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The story goes that George Washington cut down his father's cherry tree. When confronted by his parents, he said, "I cannot tell a lie. I cut down my father's cherry tree."
So there he was, the perfect George Washington. I suppose he shouldn't have cut down the cherry tree, but that was more than made up for by his angelic performance when confronted.
And, of course, as a kid, I bought this story hook, line and sinker. Come to find out, as I made the great assent to adulthood that the story had about as much validity as Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny.
(I'm sorry if I just burst your bubble about Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, but someone had to tell you sometime.)
I wish we were more honest with kids about leaders and leadership. I think it's counterproductive to gloss over the mistakes of our heroes. To make them anything but human does them and us a tremendous disservice.
Here's the psychology of a grammar school kid in history class, I think:
I realize I have flaws. Those who do great things have no flaws. Thus, how can I possibly do great things?
I personally remember having, if not that exact thought, that feeling. I think that feeling stays with us for a long time too. We spend our young lives comparing ourselves to impossible standards.
Later, when reality strikes and these myths burst, we become disappointed in our heroes. We become disillusioned; like we viewed them as otherworldly only to discover that they're human like us. We feel let down.
But I think that is so wrongheaded and unnecessary.
The truth is it's more impressive to know that these were not magical men who were of an ilk that I could never be. It's more impressive that they had flaws but took on the responsibility to do great things in spite of them.
Listen, George Washington was a great man. But great in the fact that he overcame his weaknesses and succeeded spectacularly despite them.
I'm okay that at the beginning of the Revolution, for example, Washington was an inexperienced general who made some bad decisions. The fact is, without a certain degree of real luck the revolution might have been stillborn.
Too, I am strangely comforted to know that Thomas Jefferson slept around, that John Adams was full of himself, that Abraham Lincoln battled depression, that Albert Einstein was a poor husband and father, that Henry Ford was a raging anti-Semite, that Steve Jobs was often overbearing etc.
Let me be clear, I don't admire these traits nor do I revel in another's shortcomings. I simply recognize that they had them, and there's a certain comfort in knowing they did.
Of course, I can't leverage another person's flaws to justify my own either. To the contrary, I have a duty to always be getting better, to always be growing, to becoming less flawed as I grow older.
You see, that's the rub. Now the responsibility is ours. If, indeed, men and women have reached great heights, done great things in spite of their flaws, what stops you and me?
Suddenly the responsibility shifts. Our excuses are kicked out from under us.
Isn't that the lesson we want to teach our kids?!
"Yeah, kids," we should tell them, "the truth is it's flawed people who advance the world...and that means you and me."
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Doug
Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.
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