Does family leadership translate to leading other types of organizations? Yes and no. Leadership is leadership and there are several key attributes of a great father which are very applicable to leadership in both the business and political arenas. Paul, writing to Timothy, makes this point himself in I Timothy 3:4-5 when he lays out qualifications for leadership:
He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)Yet, the scope of most organizations is much different than that of a family. Leading a company takes a tremendous amount of time and energy. A company leader who orders his priorities with his family at the top is limiting the amount of effort he can expend to lead his company. Consider this hypothetical situation:
Company B has a CEO who is a ruthless businessman. He abdicated his role as father long ago and routinely works 16 hour days. His residence serves more as a hotel room than as a home.
I can either run the country or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both.The key leadership skill of reproduction so crucial to fatherhood is definitely applicable to many other leadership positions. Good leaders are always looking for individuals with potential who they can groom into future leaders. As CEO of the country, the President requires well developed leadership skills, but I do not believe that this one is very applicable to the position.
When the President takes office, he needs a solid experienced team ready to go on day one. The President's inner circle is where he has the most influence, yet there should be very little leadership development necessary at the cabinet level. The question of succession is also not relevant to the office. That choice belongs not to the President but to the voters.
What effect does being a good father really have on the office of President? Very little, in my opinion. I do believe that there is a strong correlation between a family focus and strong character but I'm not voting for a Father because I already have a great one. I'm voting for a President.
Looking at the record, we find that Ronald Reagan was the only President who was divorced and then remarried, yet his performance is highly esteemed by historical scholars, who ranked him 12th of 41. (One other interesting note from that survey: In last place is James Buchanan, the only President who was never married.) Rudy Giuliani will never be seen as a model husband or parent, yet he was very successful in an elected executive position as mayor of New York City.
Why then do politicians like John Edwards drape themselves with their children in an effort to portray themselves as a good parent? Because it looks good. It makes them appear human and helps endear them to the general public. Appearing to be a good father is good publicity and is easy to pull off. Hold your kids. Hug them and kiss them. Smile. Have them smile and say something cute to the cameras.
Except for the fact that it is merely an appearance. Behavior inside a family is where character is both exposed and refined, but that all happens behind closed doors. Family posturing is no different then handshakes and kissing babies. It doesn't tell the voter anything definitive about the candidate.
Do I want the President to be a good father? Yes I do, but mostly for the sake of his children. Is it important to me that he is a good executive? Yes, and I find this question has significantly more importance than the former.
(After my emphasis on fathers and leadership in Part I, I hope you don't find this answer disappointing. It is easier to earn the title 'Daddy' than 'President', but the former is the more important job. Consider this: If every father in this country did a great job with his family, the job of President would be much easier.)
My research did yield some amusing Presidential family trivia which I have included for your reading pleasure:
- As stated above, Buchanan was not married so his niece, Harriet Lake, served as First Lady during his term.
- Aside from Reagan, two other Presidents were married twice: Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
- Two Presidents, James Madison and James K. Polk, were married but did not have any kids. They were more than compensated by John Tyler and William Henry Harrison with their 15 and 10.
