Dwight D. Eisenhower may be one of my favorite U.S. Presidents. Having said that, it sounds like he received a lot of criticism during his years in office (Presidents receive criticism? Go figure!) and some time after he had left office. He was accused of working with the enemy instead of serving his political party. He was accused of not being bold enough in his response to crises and criticism. He didn't pound the table publicly and posture in the face of adversity. He didn't publicly attack or ridicule, so his convictions were called into question.
Many think leadership is about being outspoken, steadfast in your stances, and being ready to publicly defend yourself and others as a sign of strength. Dwight was not all of these in the eyes of his critics. At least not from what they could see publicly from him.
Fact is, Ike may have been the most steadfast in his mission and convictions. He refused to change his mission in the face of critics and he refused to get down to their level of public attacks. He saw it did little to serve the important work. So while he was publicly criticized, he kept steering forward with his vision in mind.
So what was President Eisenhower's mission? He called it the "Middle Way". More than anything, Ike believed it would take all of us working together to move the country forward in the post WWII world. He took the path less traveled when he aspired to work with both sides of the political spectrum. One side called him a traitor and another called him weak for these efforts. What character he possessed to stick with it and never waiver. Moderation is HARD.
Fact is, the "other side" is never going to vanish. All or nothing is a dangerous approach. We will always have adversity. We will always tote the line of too much and not enough. Money, Friends, Rest, Work, Confidence, Sleep, Exercise. Relaxation. When you look at those words, ask yourself: Do I do/get too much of it? Do I do none of it? There is a case to be made that both are equally dangerous. Too much can break you. None at all can break you.
As President, Ike knew AND sought to execute something we have all have heard of but rarely pursue with conviction. Moderation falls silent to loud extremes. All in or all out. The path to prosperity, I believe, is to follow Ike's pursuit of the Middle Way. Not too much, not too little, just the right amount. That may be the key to success in this life. I aspire to the mission for moderation, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. That is why he is my favorite President.
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