Introduction
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd U.S. President. He was the President between 1933 and 1945. Roosevelt took power when the U.S. was experiencing the Great Depression. The economic crisis interfered with the nation’s economy. Therefore, Roosevelt’s first term in office focused on recovery. The Great Depression resulted in massive unemployment and the closure of financial institutions. Also, the cost of living was high. Roosevelt’s presidency was referred to as relief, recovery, and reform. The country required relief to recover and reform after the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s leadership abilities and behaviors enabled him to serve the public interest amidst the Great Depression; his religious belief also contributed to the exemplary leadership that FDR displayed as the U.S. President.
Leadership theories
Leadership is An Ability
Leadership is an ability theory that reveals that people with leadership qualities can lead. People can also acquire leadership abilities or have natural capacity. Leaders create room for learning and acquiring desirable qualities. FDR’s willingness to learn equipped him with leadership abilities that enabled the leader to serve the public interest. Multiple interactions enable leaders to acquire additional leadership qualities. FDR was curious to learn more. Besides, the ire President’s conversations and interactions with the outside world created an exceptional learning experience. FDR acquired insights from different people. The knowledge was critical in defining his leadership. The President displayed confidence and authority on public issues because he understood. FDR’s curiosity enabled him to learn more from the public. As a result, the leader served the public interest. The proximity between the President and the people allowed him to learn more about the public interest.
Problem-solving is a leadership ability that helps leaders to serve the public interest. Roosevelt became the U.S. president when the economy was worse. The country had high unemployment and infrastructural damages because of the Great Depression and World War II. FDR displayed problem-solving abilities by providing temporary intervention for 8.5 million unemployed Americans (Edlin, 2022). The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) offered government-funded jobs to many Americans during the Great Depression. The president employed Many people were employed in building hospitals, schools, and public works. The intervention stimulated the country’s economy. Also, employed people could support themselves against economic hardships. Roosevelt’s problem-solving skills restored economic stability in his first term in office. The President applied his problem-solving skills to the public interest in the distress. In the second term, he won by a landslide because Americans were satisfied with his leadership and response to public concerns.
Leadership is A Behavior
Leadership behavior is a leadership theory that requires leaders to display leadership behaviors. Americans expected FDR to show outstanding leadership behaviors to overcome the impact of the Great Depression. Leadership role in organizations is very dominant (Ferine et al., 2021). Besides, leaders influence individual and collective efforts to attain set goals. Leaders with solid work ethic inspire and motivate their followers to deliver the best. A strong work ethic is a leadership behavior that shows Roosevelt’s commitment to public interests. The President’s behavior instilled public confidence. The President was authentic in addressing the public interest. Strong work ethic permitted Roosevelt to serve the public interest. His leadership skills also influenced the work ethics of various individuals and organizations in his government. The President’s perseverance enabled him to serve American interests during a crisis.
Resilience is a behavior leaders display when in distress. Roosevelt’s high resilience level was significant in serving the public. FDR became President when the country was experiencing a myriad of challenges. The U.S. citizens had high expectations for the new government. The leader showed a high resilience level by maintaining calmness. FDR’s calm allowed him to develop interventional programs and policies that helped the country recover from the Great Depression. The U.S. President remained rational when handling the effects of the Great Depression. Besides, Roosevelt worked with different institutions and persons to contain the Great Depression. High resilience is a leadership quality. Leaders can acquire the skill through repeated exposure to leadership challenges. Nonetheless, others have resilient skills as a trait. High resilience allowed FDR to remain in control when the public was in despair.
Leaders accommodate individuals with opinion views. Inclusivity in FDR’s regime allowed the leader to address public interests. Inclusivity generates challenges and benefits (Northouse, 2018). However, perfect leaders acknowledge the strength found in diversity. Roosevelt valued various ideas generated when working with others. Inclusivity enabled the leader to get accurate and reliable information from the public. Improved communication between the President and the crowd brought Americans on the board. Hence, it became easy for Roosevelt to serve public interests. Nevertheless, the President experienced challenges from different people and organizations. The leader showed exceptional problem-solving skills to handle problems from other groups, such as the business community.
Pragmatic leadership is a habit that allows leaders to prioritize activities with real impact on the people. Roosevelt’s attachment to pragmatism over ideology permitted him to serve the public interest. The President emphasized tangible outcomes. Intentional leaders focus on attainable results. These individuals use their natural or acquired leadership abilities to generate actual outcomes. FDR took office when the U.S. was experiencing challenges due to the Great Depression. Therefore, FDR’s prioritization of pragmatism enabled him to initiate actions that would generate instant and reliable outcomes. The leader’s approach helped him to overcome the effect of the Great Depression in his first term in office. FDR showed immense leadership when he established programs that stimulated the U.S. economy and cautioned the public against economic hardships.
Religious Beliefs
The Episcopal Church influenced Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The 32nd U.S. President was baptized at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, New York. The former President also served as the senior warden at his baptismal church (Diaz, 2022). As a church’s senior warden, FDR interacted with different people with different needs. Also, as a senior warden, Franklin was in charge of other wardens. Performing senior warden duties allowed Franklin to acquire leadership abilities. However, church work allowed the former President to acquire Christian values. Franklin displayed leadership traits at his church. Hence, it was easy for the church leadership to entrust him with the senior warden’s responsibility. FDR had a strong Christian foundation that influenced his personality, political engagement, and tenure as the President. The leader served the public interest because he knew what the people wanted. Working as a senior warden at St. James allowed Franklin to interact and help people with various needs. He replicated the same behavior when FDR employed many Americans in his first days in office.
Roosevelt’s matriculation at the Groton School made him a successful president. At the school, he got Christian values for leadership. Minister Endicott Peabody molded FDR at the Groton School (Guth, 2020). The minister was a legendary educator. As a result, Endicott imparted FDR with the right knowledge. Therefore, Roosevelt’s time at the school prepared him for leadership. The Social Gospel shaped FDR’s political life. The religious ideology was a manifestation of the leader’s religious upbringing. President Franklin was compassionate to Americans who were struggling due to the impact of the Great Depression. The compassion allowed him to prioritize relief and recovery in his first days in office. FDR’s Christian values triggered to care for vulnerable Americans, especially the unemployed, who were struggling to meet the high cost of living. FDR’s compassion and love for the U.S. citizens enabled him to serve the public interests. The leader displayed bravery during the Great Depression to ensure that the country recovered from the economic hardships associated with the Great Depression.
The Social Gospel targeted improving society by applying Christian values. FDR was a believer in the Social Gospel. In his politics, the leader displayed his Christian values when attending to victims of the Great Depression. The New Deal legislation signified the Social Gospel’s impact on FDR’s government. Roosevelt believed that the New Deal would improve the U.S. The New Deal provided immediate economic relief to Americans. Also, the program introduced reforms in finance, agriculture, industry, and housing. The U.S. President assumed that the changes were necessary to improve American society. The New Deal allowed the concept of a government-regulated economy—the approach aimed at balancing conflicting economic interests. Conflicting economic interests threatened the government’s effort to address economic hardship. Therefore, FDR introduced the New Deal. The New Deal helped the President to address public economic problems. Roosevelt succeeded in improving society by using his Christian values.
Conclusion
Roosevelt was a leader with ability. He also displayed leadership behavior in his response to the impact of the Great Depression. The exemplary leadership abilities and behaviors enabled FDR to serve the public interest. Besides, FDR had a strong Christian background that influenced his personality and political engagements. The Social Gospel was a primary factor that influenced Roosevelt’s presidency. The leader knew that he had a duty to improve his society. The Social Gospel doctrine provided the right Christian values that influenced the legislation of the New Deal. The New Deal presented massive reforms that addressed the economic implications of the Great Depression. Leadership resilience levels allowed FDR to remain calm and rational during the Great Depression. The President included various players in his governance. Different insights shaped Roosevelt’s leadership. Nevertheless, working with distinct people and institutions generated opposition. FDR’s leadership abilities and behaviors guided the U.S. president in serving the public interest.
References
Edlin, M. (2022). The Works Progress Administration and the National Youth Administration at the University of South Carolina. The History of UofSC’s Gibbes Green, p. 132.
Ferine, K. F., Aditia, R., & Rahmadana, M. F. (2021). An empirical study of leadership, organizational culture, conflict, and work ethic in determining work performance in Indonesia’s education authority. Heliyon, 7(7). (K.F. Ferine). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07698
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Sage Publications.
Guth, K. V. (2020). Laying Claim to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Legacy: An Ethical Assessment of Social Gospel Historiography. Journal of Religious Ethics, 48(1), 26-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/jore.12300
Diaz, K. A. (2022). Nation Beautiful: Muscular Christianity and the Quest for Perfection. University of California, Riverside.
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