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Oct
10
I just finished listening to David McCullough’s masterful book, 1776. His tale of America’s defining moments paints this as “a year of all-too-few victories, of sustained suffering, disease, hunger, desertion, cowardice, disillusionment, defeat, terrible discouragement, and fear … but also of phenomenal courage and bedrock devotion to country.” And without a doubt, the central figure was Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington.
As I listened to this well woven account, I learned a good many lessons from General Washington. But two stand out above the rest.
From the beginning, everyone recognized George Washington as the colonists’ only hope in winning the fight for liberty. But by late December 1776, Washington faced certain catastrophe. His already pitiful army had been depleted by defeat, disease and desertion. Successes had been too seldom and too insignificant. He had depended too often on others to make his decisions. He had despaired too often of a near hopeless plight. He had acted too slowly and made poor strategic assumptions too frequently. Washington had failed, and even some of his most loyal supporters and compatriots had lost heart.
Washington was still in command, but he was alone. And it turns out that solitude became his most effective leadership tool. In the final hour, which was also the darkest, it was Washington’s character that sustained him and eventually led to the triumph of freedom and the birth of a nation. For all of his deficits, General Washington had plenty of assets, all of them intrinsic: tenacity, focus, courage and realism. And these were the things that won the day and for which we remember him still.
Washington’s spirit was greater than his skill.
It is this lesson that rings the loudest among the echoes of liberty. Skill does matter. We can hone it, pray over it, and seek it out. It’s right to do so. But true leadership comes from depth of character when proficiency might be lacking. The most refined leadership skills in the world cannot make up for a lack of character, shallow faith or hypersensitivity.
None one possesses every leadership skill that is necessary for our tasks. We all face uncertainty and even failure in ministry. Intrinsic qualities will make or break us
Washington’s reality was greater than his fear.
Failure was not an option for General Washington. He had been out-maneuvered, out-manned, outclassed and out-fought. The scene before him was as bleak as a Virginia blizzard, yet he had to win because freedom was at stake.
It was this clear-minded focus that won the day. When his decisions fell short, he remembered the cause. When his retreats were more successful than his advances, it was liberty that fueled his pursuit. When he surveyed the savage army of which he was Commander, he reminded them that independence was their aim.
This clear minded focus became the sustaining force and driving influence in ultimate victory. McCullough writes, “Seeing things as they were, not as he would wish they were, was known to be one of Washington’s salient strengths.” A good dose of reality, not wishes, not guesses, not appearances, kept Washington grounded and enabled him to continue when all appeared lost.
And the rest, as they say, is history.