Truman didn't find a career until late in life. He
didn't marry until well into his thirties, and before that
he tried a variety of jobs and ventures, including farming
and selling men's clothing. His clothing store went
bankrupt and he referred to himself as a "failed
haberdasher" for the rest of his life. Because of poor
eyesight, he barely made it into the Army, but served with
distinction and courage in World War I. In his 40's and
50's he drifted into politics and served as a county
commissioner, mainly dealing with road repair.
He never had money and he and his wife spent most of their
married life living upstairs in his mother-in-law's home.
When he was elected to the U.S. Senate, he was seen as a
party hack and given little credit or respect. In 1944,
Franklin Roosevelt selected him to run for Vice President
after the "better" candidates were all rejected. FDR
thought so little of him, they never had a serious
conversation and Truman was told nothing about the atomic
bomb until several days after he was sworn in as the new
President.
And yet this "common man" is often viewed as one of the
greatest Presidents of the 20th century. How can this be?
Truman himself often said that there "are probably a
million people more qualified than me to be President, but
I'm the one with the job, and I'll do my best." Throughout
his life, he was always known for doing his best, and often
astonished people by exceeding their expectations. Here are
some of my observations about how he did it.
1. First, he out-worked everyone around him. FDR rarely
got to work before 10:00 AM, but Truman was usually up by
5:30 and worked all day long. In his first days as
President, the change caught the White House staff off-
guard. From the butlers to members of the Cabinet, they had
never seen anyone who worked so hard and demanded so much from
them. One key to his amazing success was simple hard work.
2. Second, he was decisive. Where FDR delayed and avoided
decisions, Truman listened to advice, read the reports,
made decisions promptly, and once they were made, he rarely
changed his mind. He made bold decisions and once they were
made, he knew how to hold a steady course.
3. Third, his personal integrity was beyond reproach. At
the Potsdam Conference after the war, he went into Berlin
and a staffer suggested they could go drinking or get some
"women of easy virtue," to which Truman coldly responded
that he loved his wife and didn't mess around on her. He
kicked the staffer out of his car and never spoke to him
again.
4. Fourth, he knew the value of loyalty. He was famous for
his life-long friendships and personal warmth. He knew the
names of staffers in the White House, and remembered their
families. When members of his staff came under political
fire, he ignored the newspapers and kept his team together.
5. Fifth and most important, he knew who he was. In the
face of enormous pressures and criticism, Truman knew his
goals and purposes, remained firm in his beliefs and seldom
waivered. He had enormous personal courage and quiet
confidence in his own judgment.
Sooner or later, life confronts us with problems that seem
beyond our abilities and asks us to meet them anyway.
Whether from illness or business gone bad, or in some other
form, eventually we must all dig deep to see what we are
made of. These "impossible" challenges reveal our character
and give us the opportunity to surprise ourselves.
President Truman did it, and so can we.
of President Harry Truman, and it's an amazing story for
anyone who desires to be their best and achieve more. There
are lessons here, and we need to take them to heart.
Harry Truman didn't find a career until late in life. He
didn't marry until well into his thirties, and before that
he tried a variety of jobs and ventures, including farming
and selling men's clothing. His clothing store went
bankrupt and he referred to himself as a "failed
haberdasher" for the rest of his life. Because of poor
eyesight, he barely made it into the Army, but served with
distinction and courage in World War I. In his 40's and
50's he drifted into politics and served as a county
commissioner, mainly dealing with road repair.
He never had money and he and his wife spent most of their
married life living upstairs in his mother-in-law's home.
When he was elected to the U.S. Senate, he was seen as a
party hack and given little credit or respect. In 1944,
Franklin Roosevelt selected him to run for Vice President
after the "better" candidates were all rejected. FDR
thought so little of him, they never had a serious
conversation and Truman was told nothing about the atomic
bomb until several days after he was sworn in as the new
President.
And yet this "common man" is often viewed as one of the
greatest Presidents of the 20th century. How can this be?
Truman himself often said that there "are probably a
million people more qualified than me to be President, but
I'm the one with the job, and I'll do my best." Throughout
his life, he was always known for doing his best, and often
astonished people by exceeding their expectations. Here are
some of my observations about how he did it.
1. First, he out-worked everyone around him. FDR rarely
got to work before 10:00 AM, but Truman was usually up by
5:30 and worked all day long. In his first days as
President, the change caught the White House staff off-
guard. From the butlers to members of the Cabinet, they had
never seen anyone who worked so hard and demanded so much from
them. One key to his amazing success was simple hard work.
2. Second, he was decisive. Where FDR delayed and avoided
decisions, Truman listened to advice, read the reports,
made decisions promptly, and once they were made, he rarely
changed his mind. He made bold decisions and once they were
made, he knew how to hold a steady course.
3. Third, his personal integrity was beyond reproach. At
the Potsdam Conference after the war, he went into Berlin
and a staffer suggested they could go drinking or get some
"women of easy virtue," to which Truman coldly responded
that he loved his wife and didn't mess around on her. He
kicked the staffer out of his car and never spoke to him
again.
4. Fourth, he knew the value of loyalty. He was famous for
his life-long friendships and personal warmth. He knew the
names of staffers in the White House, and remembered their
families. When members of his staff came under political
fire, he ignored the newspapers and kept his team together.
5. Fifth and most important, he knew who he was. In the
face of enormous pressures and criticism, Truman knew his
goals and purposes, remained firm in his beliefs and seldom
waivered. He had enormous personal courage and quiet
confidence in his own judgment.
Sooner or later, life confronts us with problems that seem
beyond our abilities and asks us to meet them anyway.
Whether from illness or business gone bad, or in some other
form, eventually we must all dig deep to see what we are
made of. These "impossible" challenges reveal our character
and give us the opportunity to surprise ourselves.
President Truman did it, and so can we.
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