Speeches are a useful tool that can help us better understand history and its subsequent application to contemporary events. According to the Churchill Archive for Schools, "... often speeches are written far in advance and carefully edited, so we can usually assume that the words were chosen for a good reason. We can also learn a great deal about the person giving the speech. The way someone writes and speaks in public gives us a sense of their personality, and the kinds of persuasive devices and rhetoric that an orator employs can provide hints as to their motivations and strategies." This is a resonant point relative to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Columbia University's president from 1948 to 1953. In addition to clear evidence that Eisenhower was a visionary leader, an assessment of speeches during his tenure at the institution reveals two recurring themes worthy of consideration by the higher education community. First, Eisenhower was a flexible, adaptive leader. Second, he was a leader who demonstrated kindness with humility.

After serving over three decades in the U.S. Army, including time as the Army Chief of Staff, Eisenhower was selected as the President of Columbia University. With his pedigree, Eisenhower could have taken any number of high caliber roles after the Army, but according to Jack Holl in the book "The Religious Journey of Dwight D. Eisenhower: Duty, God, and Country," Eisenhower "...could not resist the attraction of heading a major Ivy League university, where he might make a significant contribution to the education of students who were about the age of the troops he had commanded." Like most leaders, Eisenhower would face challenges and obstacles that would require flexibility and adaptiveness. After decades in the Army, he had to learn a new organizational culture within academia. He also had to overcome criticism that he was not qualified for the position at Columbia, because he did not follow the traditional path to becoming a university president.

Of all the challenges he faced, however, the Cold War became one of the biggest. The ideological battle between democracy and communism observed in the struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union became a significant focus for Eisenhower as evidenced in his Columbia University speeches. A review of his speeches indicates how he flexibly integrated Cold War concerns into his vision at Columbia. In Douglas Clark's book "Eisenhower in Command at Columbia, he wrote, "...while Eisenhower acknowledged the role of universities in research and acquiring knowledge, he believed higher education had a calling beyond those objectives..." Eisenhower continually pushed the role of education in fostering democratic citizenship and responsibilities, and the Cold War was front and center part of that. In Eisenhower's June 1, 1949, commencement address, he declared, "In the years ahead of you graduates, the fundamental struggle of our time may be decided - between those who would further apply to our daily lives the concept of individual freedom and equality; and those who would subordinate the individual to the dictates of the state. You will participate in the fight. We believe that Columbia has effectively trained you for the practice of your chosen profession - your diplomas are evidence of our confidence in that training and your successful completion of it. But beyond the purely academic or professional - and more important to humanity - is your readiness for responsible citizenship."

And in his commencement speech the following year at Columbia, he would state, "World Revolution, of which one objective is the elimination of the American system of government, is the announced purpose of powerful forces."We see Eisenhower's flexibility in morphing his leadership vision and plan for the university toward the country's ideological struggle of the time. Eisenhower's actions mirrored the words of leadership expert John C. Maxwell who advised leaders to "read the need, then lead."

Beyond his flexible leadership, Eisenhower's speeches also reveal continuous displays of the enduring leadership qualities of kindness and humility. In the book, "How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decisions," penned by his granddaughter Susan Eisenhower, she wrote, "...Ike has left me, frankly, in awe of how he handled some of the most consequential decisions ever undertaken...all while retaining a genuine capacity for empathy and kindness...I don't know how he did it, but I saw firsthand that he never became callous, hard, or cynical." In the eulogy at Eisenhower's funeral in 1969, President Nixon stated, "...he always retained a saving humility. His was the humility not of fear but of confidence..." The same eulogy would highlight Eisenhower's Columbia University Presidency among his many outstanding lifetime achievements.

Regarded as an epideictic speaker by Jack Holl, Eisenhower's characteristic kindness and humility would emerge in speech after speech. It was his persistent standard to express gratefulness toward the audience, projecting a sense that it was an immense privilege and honor to be with a group of people for whom he had great respect. The following speech excerpt from a 1950 awards dinner is just one example of Eisenhower's many displays of kindness and humility: "Whenever a normally modest American is called upon to face a distinguished audience of fellow-citizens such as this before the microphone, he is struck with his own inadequacy, and particularly with the knowledge that he has no assurance that he can speak on any subject which can capture the interest of the group."This kindness and humility, repeated time again in his speeches, reflected a leader with tremendous soft power, a strong emotional IQ, a warmness and empathy for others. In his words we see someone who is not authoritarian, disfluent, elitist, or despondent. Instead, a kind, humble, approachable, relatable leader is apparent. Such leadership is reassuring and encouraging in a major public figure who had experienced so much fame and notoriety.

To conclude, in consideration of Eisenhower's leadership and legacy, here are takeaways for your professional journey.

1. Maintain flexibility and be ready for the unexpected. When it comes to your career path or leadership journey, you will encounter obstacles, so be persistent, diligent, and stay the course.

2. Second, as the oft-quoted, yet never officially attributed line goes, "nothing in our job descriptions requires us to be an S.O.B." Keep elevating your levels of kindness and humility. As major components of kindness and humility, relentlessly extend courtesy, respect, and professionalism. Moreover, remember that kindness must be tailored to unique stakeholders as it is assessed on the receiving end and largely depends on local customs and cultures.

In pursuit of higher education's "kindness imperative," other tips include a focus on serving others rather than being served, encouraging others, and assisting others with their goals. Humble yourself and value others before yourself. While there is a great deal of scholarship and information about kindness in the workplace, a useful reference is the article "Science Proves Kindness Is Your Competitive Advantage." Among the many characteristics of Eisenhower's legacy, flexibility, kindness, and humility are critical components. Keeping these principles foremost are important steps toward success on your professional journey.

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