Although I was not old enough to vote in the 1976 presidential election that put Jimmy Carter in the White House, I was old enough to remember his time in office. Carter’s single-term as president was fraught with trouble. Among other problems, he failed to control inflation and unemployment and his lack of understanding of the bond market caused interest rates to skyrocket (OnTheIssues.org, n.d.). His lowest approval rating while in office was a mere 28% (Roper Center, n.d.). So why in a course on leadership would I choose to write about such a dismal president as an example of a leader?
It is not how Carter failed as president that makes this man a great transformational leader; it is what he has done since he left office and began to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. To many people, Jimmy Carter has provided Americans with an ideal model of post-presidential life. In fact, some, including me, consider him to be the nation’s greatest former president (Today, 2009).
The mission of Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) is to rid the nation of substandard housing by building simple houses alongside the people who will call them home. Carter’s vision is to share the wealth in which he has been blessed with those who are in need (Today, 2009). As a former president, his followers find a man who once led the greatest nation on earth, swinging a hammer beside people in need of decent housing. Carter is a person of faith who understands the basic lessons about truth, justice, love, and sharing. These lessons cross all religions, and Carter believes it’s the best way for him to live out the highest moral values of his faith (Today, 2009). Carter’s morals and expectations of the affluent sharing their wealth and his willingness to work alongside the less fortunate provide charisma and inspiration to potential donors, volunteers, and Habitat program participants.
Working with the partner families helps Carter get to know the families for whom he serves, thus providing individualized consideration. Carter mentions that the one thing he has seen over and over is that that when people become homeowners, their dignity and self-respect increase dramatically and they become filled with a new pride that inspires them to reach for other things that they previously considered out of their grasp, such as an education (Today, 2009), which in turn leads to intellectual stimulation.
In spite of the fact that Carter was an inept political leader in our nation’s highest office, his post-presidency humanitarian work has made him a respected leader and one whose ideals are worth following.
Jimmy Carter: How volunteering gave me joy. (2009, October 15). Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://www.today.com/id/33312483/ns/today-today_books/t/jimmy-carter-how-volunteering-gave-me-joy/#.VYNrwPlViko
OnTheIssues.org. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Jimmy_Carter_Budget_ _Economy.htm
Presidential Approval – Roper Center. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19, 2015, from http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/polls/presidential-approval/
Walter F Cavalier says
I agree, Jimmy Carter has done a marvelous job after leaving office. However, I would not consider him inept. Some historian will say he inherited a sinking ship left to him by his predecessors when he came into office and things simply got worse. However, as far as inflation, congress actually controls the budget. There were many factors in play to create the perfect storm for double-digit inflation. The resolution has to be collaborative exercise between the United States Congress and the United States President. If congress had a plan to control or fix the problem and the president vetoed the fix everyone knows that Congress can over ride his veto with a 2/3 majority vote.
Some of the ways that Carter showed leadership during his tenure as President of the United State was he pushed for America to be energy independent. In the “Crisis of Confidence” speech in 1979, Carter proposed to raise the fleet auto mileage standard to 48 miles per gallon by 1995. Carter also insisted in setting a goal of obtaining 20 percent of American energy from solar power by the year 2000. His on objective was for Americans to become less dependent on foreign governments and their oil. In fact, President Carter led by example and installed solar panel on the White House as a testament to his alternative energy ambitions. As we know, Carter only lasted one term. President Reagan took office junked Carter’s energy proposals and fuel standards, tore the solar panels from the white house and sided with the corporations. As a result, we are where we are.
References:
Murse, Tom, “A Brief History of White House Solar Panels”. http://www.usgovinfo.com (n.d.) http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/tp/History-of-White-House-Solar-Panels.htm
Nicole M Neumeyer says
I personally found your BLOG to be very eye opening. As an optimist I like to think that people always have the ability to turn a negative situation into a positive one. I was not alive during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, however I am aware of some of his work post White House. It seems like although Jimmy Carter failed as president he continued to “serve to change the status quo by appealing to followers’ values and their sense of higher purpose” (PSU, L10, p.3).
He not only swayed individuals thinking of him. He got them to help in his cause. I am a firm believer that people never really stop developing. I think that President Carter is a great example of this understanding.
Pennsylvania State University, World Campus. (2015). PSYCH485, Lesson 10: Transformation leadership. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/su15/psych485/001/content/10_lesson/01_page.html