Commissioner Roosevelt's Vision

Happy Sunday!

We’re sticking with Theodore Roosevelt this week. We all have much to learn from someone who held a wide array of leadership positions before ultimately becoming President after the assassination of President William McKinley. But, we will be focusing on the events and positions in Roosevelt’s life leading up to his ascendancy to the White House. The theme is visionary leadership, which Roosevelt began cultivating early in his leadership career. 

Roosevelt’s visionary leadership as Civil Service commissioner generated new opportunities for the middle class. His role as police commissioner ended corruption throughout law enforcement in New York City. Roosevelt’s roles in these two positions show us how visionary leadership can drive successful change. These lessons will help us better guide our teams to success.

Let’s dive in!

When Roosevelt became a Civil Service commissioner, he knew he wanted to fight corruption. Roosevelt saw how jobs were being filled through a system of corruption that allowed wealthy and connected individuals to receive preferential treatment. Roosevelt started by fighting this corruption. He wanted to instill a true meritocracy for all openings. Wealthy and connected individuals could no longer win on that fact alone. His bold vision allowed for the growth of a middle class in the city. The new opportunities presented a chance for all citizens to achieve success. This mindset would carry through Roosevelt’s leadership career. 

When it became time to take the role of New York City police commissioner, Roosevelt knew his duty was to the citizens of New York City. They deserved an honest police force dedicated to public service. Roosevelt began by crushing corruption. 

At that time, police routinely took bribes from unsavory businesses to look the other way. Roosevelt developed a vision for a corruption-free police force to protect the public. He acted on that vision by patrolling the streets and disciplining the offenders he caught every night. He didn’t stop there. The next phase of his vision was developing a diverse police force built on solid foundations. He brought in new recruits from all backgrounds, creating the most diverse police force the city had ever seen. 

Roosevelt’s ability to create bold visions and execute them allowed him to become a champion of the people. For the first time, citizens could look past their beginnings when planning their future. This was all possible because Roosevelt had a bold vision, and he executed it. 

Reflection

We all have to create visions for our team. We need to give them a guiding direction and provide a clear plan of strategies to achieve that vision, just as Roosevelt did through his visionary leadership. 

Your vision should be bold enough to drive change. Roosevelt didn’t just want to fight corruption; he wanted to protect and serve all citizens. Fighting corruption was the strategy that allowed Roosevelt's vision of lasting change to become a reality. 

Think about how you can use the power of visionary leadership to transform your team’s capabilities. 

We’re diving into Roosevelt’s time as President next week. See you then!

Rick