He projected “an aura strong enough to penetrate the farthest corner of any room he entered.” He was Continental Army commander George Washington. The time was the winter of 1777-1778 as described in the new book, Valley Forge by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.
It was during the six harrowing months at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, that General Washington earned the moniker ‘Father of our Country.’ According to the authors, “That the continental army still existed in June of 1778 was a miracle of survival.” In all, 2,000 soldiers died of starvation, disease, and exposure. The survivors would go on to defeat the mightiest empire on Earth.
Throughout the book, there are glimpses of what it must have been like to be led by Washington. One aide wrote, “His presence seemed to arrest fate with a single glance.” By ‘presence,’ he meant the extraordinary ability to face dire circumstances with almost supernatural courage and calmness. “At one point a cannon ball landed yards from his position, spooking his horse and throwing mud into his face…Washington never flinched.” According to Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s “coolness and firmness” in battle inspired everyone who saw him.
The impact that Washington’s presence had on troop morale cannot be overestimated, say the authors. Cognitive psychologists wouldn’t be surprised. An interesting branch of research is being conducted into ‘emotional contagion’—how we’re affected by the fear or joy that the people around us exhibit. Although they are not psychology books, two new history books offer remarkable insight into contagion and how leaders can lift a team’s morale—in part—by the way they react to crisis.
In Valley Forge, we learn that George Washington believed that both courage and cowardice flowed from leaders at the top. In private, Washington was prone to pessimism, gloom, and “trembling rage.” Most people facing his circumstances would have felt the same. In public, however, Washington stood ramrod straight, made strong eye contact when giving orders, and appeared calm, controlled and confident. “Even in defeat, especially in defeat, Washington was aware of his duty to keep afloat this army’s morale.”
Historian Ron Chernow once wrote that Washington was well aware of the impression he left on others. “Washington’s bearing and presence bedazzled people….he never lounged or slouched. He never allowed people to see him in a neglected state,” Chernow writes. “Washington was, quite simply, a sight to behold.”
In Andrew Roberts’s new biography about Winston Churchill, Walking with Destiny, which I wrote about in a previous column, we learn that, in private, Churchill was given to fits of “towering rage” and “deepening gloom.” Sound familiar? Yet, in public, Churchill said, “I displayed the smiling countenance and confident air which are thought suitable when things are very bad.” Churchill had learned “the importance of staying calm and retaining high morale in the face of heavy odds.”
During the London Blitz of 1940 when Nazi warplanes were bombing the city every night for months, Churchill would visit buildings that were hit, holding up two fingers in the V-sign for Victory. Churchill was acutely aware of the power of symbols and he wanted the photographers to capture positive and uplifting body language. The hand gesture became a symbol throughout Occupied Europe where the V-sign was painted on walls as a message of defiance.
In the winter of 1778, the odds of the Continental Army winning the revolution looked slim, but Washington didn’t let his despair show. In June of 1940, England’s chance of surviving the Nazi attack, let alone win the war, also seemed insurmountable. Churchill didn’t have a realistic plan for victory—but his actions, words and presence kept England’s hope alive until America had no option but to enter the war.
Your business challenges aren’t as dire as the events Washington and Churchill faced, but their lessons are timeless. Your teams will look to you for leadership. They’ll judge your actions, listen to your words, and watch your body language. Communicate confidence in words and actions and you’ll inspire your team to do more than they ever thought possible.