Comparison Of Management Styles Of Lyndon B. Johnson And Richard M. Nixon
This essay focuses on two Presidents, Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat and Richard M. Nixon, a Republican. What was their management style in the White House? When you compare these two Presidents, there is one thing that they both have in common, a tragedy that either progress them to be President through assassination and a President riddled by scandal that led to his resignation through impeachment. At the end of their term as President, one man longed to live the rest of his life on his ranch in Texas while the other wrote books and met with presidents to vindicate himself. The latter is not what this essay is about rather it is the management style of both men during their terms in office.
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) became the 36th President aboard Air Force One after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy, while in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, was gunned down by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1953. Jacqueline B. Kennedy, bear witness to Johnson being sworn in, while accompanying her husband’s body back to Washington, D. C. Johnson was often referred to as LBJ. According to Mark Updegrove (2013), LBJ was the 20th Century’s “most underrated President. ” He based this on his legislative legacy of social reform and the ability to get things done often on the backs of his embattled staff. His staff endured long work days that kept them well into the night. He once said, “I only think of politics eighteen hours a day. ” He expected the same focus from his staff. He could be exceptionally cruel if they failed the task.
Johnson’s staff would size it up that he was married to his job. He never made personal plans, nor did he socialize much except for events and dinners. He was dedicated, and he expected his staff to be the same. LBJ could be cruel and harsh in his criticism of his staff, however, there was also a softer side of LBJ, but it never led to him apologizing for his actions. Thick skin was a requisite for his staff as a pristine suit and tie or stockings without runs, all of which were subject to Johnson’s scrutinizing gaze.
His persuasiveness with erstwhile colleagues on Capitol Hill, often involving psychological arm-twisting that long ago had been labeled the 'Johnson treatment,' would now be a feature of the relations between the executive and legislative branches.
Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974) was an introvert who expected professionalism, teamwork and the subordination of personal agendas it meant loyalty and unity, characteristics of behavior and attitude. H. R. Haldeman was Nixon’s chief of staff who exhibited these traits serving as an example to be patterned by all members of the White House staff. All appointees in the Departments and Agencies were also expected to follow this example.
Nixon organized his office in three categories: The Office of the President, the National Security Council and the Domestic Council. Nixon knew how he wanted his White House to work and how he wanted to use his time. He constantly experimented with and changed his work pattern and that of his staff, always seeking the ideal way to operate. The challenges of his administration changed from year to year, if not month-to-month, and he adapted to those changes by personally deciding how his time would be used. He always made these changes and adjustments in consultation with Chief of Staff Haldeman who was accountable for implementation and follow-up. Because of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon was impeached. Facing impeachment by Congress, Nixon resigned from office on August 9, 1974.
Each President entering office has their own management style. Lyndon Johnson was crude, often cruel and criticizing his staff if they did not adhere to his management style. He did not believe in a chief of staff while Nixon relied on his Chief of Staff to keep his office as well as his staff intact.
According to Pfiffner (2011) no President can run the White House without a chief of staff. However, a chief of staff can be a prescription for disaster when he takes a strong and controlling approach to his job. The Nixon Administration alienated members of Congress as well as members of his own administration and had hostile relations with the press because of a strong and controlling chief of staff. Nonetheless, Presidents cannot manage the White House staff alone, they appoint someone to manage it for him to his specifications.
References
- Updegrove, Mark. 'Cruel to Be Kind: LBJ Behind the Scenes. ' The Alcalde. January 22, 2013. Accessed January 30, 2018. http://alcalde. texasexes. org/2012/02/cruel-to-be-kind-lbj-behind-the-scenes/. This quote is taken from Mark Updegrove's book Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency, He is the director of the LBJ Library and Museum on the Forty Acres.
- Chapin, Dwight. 'The Office Of The President » Richard Nixon Foundation. ' Richard Nixon Foundation. September 30, 2016. Accessed February 01, 2018. https://www. nixonfoundation. org/2010/04/the-office-of-the-president-3/.
- Pfiffner, James P. The Modern Presidency. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2011.
