Takeover Tuesday: George Freaking Washington

Three lessons from America's first president

Author

Ben Wilson
May 28, 2024

Happy Takeover Tuesday. After a brief hiatus, the newsletter is BACK. I hope all of my American subscribers had a wonderful and patriotic Memorial Day. Speaking of which, let’s dive in this week’s edition with three lessons from how George Washington took over the world.

Be Serious

There was a gravitas about the young Washington, a seriousness of purpose and a fierce determination to succeed, that made him stand out in any crowd.

Ron Chernow

Washington was a serious person. That doesn’t mean he was humorless (far from it) but it means he took his words and actions seriously. He gave them great meaning.

For example, as a legislator in the Virginia House of Burgess, he frequently didn’t debate or even vote on issues that were outside of his wheelhouse. When George Washington spoke, he wanted it to mean something.

Physical Presence

He has so much martial dignity in his deportment that you would distinguish him to be a general and a soldier from among ten thousand people. There is not a king in Europe that would not look like a valet de chambre by his side.

Benjamin Rush

People were transfixed by Washington's lean, virile presence.

Ron Chernow

People couldn’t stop talking about how ripped George Washington was. People naturally gravitate toward beauty and strength, and Washington was endowed with both.

Part of that was natural - George Washington was a freakishly strong and athletic person from his youth.

But he also cultivated his physical presence by his deportment and the way that he dressed.

Find A-Players

Thomas Jefferson, the first secretary of state, would dub Washington ‘the hub of the wheel,’ with the department heads arrayed like brilliant spokes around him. In choosing those heads, Washington surrounded himself with a small but decidedly stellar group. With his own renown secure, he had no fear that subordinates would upstage him and never wanted subservient courtiers whom he could overshadow. He excelled as a leader precisely because he was able to choose and orchestrate bright, strong personalities.

James Thomas Flexner

A common attribute of great achievers is they are magnets for top talent. George Washington was no different.

Not only did he have an eye for talent, he was great at nurturing that talent. Any great leader needs their “tribe of maniacs” and that’s exactly what Washington did.

If you haven’t listened to the four part series on Washington, you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. (Spotify links below)

Thanks for tuning in. See you next week!

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