Leadership and Warfare: Theodore Roosevelt

Leadership and Warfare
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Since the United States of America gained its independence in 1776, it has had its fair share of political and military leaders. Given that the fundamental function of leaders is to make critical decisions and influence their followers, many have acquitted themselves with distinction in that regard. On the flip side, scores of others have been subject to massive backlash after discharging their leadership mandate woefully. The principal parameters supporters and critics employ to gauge the effectiveness of their leaders largely revolve around their personal attributes. For instance, an incisive leader must have emotional intelligence to help them understand the moods of their followers and act accordingly. Similarly, they must be visionary to enable them to facilitate the attainment of the collective goal espoused by followers while paving the way for their personal growth and development (Waddell 1994 31). In light of the aforementioned, Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most admired political and military leaders in United States history.
Theodore Roosevelt, a celebrated American soldier, politician, naturalist, historian, and writer, was born in 1858. During his early childhood, he embraced a strenuous lifestyle to overcome debilitating health problems that plagued his life (The White House n.d. par. 3). Before joining Harvard College, he schooled under private tutors and began a naturalist occupation that would span his entire life. After studying briefly at Columbia Law School, Roosevelt pursued writing and politics as a career. At the age of 23, he briefly joined politics before relocating to his cattle ranch in Dakota. He distinguished himself as an avowed enemy of the corrupt machine politics. Later on, President McKinley appointed him as the assistant secretary of the Navy. During his stint in the Navy, he championed a bigger Navy and agitated for war against Spain. When the government finally declared war, he was at the forefront of organizing the first Volunteer Calvary that fought in Cuba. In 1898, Roosevelt ran for the New York Governorship and won on a Republican ticket, serving with distinction, much to the chagrin of the party bosses who doubted his party loyalty. During his reign as governor, he became an exemplary reformer and expunged corrupt officials from the system of the state. In addition, he enacted legislation to regulate the civil service and corporations. In 1901, Roosevelt ascended to the presidency after the assassination of his predecessor, William McKinley. He became the 26th and made history as the youngest president of the U.S. (The White House n.d. par. 1). He vigorously gravitated Congress and the American public toward solid foreign policy and progressive reforms. His guiding principle as president was to do whatever was necessary, as long as it was within the confines of the law, to attain the public good.
Without a doubt, Theodore Roosevelt was a charismatic leader who easily wormed his way into the hearts of many Americans through his servant leadership theory. As indicated earlier, his foremost endeavor was to do everything within his means to ensure the achievement of the public good. In essence, he exhibited the natural feeling that he wanted to serve and owned the conscious that made him want to lead (Spears 2010 1). In addition, he held the idea that the government's principal ideal was to arbitrate the conflicting economic forces that reigned supreme in the nation. That meant striking a balance between labor and capital to avail justice to everyone without bias (The White House n.d. par. 8). Moreover, Roosevelt steered the United States toward participating more actively in world politics, and his favorite quote was, "Talk softly, carry a big stick." He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his relentless efforts to promote global stability, particularly for mediating between the Japanese and Russians. Equally notable, environmental conservation had a special slot in his heart, and it marked one of his most remarkable achievements. As a servant leader, one of his most outstanding virtues was the ability to listen. To him, all issues, whether big or small, mattered equally, which meant that even the lowly people in society had his ears. He also understood that his followers had their own opinions and were not likely to sit around and take orders from an unapproachable leader (Fastcompany 2023 2). In addition, Roosevelt was endowed with the power of persuasion, which he relied heavily on in making decisions rather than using his authority. Probably, the most critical of his attributes as a servant leader was stewardship; as a matter of fact, he regarded himself as the steward of the American people. Last but not least, he had foresight, which helped him to identify the likely outcome of give...