Kennedy and Eisenhower as Leaders

As a nation, we look to our Presidents for many things, but one of the most important qualities is their ability to be a leader. Every president has their own leadership style; however, some presidents have a more desirable method of leadership than others. Take for instance, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. Both of these presidents were well-liked by the American people, yet their leadership styles were quite different. There are two main types of leadership styles - direct and indirect. Direct leadership of the president is so important because presidency is the highest role in our political society, which comes with power, prestige, and a wealth of responsibility and commitment. There are a variety of factors that contribute to the effectiveness of presidential leadership and the consequence that this effectiveness has on society (St. Bonaventure University, n.d.).

Dwight David Eisenhower has been said to be the least understood of the modern presidents. A year after Eisenhower stepped down from office, a poll of specialists on the presidency was performed. Within two decades, a transformation of Eisenhower's reputation had begun in the scholarly literature. As the inner records of his presidency became visible to the public, his image was far removed from the image he had cast during his presidency. Eisenhower was referred to as having a hidden-hand style of leadership, which reduced his interest in public persuasion, and he was said to be an earnest, yet uninspiring, speaker. It was said that Eisenhower's oblique style would be difficult for modern presidents to emulate since behind-the-scenes leadership works better for a deeply trusted national figure who has earned the nation's confidence in a non-political role than for a leader whose public support depends on day-to-day results. However, his practice of down-playing the divisive side of presidential leadership and accentuating the president's ecumenical responsibilities could be viewed as politically rewarding even today, if appropriately adapted (History News Network, n.d.).

When John F. Kennedy replaced Dwight Eisenhower as president, he was told about the CIA's plan to invade Cuba. In the first speech Kennedy made to the American public as their president, he made it clear that he intended to continue Eisenhower's policy of supporting the South Vietnamese government of Ngo Dinh Diem. He argued that if South Vietnam became a communist state, the entire non-communist world would be at risk. Under his leadership, America would be willing to, "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty." (Spartacus Educational, n.d.). This speech had a considerable impact on many young Americans. Vision, decision-making style, and delegation are the key factors to what makes an effective leader. Recent scholarly work has demonstrated that Kennedy was one