A few years ago I switched from reading business books on leadership to reading biographies of well known leaders. Biographies of famous presidents and statesmen are of particular interest. A good biography includes the many human relationships that surround, influence, and impact the leader. Understanding the quality of a leader’s relationships, with those who support and oppose their efforts, gives color to the challenges confronted and responses made throughout the period. The ability of a leader to form relationships is critically important. This includes the ability to manage and heal relationships that are tenuous or caustic. Examples of both good and bad relationships often fill the pages of presidential biographies.
I recently read “River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey,” by Candice Millard. The story is focused on the exploration Roosevelt made into the Amazon jungle after his failed 1912 bid for the presidency. The book is a fascinating tale describing the unusual circumstances of an ex-president going on an extremely dangerous adventure. Even today, with modern outdoor equipment, such an exploration wouldn’t attract most people. But Teddy Roosevelt wasn’t ordinary, and he was familiar with being outdoors. In fact, he loved the outdoors from his childhood. He spent years working as a rancher in the Dakota Badlands, and took an extended African hunting safari after his second term in 1909. This rain forest expedition seems a bit more complex. The author describes the odd circumstances surrounding the planning of the trip, including how the team changed plans just before the start of the expedition. While in South America preparing to start a more known tour of the Amazon, they changed plans and decided to explore an uncharted tributary river to the Amazon, called the River of doubt, that passed through hundreds of miles of unexplored rain forest. The author captures how dangerous it is exploring an uncharted river. Navigating the rapids and waterfalls are a few of the challenges they faced. In addition, rain forest rivers are filled with countless unknown species of man eating fish, alligators, and snakes, not to mention the insects, animals, and indigenous people who had never been in contact with the outside world.
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At its start, the expedition team consisted of slightly more than a handful of officers and 15 camaradas (Brazilian porters). Roosevelt was co-commander of the mission along with a Brazilian Colonel, Candido Rondon. Roosevelt, being a former president of the United States, was a celebrity. As a reader, I assumed he held rank over the whole expedition. Although the book didn’t probe the depths of the team’s interpersonal relationships during the journey, enough information is provided to draw your attention to how Roosevelt, although a tough and disciplined person, treats everybody with dignity and respect. Roosevelt knew how critical the camaradas were to the survival of the team and never underestimated the importance of winning their mutual respect. This didn’t strike me as a leadership strategy–it was simply his style. And luckily for this team of explorers, Colonel Rondon had a similar personality. They both possessed a sense of humility that drove them to treat all people with dignity and respect, while at the same time demanding a certain level performance from everybody according to their station. They were leaders of the mission, but they did not wield this rank in every aspect of their relationships with others.
The mission was dangerous. Three camaradas lost their lives and Roosevelt nearly died. The entire expedition suffered with malaria fevers most of the trip, along with starvation and fatigue. The humility and interpersonal skills of both commanders, Roosevelt and Rondon, were key aspects that kept the team together and allowed them to sustain intense effort. They remained a team and survived the journey and its trials.
A current popular thought is that leaders need to lead with influence as opposed to authority. This example, although not opposed to influence, provides a slightly different perspective. Influence sometimes must be disregarded for firm command, but command can’t carry into every aspect of life or into the community. This demands humility. All people have equal value, but at any given moment, they have different responsibilities.
Glenn DiCostanzo, December 2018