What we have missed

 

So much has been written about Trump’s pettiness, vengeful nature, and incompetence that it is easy to lose sight of some of the intangibles of leadership. November 22, the anniversary of President Kennedy’s death, stimulated me to think about this topic.

 

Part of the Kennedy appeal was that he was handsome, had a beautiful wife and family, and was intelligent and witty. He was charismatic, and people were drawn to him wherever he went.  He took Ireland by storm, De Gaulle and his countrymen loved Jackie, and JFK’s speech in Berlin with his famous phrase, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” captured the hearts of the German people. 

 

Was it all show and fluff? No, John Kennedy was shrewd and keenly political, but he also had paid his dues. Like John McCain, he was a genuine war hero. He saved the crew of his PT boat and personally risked his life during a dangerous mission. 

 

He campaigned hard, and his love of people showed. Rather than manipulating his base,  he cultivated it through persuasion and person-to-person contact. He could talk to anyone from a maintenance man to a CEO.

 

Kennedy inspired people by appealing to their heroic nature. Work hard to make the country better. Serve others. These were his mantras. The “New Frontier” perfectly captured his sense of forwarding movement and progress. He put forth a vision that had emanated from his family’s experience of being immigrants, outsiders, and then power brokers. 

 

Kennedy had style and class. He brought artists to the White House to perform. President Kennedy held elegant state dinners and made us proud to be Americans. At the same time, he wasn’t pretentious. He liked spending time with his Irish cronies from Boston as he did with Harvard intellectuals like Dean Rusk and Kenneth Galbreath. 

 

I suppose you can’t hide who you are. The famous psychologist, Gordon Allport, said one’s attitudes and values poured out in how you dressed, talked, and behaved. John Kennedy was a kind, responsible, brave man. This characteristic was shown through and was part of his appeal. 

 

Kennedy was not a petty man. He had suffered many losses, was frequently in physical pain, and embraced the challenge and hard work. His press conferences revealed much about his person. He once remarked that he didn’t always like dealing with the questions the press threw at him, but he recognized how important they were to the democratic process. His dry sense of humor and ability to poke fun at himself endeared him to the cynical Washington Press Corps. When he died, Walter Cronkite wept on live television, and he spoke for all of us.