Month: April 2018

Hi folks,

Last time we talked about Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and how its impact underscores the power of brevity.

No, that was the Emancipation Proclamation.  I mean… moving on.

Anyhow, why is the Gettysburg Address famous?  There has been plenty of elegant presidential prose throughout history, so what makes these 272 words extraordinary and what did they accomplish?  Well, start with this:  Is the birthday of the United States July 4, 1776 or September 17, 1787?

Yeah, it seems like a stupid question because everybody says July 4, 1776 – the day the Declaration of Independence was signed.  But eleven years later, on September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed, so why not that date?  Because during the civil war, southerners argued that the Constitution’s allowance for slavery meant the practice was a-okay.  So Lincoln eloquently told them to get bent:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

In two short lines, Lincoln asserts that the Declaration of Independence – with its strong assertions of freedom and equality – is the foundation of the country, not the flawed implementation of those principles in the Constitution.  And he declares that the war is about whether a nation founded in such principles can survive.  To further drive home his point, he ends with:

that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Reaffirming that the war is no longer simply a struggle for union, but one for establishing the freedom promised by the founding document of the country, the Declaration of Independence.

It matters because the Gettysburg Address elevated the consciousness of the people beyond the “how” of the country – the laws proscribed in the Constitution – and refocused them on the “why” – the principles embodied in the Declaration.  Whether slavery was legal per the Constitution was irrelevant – it violated the principles and natural law outlined in the Declaration.  The “why” takes precedence over the “how”.

We all need periodic Gettysburg Address moments in our lives.  It’s far too easy to lose sight of why we do what we do.  Why am I developing a new process?  Why am I so deeply invested in this document?  Why am I sacrificing so much to chase that promotion?  If we take some quiet moments to revisit the underlying why – our objectives, our goals, our principles – we may find that those “hows” really don’t matter all that much.

As I prepare for my transition to a new agency, my influence at my current agency is quickly waning.  And while I hope I’ve had a positive impact, I also hope that all my work quickly disappears, replaced by newer, better, and more relevant products.  Our world moves quickly and no organization, including the government, can afford to stand still and watch it pass.  I can’t predict what will be needed to adapt to tomorrow’s world, but I hope you’ll take time to pause and ask “why” – why are we doing this? – and see if your “hows” really are the right thing to do.

If I somehow encouraged my colleagues to ask themselves “why” more often, I’m satisfied with my legacy.

Rex

Hi folks,

Seven score and 14 years ago, Lincoln needed a good speech.

Eh, wrong president and speech, but also awesome.

Anyhow, it was November 19, 1863 – four months after the battle of Gettysburg – and Lincoln had been invited to dedicate the battlefield as a national cemetery. He wasn’t billed as the keynote speaker that day, but he accepted the invitation and, with 272 words and two minutes, delivered one of the most powerful speeches in American history.

Entire books have been written about the speech, but there are two lessons I personally pull from it.

The first is the value of brevity. The headliner that day, Edward Everett spoke for over two hours. And while his oration was apparently well received, it has been fully eclipsed by Lincoln’s succinct and powerful speech. Everett later wrote Lincoln “I should be glad, if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.” The lesson? Impact doesn’t require length. Choose your words carefully, maintain focus, and keep things short.

And in that spirit of brevity, I’ll save the second lesson for the next bomb.

Old Abe is clearly not referring to knowledge bombs.

Rex

Hi folks,

I recently finished reading Destiny of the Republic, an awesome book which covers the life and tragic premature death of President Garfield.  To tell the story of Garfield’s assassination, the author includes several secondary characters who were significant at the time, including then-Vice President Chester A. Arthur

Yeah, nobody remembers poor ol’ Chet.  Here’s the 10k foot summary:

• Quintessential New York gilded age gentleman who apparently owned 80 pairs of Brooks Brothers pants
• Empty suit of a politician, a creation of the Republican New York political machine, and puppet of political boss Roscoe Conkling
• Was assigned as VP for Garfield largely because nobody could envision the young, robust Garfield dying and leaving the Presidency to Arthur
• Abhorred his ascendency to the office of President so much that he wept out of fear upon the shooting of President Garfield
• Crusher of graft, destroyer of the spoils system, and champion of civil service reform

Wait, what?  That last one doesn’t seem to fit.  How did this weak, proxy of a politician suddenly pull a 180 and upend the corrupt spoils system of 19th century US politics?  Through inspiration found in a series of letters written by a bedridden thirty-one year old woman named Julia Sand.

Exactly.

In her time, Julia was not a famous or important person.  She held no office, had no following, had no favors to barter.  Yet she nearly single-handedly transformed a weak-willed, lackey of a politician into a driven man of character, determined to leave a lasting, positive legacy on the country he led.  Her unsolicited correspondence with Arthur inspired him to rise up and become the leader nobody thought him capable of – including Arthur himself!  The result was a reformed civil service that eschewed political influence and instead rewarded competence and expertise.

Right?

The pyramidal shape of most organizations means many of us know the feeling of obscurity, working outside of the spotlight and occupying a hidden corner of an org chart, away from the center of official power and influence.  But that didn’t stop Julia Sand and it shouldn’t stop us.  We all have the power to affect change, whether it’s in the official capacity of our position, by influencing others, or simply through setting an example of excellence.

Change is hard, and leading change can be a lonely proposition.  It can an inspiration to our leaders simply to know there’s somebody out there, supporting them and cheering them on – and we all have the power to be that inspiration. Regardless of where we sit, we can all channel our inner Julia Sand and help drive change through inspirational support.

Rex

Hi folks,

I know I’ve mentioned in the past that parts of my academic career were less than stellar.

In an effort to make up for lost time, I’m reading a number of classic novels. Right now, I’m tackling Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Which is awesome, though if I’m going to reach my goal of one classic novel a month, maybe I should have chosen The Old Man and the Sea for my nautical book.

Either way, Melville packs his novel full of amazing imagery, not only slowly building an epic story, but also detailing numerous vignettes that help illustrate the daily life of a whaling crew in the 1800s. One that resonated with me was when the narrator of the story was trying to fall asleep on a cold night. He had no fire, but wrapped himself in a blanket with only his nose poking out, exposed to the cold night air. Melville said:

“To enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.”

This is basically how I feel about my bed after any camping trip. The mattress that I hate 350+ days out of the year is suddenly a slice of heaven after a night or two in a tent. Or maybe I’m just doing the whole camping thing wrong.

The concept that comfort doesn’t exist without discomfort extends beyond the physical realm, too. At work, a little bit of struggle goes a long way. We need the discomfort of a struggle to learn, to grow, and to simply appreciate what’s in front of us. Sometimes that struggle manifests in the form of a new task that stretches our normal capabilities, sometimes it’s a demanding individual who refuses to accept your perspective, and sometimes it’s jumping into an entirely new position.

Regardless of the form, the struggle is essential. Without it – as individuals and as organizations – we become stagnant, complacent, and blind to the everyday conditions that make our life as comfortable as it is. A warm house never feels as cozy as when you first step inside from the winter wind. And, conversely, staying inside the warm house will never prepare you for the challenge of the winter storm.

Growth is crucial for any individual or organization, and growth doesn’t occur without pushing past existing boundaries. But even those of us who aren’t interested in growth need an occasional struggle to appreciate the comfort of their current state. So whether you’re seeking growth or seeking comfort, find a way to struggle.

Rex