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