While running this evening I finished listening to His Excellency by Joseph Ellis.
Ellis starts his book out by asking the question: why did all the other Founding Fathers–men like Adams, Jefferson, Hamiliton, Madison, and even Franklin–consider Washington to be “The Man?” His answer: he was tall, he was strong, he possessed incredible self-restraint, and he was the kind of man that other men naturally followed. I’m sure there was more, but since I listened to it while running, I can’t really go back and review my notes. Although he came across as aloof, Ellis contends that one of Washington’s greatest political skills was the ability to remain silent while everyone else around him jabbered on. That insight alone was worth the time it took to listen to it.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Some of the best advice I ever received was from a friend who said that in order to create tension (both good and bad), one must become a “non-anxious presence.”
As I discipline myself to this principle, I am continually learning its value.
How True. We can’t listen and jabber on at the same time. If we aren’t willing to listen no one will be willing to follow.
TK