Recipe For Success: George Washington

George Washington - Wikipedia — Image from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington

Born: February 22 1732, Popes Creek Virginia

Personal Success Definition

I define success as doing something good not just for yourself, but others as well. George Washington was instrumental as a General in the Revolutionary War, and he set a good example as the first President that others would try to follow. He displayed great qualities as a leader which helped him do his job such as humility, confidence and ingenuity.

Skills for Success

George Washington is a 1) great General, 2) great Leader, 3) good person. George Washington was first a Lieutenant Colonel for the Virginia regiment in the British colonial army, fighting alongside the British in the French and Indian War. He later used this experience to command the American army in the Revolutionary War, with some of his most famous successes at Trenton and Princeton after crossing the Delaware river. He was elected as the first President of the United States after the war, and put a high importance on doing the job to the best of his ability. He said to James Madison after being elected, “As the first of everything in our situation will serve to establish precedent, it is devoutly wished on my part that this precedent be fixed on true principles.” Despite owning slaves, George Washington was known to be kind and soft-spoken, as well as strong and principled. It is also worthy of note that he freed the slaves of himself and his wife as soon as the law allowed them to (which was the time of their respective deaths).

How They Used These SkillsExplain how did they use these skills to achieve success?

He used his leadership abilities to lead the country through its early stages of existence, eventually becoming the first President. As President he used these skills to deal with many problems that arose such as the establishment of public credit and foreign affairs.

Challenges Overcome

George Washington had to overcome fighting a war against a much stronger adversary. He had to deal with the rampant spread of smallpox, where he was able to mostly successfully organize the inoculation of his army. He had to deal with an under equipped army, which didn’t have proper clothing for the harsh winters they would face. As President, he had to manage a Nation that was just being created. He had to set a precedent for what it meant to be a good leader, and he had to prove that representative government and individual rights can coexist with a stable government, like many doubted after the failures of the Articles of Confederation.