Top 10 Leadership Qualities of George Washington

It can be helpful to learn about leadership from the greatest leaders who ever walked the earth. However, some of these leaders are no longer alive. We can still learn from their skills, mistakes, and leadership traits through history.

The most successful leaders come in all shapes and sizes. The greatest leaders in history were often leaders of countries and movements. Observing the leadership qualities and characteristics of world leaders such as presidents and royalty can help you learn how to be a better leader.

"My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth."

George Washington

One of the greatest leaders in American history was George Washington. Voted as the first president of the United States of America, George Washington was well-liked and voted into office because of his strong character and passion for the country.

Many people who study the origins of America ask themselves, why was George Washington always chosen as the leader? He was often called the Father of the Country and the American Moses. Everyone thought he was indispensable.

The other founding fathers of the United States of America were philosophers, authors, thinkers, organizers, and speakers. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, and other founding fathers were much better educated than George Washington.

However, when it came down to choosing a leader for the Revolution, the Constitutional Convention, and eventually, the presidency of the United States, George Washington was chosen every time. Why is this the case?

George Washington was chosen as the leader over and over again. Many people think this is due to his physical stature, his charisma, and his overall likeability. There are many traits that made him a great leader.

Here are ten leadership qualities George Washington had that made him one of the greatest leaders of all time.

• Charisma
• Integrity
• Energy
• Courage
• Ambition
• His Reputation as a Patriot
• The Admiration and Affection of the People
• Patience
• Drive
• Attention to Detail

Charisma

Charisma is an important character trait of a leader. This is defined as “charm that inspires devotion from others.” Charismatic leaders are often good speakers, and they attract a crowd when they speak. Their charming personalities come across well when they speak in front of people, and the people they speak to become devoted to them based on the charm and charisma they emulate while speaking.

George Washington was known to be charismatic, a trait shared by many great leaders such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, or Mahatma Gandhi. When George Washington spoke to crowds of American people, he attracted their attention and won over their devotion. Overall, he was a very likable person and was well-respected by many.

Integrity

George Washington is widely known as a man of faith, morals, and integrity. His character was an important part of his personality, and he took his faith very seriously. He was well respected because of his dedication to morals and faith. He consistently chose to make decisions based on the greater good and not on his own personal gain.

Ultimately, the mark of a great leader is someone who holds others to a high standard and also holds himself to a high standard. When a leader is humble enough to have expectations of himself as well as those he leads, that speaks loudly to the people he is leading. There is no room for arrogance in the life of a leader. A humble leader gains followers easily because his followers trust him and his character.

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."

George Washington

Energy

A great leader must have the energy to carry out the task of leading his people. First of all, he must be able to physically, mentally, and emotionally handle the burden that comes with leading a group of people.

But most of all, he must have a positive energy that in turn energizes others. Of course, there will always be times in life when people are tired and times are tough, but a team of people cannot succeed if everyone is tired and hopeless.

Positive energy and infectious optimism are both important to leading a group of people towards a common goal. Banding together with this energy, tasks are able to be finished much more easily, and goals can be achieved.

Courage

Leading the American people through the Revolutionary War was no easy feat. There were times during the war that the small American army felt like they had no hope against the well-equipped British soldiers. However, George Washington never lost hope. Because of his courage and integrity, he was able to encourage his army to persevere through the harsh winter in Valley Forge, the long battle during the winter of 1777-1778.

Ambition

George Washington had the drive and ambition to get the American people and army through the Revolutionary War. Even when things seemed hopeless, George Washington and his followers kept pushing forward and pursuing peace. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington held his men to a standard of discipline that enabled everyone to stay on the same page and work towards the same goal.

After the war was over, he did not stop trying to make America a better country. George Washington kept pushing further for peace and prosperity in the United States of America.

His Reputation as a Patriot

After the Revolutionary War was over, the American people all knew who George Washington was. All across the thirteen colonies, his name was well renowned because of his character, integrity, and loyalty to America during the war. Everyone knew that he was a true Patriot. He believed in the goals that America was setting, and he wanted to be a part of seeing them through. His reputation as a Patriot of the United States of America made him an easy choice for the first presidency of the United States.

"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon."

George Washington

The Admiration and Affection of the People

His reputation as a Patriot was not the only reason why the American people adored George Washington. George Washington wanted the American people to be free from England, but he also wanted so much more for America. He wanted the American people to be free to pursue their own happiness, and he fought for that freedom with his own life.

He was also well respected and admired because of his faith in God, which many people in the United States of America shared at that time. Americans viewed George Washington as a man of faith, a family man who fought for their country and had their best interests at heart. The public loved George Washington.

Patience

Leaders must always be patient. Change in a nation does not happen overnight. George Washington did not start fighting a war and expected to win instantly, start a nation, and then lead it. He instead chose to lead an army and fight because he was fighting for what he believed in. He was patient and saw the battle through to the very end.

When he won, he focused on the next project. He worked tirelessly with his fellow founding fathers to create the document we now use to rule our country. When those details were ironed out, after a lot of meetings, he eventually became the first President of the United States. He showed patience and integrity every step of the way.

Drive

The drive to be better and change the world is an important part of being a leader. George Washington saw the immense need for change in America. When they were under British rule, Americans had no freedom to make money for themselves or even live for themselves. He felt driven to change that, and he did.

Attention to Detail

Every great leader has to be attentive to detail. Knowing what is going on in your organization is essential to representing your organization well. In the case of George Washington, it was important for him to know what was going on in each stage of his leadership of America.

The Founding Fathers were all very attentive to detail when they were fighting for their freedom from England. Everyone wanted to make sure that no balls were dropped and nothing was missed. After America’s freedom was won, he continued to work hard to make sure that America’s future as a country started off on the right foot.

Conclusion

George Washington was a great leader of the United States for many reasons. Because of his strength of character, dedication to the cause, history as a patriot, drive, ambition, charisma, attention to detail, and more, George Washington was selected as the leader of America several times.

As the leader of the Revolutionary War, he led an army to win America’s freedom. As the leader of the Constitutional Convention, he helped start the country that we live in today. And as President of the United States, he set America up for a future as a nation where we can all be free to pursue our own happiness.