In Chapter Eleven of Leadership in Turbulent Times, Doris Kearns Goodwin explains how Franklin Delano Roosevelt began the first of his four terms as president of the United States in 1932. During the first 100 days, he focused on the immediate banking crisis and set in motion a turnaround that would forever alter the relationship between the government and the people.

Here are the key points:

o Draw an immediate sharp line of demarcation between what has gone before and what is about to begin.

o Restore confidence in the spirit and morale of the people. Strike the right balance of realism and optimism.

o Infuse a sense of shared purpose and direction

o Tell people what they can expect and what is expected of them.

o Lead by example.

o Forge a team aligned with action and change.

o Create a gathering pause, a window of time.

o Bring all stakeholders aboard.

o Set a deadline and drive full-bore to meet it.

o Set forth and maintain clear-cut ground rules with the press.

o Tell the story simply, directly to the people.

o Address systemic problems. Launch lasting reforms.

o Be open to experiment. Design flexible agencies to deal with new problems.

o Stimulate competition and debate. Encourage creativity.

o Open channels of unfiltered  information to supplement and challenge official sources.

o Adapt. Be ready to change course quickly when necessary.

According to Goodwin, “Roosevelt’s gift of communication proved the vital instrument of his success in developing a common mission, clarifying problems, mobilizing action, and earning the people’s trust. His faith never foundered that if the people ‘were taken into the confidence of their government and received a full and truthful statement of what was happening, they would generally choose the right course.’ This reciprocal connection between Roosevelt and the people he served lay at the heart of his leadership.

“Indeed, if ever an argument can be made for the inclusive importance of the character and intelligence of the leader in fraught times, at home and abroad, it will come to rest on the broad shoulders of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.” (Page 305)

Leadership in Turbulent Times was published by Simon & Schuster (2018).