Theodore Roosevelt is one of the greatest leaders in the history of the United States of America. At least, I’m going to make that argument. I will make this argument by telling the story of his life and carefully citing moments which shine through with exemplary qualities of a powerful leader. One should clearly recognize Roosevelt, in spite of all of his flaws, as one of the finest historical figures and leaders in modern history.
Teddy Roosevelt was an American statesman, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer. He held the office of President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He was so fierce and well-liked, his face is depicted on Mount Rushmore alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. He remains the youngest person to become President of the United States (U.S. National Park Service, 2014). Roosevelt was a leader advanced beyond the era which he occupied, as he was progressive, forward thinking, kind, and educated.
He is generally regarded in polls of historians and political scientists as one of the greatest presidents (Papathanassiou, 2020). To be remembered so fondly for decades after one’s passing speaks volumes. The work and leadership he sewed into the world around was phenomenal and had an incredible impact that was lasting. Roosevelt believed in taking initiative and decisive actions that would immediately make the future much more clear. This was a staple of his life.
In 1880, Roosevelt married Alice Hathaway Lee. Their daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt, was born in 1884. Two days after giving birth, Roosevelt’s wife died due to an undiagnosed case of kidney failure. In his diary, Roosevelt wrote a large ‘X’ on the page and then, “The light has gone out of my life.” His mother, Mittie, had died of typhoid fever eleven hours earlier at 3:00am (Biography.com, 2020). For the rest of his life, he rarely spoke about his wife Alice and did not write about her in his autobiography.
Roosevelt made his first visit to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison. He was exhilarated, and subsequently invested $14,000 in hopes of becoming a prosperous cattle rancher. For years he lived between his home in New York and his ranch in Dakota. He began writing about frontier life and published three books – Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, Ranch Life and the Hunting-Trail, and The Wilderness Hunter.
He made conservation a top priority and established many new national parks, forests, and monuments intended to preserve the nation’s natural resources (U.S. National Park Service, 2014). I think this speaks to who he was as a man and as a leader. Roosevelt was passionate, to the point that his vocation, his very calling, may have indeed been to lead other men. Power is referred to as the “currency of leadership” (Hackman & Johnson, 2013, p. 136). Understanding the sources and uses of power is critical to being a highly successful leader. Teddy used referent, legitimate, expert and coercive power very frequently throughout his life in high profile situations.
Roosevelt attempted to lead while in the West. He did so successfully. Roosevelt led efforts to organize ranchers to address problems of overgrazing and other shared concerns. He was able to promote conservation during his time in the Dakotas. After the severe winter of 1886 and 1887 wiped out his herd and those of his competitors, Roosevelt returned to the East. He proved he could not be defined as an ineffectual intellectual during his time herding cattle. A major step towards connecting with and leading with those who were farmers. It would be wise to assume that Teddy had both a large amount of legitimate power (often expressed in writing), as well as a number of ways of awarding himself referent power (communicated in person) as he navigated situations (Hackman & Johnson, 2013, p. 140). He would need both to be able to accomplish many of these things, like fitting in well out in the Dakotas.
In 1894, Roosevelt met Jacob Riis. He wrote for the Evening Sun newspaper, and opened the eyes of New Yorkers to the conditions of the city’s millions of poor immigrants. Riis once said of Teddy “no one ever helped as he did. For two years we were brothers in (New York City’s crime-ridden) Mulberry Street. When he left I had seen its golden age..” Riis, J. A. (1899).
As the Spanish–American War began in 1898, Roosevelt resigned from his post as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Army Colonel Leonard Wood and Roosevelt formed the First US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Many begged Roosevelt to remain in his post in Washington, but he insisted on fighting. The press famously called his new brigade the “Rough Riders.” On July 1st, 1898, while supporting the regulars, the Rough Riders charged up Kettle Hill (McNabb, C. 2016). Roosevelt rode his horse between rifle pits at the forefront of the advance up Kettle Hill. He charged up the last part of Kettle Hill after his horse became entangled in barbed wire. He placed those he was serving before himself. As a result, his followers dedicated themselves to him for the rest of their lives. This is a bold display of leadership.
As vice president, he held twice-daily press conferences. Through this, Roosevelt remained connected with his middle-class political base. Roosevelt successfully pushed the Ford Franchise-Tax bill. Roosevelt’s few months as VP were slow (Notablebiographies.com, 2020). Roosevelt in 1901 said to a crowd at the Minnesota State Fair: “Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far.” He was well known for his quotes. A direct example of his ability to coerce others.
In September of 1901, President McKinley was in Buffalo, New York when he was shot by Leon Czolgosz. Roosevelt was vacationing in Vermont, and traveled to Buffalo to visit McKinley in the hospital. He was sworn in as the nation’s 26th president at the Ansley Wilcox House following his passing a short time later. This granted Teddy the legitimate power he had been waiting for.
Roosevelt’s willingness to exercise his power included rule changes to football, retention of martial arts classes for the Naval Academy, the minting of a coin, and Roosevelt was the first president to help settle a labor dispute when he ended the coal strike of 1902. Roosevelt paid attention to detail. Roosevelt was also one of the first major politicians who remained politically active after leaving office. He was driven by his desire to effect change within the country.
Of all Roosevelt’s achievements, he was proudest of his work in conservation of natural resources. Roosevelt established the United States Forest Service and signed into law the creation of five National Parks. The area of the United States that he placed under public protection totals approximately 230 million acres (U.S. National Park Service, 2014). This was all done through his legitimate power (Hackman & Johnson, 2013, p. 137). Roosevelt signed over 1,000 executive orders during his tenure. More than the previous 25 presidents combined.
In October of 1912, while campaigning in Milwaukee, Roosevelt was shot by a man named John Flammang Schrank. The bullet passed through a 50 page speech before entering his chest. Schrank was disarmed, captured, and might have been lynched had Roosevelt not requested otherwise. This is another great example of how a leader handles a high pressure situation differently. Roosevelt did not end up winning reelection.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” – Theodore Roosevelt
Following the campaign trail in 1912, he traveled to South America in 1913. On his expedition, Roosevelt suffered a leg wound after he jumped into the river. The wound gave him tropical fever that resembled malaria. Roosevelt was hampering the progress of the party. In need of a large amount of supplies and medical attention, he was prepared to commit suicide with a lethal dose of morphine. He only continued on due to an appeal from his son.
Roosevelt famously said the expedition had shaved another ten years away from his life. It may have. He struggled with the leg injury and malaria until his death in January of 1919. The former president was suffering with breathing problems. After receiving treatment from his physician, Dr. George W. Faller, he felt better and went to bed. Roosevelt’s last words were “Please put out that light, James” to his family servant James E. Amos. Between 4:00 and 4:15 the next morning, Roosevelt died in his sleep at Sagamore Hill after a blood clot had detached from a vein and traveled to his lungs. He was 60 years old.
Upon receiving word of his death, his son Archibald telegraphed his siblings: “The old lion is dead.” Woodrow Wilson’s vice president, Thomas R. Marshall, said that “Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight.” Following a private farewell service in the North Room at Sagamore Hill, a simple funeral was held at Christ Episcopal Church in Oyster Bay. Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, Charles Evans Hughes, Warren G. Harding, Henry Cabot Lodge, and William Howard Taft were among the mourners. The snow-covered procession route to Youngs Memorial Cemetery was lined with spectators and a squad of mounted policemen who had ridden from New York City. Roosevelt was buried on a hillside overlooking Oyster Bay.
Based on the timeline and arguments made above, it should be simple to conclude that Theodore Roosevelt is one of the greatest leaders in the history of the United States of America. One should clearly recognize Roosevelt, in spite of all of his flaws, he is one of the finest historical figures and leaders in modern history.
References
Biography.com. (2020, August 26). Theodore Roosevelt. Biography.
https://www.biography.com/us-president/theodore-roosevelt
Hackman, M.Z., & Johnson, C.E. (2013). Leadership: A communication perspective. Long
Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
McNabb, C. (2016, September 14). The Battle of Kettle Hill, July 1, 1898. The History Reader.
Milkis, S. (2016, October 4). Theodore Roosevelt: Life in Brief. Miller Center.
https://millercenter.org/president/roosevelt/life-in-brief
Notablebiographies.com (2020). Retrieved December 11, 2020, from
https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ro-Sc/Roosevelt-Theodore.html
Papathanassiou, M. (2020). Ranking and Ratings of. USA Presidents.
https://presidenstory.com/stat_rnk.php
Riis, J. A. (1899). How the Other Half Lives; Studies Among the Tenements of New York, by
Jacob A. Riis; With Illustrations Chiefly from Photographs Taken by the Author.
(Michigan Historical Reprint) (Illustrated ed.). University of Michigan Library.
Roosevelt, T. (1988). Hunting Trips of a Ranchman & the Wilderness Hunter. Modern Library.
Roosevelt, T. (1877). 1966 Austin Print Ranch Life and The Hunting Trail Theodore Roosevelt
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Roosevelt, T. (2014). The Wilderness Hunter. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Strock, J. (2020, October 24). 10 Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Lessons. Serve to Lead | James
Strock. https://servetolead.org/10-theodore-roosevelt-leadership-lessons/
U.S. National Park Service (2014, October 4). The Life of Theodore Roosevelt – Theodore
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https://www.nps.gov/thri/theodorerooseveltbio.htm
