I’ve been enjoying HW Brands’ biography of the United States’ 7th president – Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times.
Andrew Jackson‘s mom died just after she had secured his and his brother’s release as a prisoner-of-war from the British during the Revolutionary War. His father had died before he was born and his brother also died shortly after he was released. Andrew was only 14 and he was alone. Jackson’s mom died after she left him to go and attempt to secure the release of Andrew’s cousins, who were also prisoners-of-war. Before she left she said,
“Andrew, if I should not see you again, I wish you to remember and treasure up some things I have already said to you. In this world you will have to make your own way.
To do that you must have friends.
You can make friends by being honest and you can keep them by being steadfast.
You must keep in mind that friends worth having will in the long run expect as much from you as they give to you.
To forget an obligation or be ungrateful for a kindness is a base crime, not merely a fault or a sin, but an actual crime. Men guilty of it sooner or later must suffer the penalty.
In personal conduct be always polite but never obsequious.
None will respect you more than you respect yourself.
Avoid quarrels as long as you can without yielding to imposition. But sustain your manhood always.
Never bring a suit in law for assault and battery or for defamation. The law affords no remedy for such outrages that can satisfy the feelings of a true man.
Never wound the feelings of others. Never brook wanton outrage upon your own feelings. If you ever have to vindicate your feelings or defend your honor, do it calmly. If angry at first, wait till your wrath cools before you proceed.”
After Jackson has shared these words with a group, he said, “Gentlemen, her last words have been the law of my life.”
Leadership Lessons from Other American Leaders
- George Washington: The Benefits of Recognizing the Limits of Power
- On Richard Nixon: A Cautionary Tale of Leadership
- On Alexander Hamilton
- Abraham Lincoln: The Window and the Mirror
- The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
- The Extraordinary Reconciliation of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
- Lyndon Johnson and Leadership Formation
- The Psychological Hardiness of FDR