Preface
Power and purpose in Leadership 1
Cultural Leadership 49
Franklin D. Roosevelt 77
Lyndon b. Johnson 109
Ronald reagan 133
Leadership of Polity 161
Notes 193
Index 211
The President as Leader
Appealing to the Better Angels of Our Nature
Erwin C. Hargrove
240 pages, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2
Cloth ISBN 978-0-7006-0900-0, $29.95
Paper ISBN 978-0-7006-0996-3, $17.95
Few issues have clung to the presidency in recent years as tenaciously as that of moral leadership. This timely book, based on a lifetime of personal observation by an award-winning author, examines the politics of ideals to propose that, just as moral purpose without political craft is weak, political acumen without moral appeal is futile.
Looking back to the timeless political theories of Aristotle and Machiavelli, Erwin C. Hargrove asks how presidents can most effectively combine political arts and skills with intellectual and moral leadership. He draws on his own scholarly research and synthesizes critical thinking about leadership--especially the point-counterpoint perspectives of Richard Neustadt and James MacGregor Burns. With insight and intelligence, he shows how effective leadership demands a judicious balance of commitment to the public good and an ability to discern the possibilities for political action at any moment.
Hargrove argues that political leadership must contain a moral element if it is to be fully effective, and that a successful president must provide leadership in accord with the ideals embedded in American culture. To demonstrate this theory, he suggests a model with which to analyze, compare, and evaluate political leaders, and then assesses the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan according to the model's normative implications. By examining the three presidents in terms of skill, character, cultural leadership, and other qualities, Hargrove extends his analysis beyond individual presidents to generate keen insights about presidential leadership in general.
This thoughtful book clearly demonstrates that craft dissolves into cleverness without a clear sense of moral purpose, and that truth-telling, empowerment, and altruism in politics are not only desirable but achievable. The President as Leader is the capstone of a distinguished career, synthesizing years of observation and research about issues that occupy the thoughts of many Americans. In taking Lincoln's evocation of the better angels of our nature as a source of inspiration for his own reflections, Hargrove reminds us that we, as leaders, have the means before us to become better versions of ourselves.
"In this intellectually engaging book, Hargrove argues that successful presidents are those who combine political skills with intellectual and moral leadership. He examines three distinctively different presidencies--Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan--in revealing, exceptionally well written profiles. Strongly recommended."--Choice
"A timely and powerful argument for the proposition that American values are the strongest force a president can mobilize--an argument presented with philosophical and literary learning as well as sound political science scholarship. This is the crowning achievement of the dean of presidential studies."--James MacGregor Burns, author of Leadership"Hargrove does himself proud in a stimulating book that is at once reflective and readable."--Richard E. Neustadt, author of Presidential Power and the Moral Presidents
"A timely reminder of what political leadership should be and an eloquent analysis of why so many fall short."--Stephen Skowronek, author of The Politics Presidents Make
"Hargrove provides an account of executive power that deepens our understanding of character and elevates our aspirations for leadership."--Jeffrey Tulis, author of The Rhetorical Presidency
ERWIN C. HARGROVE is professor of political science at Vanderbilt University and winner of the prestigious Richard E. Neustadt Award. Among his other books are Impossible Jobs in Public Management, Presidential Leadership, The Power of the Modern Presidency, and Jimmy Carter As President: Leadership and the Politics of the Public Good.
我們的領袖逝世了,我的眼淚也是奪眶而出。我在一千多人的哭聲裡哭著,我聽到了呼天喊地的哭聲,聽到了上氣不接下氣的哭聲,聽到了快要噎死般咳嗽的哭聲……我使勁憋住自己的笑,可是笑在我體內迅速發展,馬上就要洶湧而出了。
「假如毛澤東在今日醒來」的網絡話題討論中,有人詼諧地寫道:毛澤東爬出水晶棺材,在太陽初升之時,走出毛主席紀念堂的大門,站在台階上看著他既熟悉又陌生的天安門廣場。這時候一些遊客發現了他,立刻奔跑過來,對著毛澤東喊叫:
「古月,請給我們簽個名。」
古月是一位經常在電影裡扮演毛澤東而在中國出名的演員。
主席就在我們身邊
文革的時候,不僅毛澤東的詩詞,就是毛澤東的語錄也都被譜寫成了歌曲。大人會唱,孩子也會唱;有學問的人會唱,文盲也會唱;人民群眾會唱,地主、富農、反革命、壞分子、右派也都會唱。從這個角度說,毛澤東是中國有史以來最具影響力的歌詞作家。
與此同時,毛澤東的詩詞和語錄也在我們的生活裡 無處不在。從城市到農村,從磚牆到土牆,從屋裡到屋外,布滿了毛澤東的詩詞和語錄,還有毛澤東如紅太陽一樣金光閃閃的頭像。我們吃飯的碗上印有毛澤東語錄 「革命不是請客吃飯」,我們喝水的杯子上印有毛澤東詩詞:「才飲長沙水,又食武昌魚。」毛澤東的詩詞和語錄讓我們在日常生活裡時刻觸景生情,當我們睡覺 時,枕巾上印著「千萬不要忘記階級鬥爭」,床單上印著「在大風大浪中奮勇前進」。
廁所的牆上印著毛澤東的頭像,痰盂上印著毛澤東語錄。今天來看,覺得這兩個地方不應該出現毛澤東,可是當時竟然無人指出這一點。當時人人都這樣說:「毛主席就在我們身邊。」
我曾經相信毛澤東時刻都在我的身邊。我做了好事,他老人家會高興;我做了錯事,他老人家會失望。我童年最幸福的時刻,就是晚上夢見毛澤東。我總共夢見過他三次,有一次他走到我身旁,親切地摸著我的頭髮,和我說了幾句話。
為此我激動無比,喜氣洋洋地去告訴小夥伴們,說我夢見毛主席了,毛主席還摸著我的頭髮和我說話。讓我傷心的是,沒有一個小夥伴相信我夢見毛主席了,他們說我是在吹牛,他們說:「你怎麼可能夢見毛主席?毛主席怎麼可能到你夢裡來和你說話?」
現在回想起來,我的小夥伴們沒有說錯。「毛主席就在我們身邊」只是文化大革命的一個超現實,毛澤東金光閃閃的頭像和毛主席紅色字體的語 錄,以無處不在的方式營造了這個超現實。真正現實中的毛澤東,對於我們來說是那麼的遙遠和虛幻,只是存在於某個象徵之中。我和毛澤東之間的真實距離,如同 我童年的夥伴們所說的那樣,就是在夢中也不會相遇。
文革時期,我們小鎮上有個人去過一次北京,這個人回來以後聲稱和毛澤東握手了,他熱淚盈眶地告訴我們小鎮的群眾:毛主席親切地握住他的手,親切地問他叫什麼名字?時間長達四秒多,然後別人的手搶走了毛主席的手。他萬分可惜地說:
「差一點點就是五秒鐘了。」
這個人理所當然地成為了我們小鎮的英雄,我經常看到他揹著一個黃綠色的軍用書包,在街上神采飛揚地走去。他的右手因為和毛澤東的右手接觸 過,整整一年沒有清洗,看上去似乎比他的左手粗大了一些,又黑又髒像是熊掌。我們小鎮上認識他的人都去和他的熊掌握手,然後喜滋滋地互相說:「我握了毛主 席握過的手。」
在哭聲中膽戰心驚笑著
一九七六年九月的一天早晨,當時我是高二的學生,我們像往常一樣在上課前全體起立,對著黑板上方的毛澤東標準像,齊聲說道:「祝偉大領袖毛主席萬壽無疆!」
然後坐下朗讀起了語文課本裡有關毛澤東的段落,當時所有的文章在描寫毛澤東形象時,一律只有八個字:紅光滿面,神采奕奕。
這八個字從我小學一年級的課本開始,一直延續到我高中二年級的課本,始終沒有變化。就在我們剛剛朗誦完毛澤東「紅光滿面,神采奕奕」時,學校的高音喇叭響了,打斷了我們的朗誦,通知學校全體師生立刻到禮堂集合,九點鐘有重要廣播。
我們搬起了自己的椅子,走向了學校的禮堂。當一千多名師生都在禮堂坐下後,等待了差不多有半個小時,九點鐘到了,廣播裡響起了哀樂。我立刻有了不祥之感,在此之前中國共產黨的兩位重要領導人周恩來和朱德也逝世了,這一年我們經常聽到廣播裡傳來的哀樂。
漫長的哀樂結束後,播音員沉痛的聲音緩慢響起:「中國共產黨中央委員會,中國共產黨中央軍事委員會,中華人民共和國國務院,全國人民代表大會,全國政治協商會議……」
我等待了很久,才聽到這五個最高權力機構聯合發出的「訃告」一詞,播音員的聲音繼續沉痛和緩慢地響著:「偉大的領袖,偉大的導師,偉大的 統帥,偉大的舵手……」我又等待了很久,才聽到毛澤東主席因病不幸逝世,播音員沉痛的聲音還沒有說到「享年八十三歲」,我們學校的禮堂已是一片哭聲。
我們的領袖逝世了,我的眼淚也是奪眶而出。我在一千多人的哭聲裡哭著,我聽到了呼天喊地的哭聲,聽到了上氣不接下氣的哭聲,聽到了快要噎 死般咳嗽的哭聲……我的思維開始走調了,悲痛不再左右我,離奇的哭聲開始引導我。當幾個人哭的時候,我感受到的肯定是悲痛,可是當一千多人同時在一間大屋 子裡哭,我感受到的卻是滑稽。我從來沒有聽到過如此豐富多彩的聲音,我心想就是全世界所有品種的動物派出它們的代表,集合到我們中學的禮堂裡一起嘶叫,也 可能沒有比這一千多人的哭聲更加稀奇古怪。
這個不合時宜的念頭差點要了我的命,我忍不住偷偷笑了一下,又趕緊將後面湧上來的笑給憋回去。在當時,一旦我的笑容被人發現,我立刻就被 打成反革命分子,我的一生就會因此完蛋。我使勁憋住自己的笑,可是笑在我體內迅速發展,馬上就要洶湧而出了。我知道快要憋不住自己的笑聲了,我極其害怕, 我將雙臂交叉地放到前面同學的椅背上,將腦袋深深地埋進自己的雙臂裡。我在一千多人的哭聲裡,膽戰心驚地笑著,我愈是想制止自己的笑,愈是笑個不停。
坐在我身後的幾個痛哭流涕的同學,淚眼朦朧地看到我趴在前面同學的椅背上,看到我因為止不住的笑而劇烈抖動的肩膀。這幾個同學錯誤地認為我對毛澤東的感情很深,他們後來這麼說:
「余華哭得最傷心,他的肩膀抖動得最厲害。」(下)
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