Last week I had the good fortune to be a tourist in Philadelphia. As I got a refresher on history, I viewed the lessons much differently than I had the first time around in school.
Of course the obvious occurred to me. Our founding fathers were brilliant, courageous and had tremendous foresight. What struck me this time was how they put their individual differences or desire for power aside for the good of the country.
These men had a vision of a new republic. They had ideals to prove that were bigger than they were. George Washington specifically declined a third term so that he could peacefully pass the power to John Adams. At 65, our first president did not want to die in office or become ill. He wanted to show the world that democracy and the peaceful transfer of power worked.
True leaders put aside their own gain for the good of the organization or cause. The vision of the greater good outweighs personal desires. Unfortunately, in our political and business climate today, we see little of this behavior.
Leadership takes courage, humility and a belief in a greater vision outside of ourselves. That is a history lesson we can all remember.