Famous Figures

His willingness to challenge the concentrated power of railroad and oil monopolies at direct political cost, his charge at San Juan Hill, and his conservation policies pursued against the objections of industrial interests reflect a Courage orientation applied consistently across military, environmental, and economic domains.

His moon speech, which committed the nation to a goal explicitly chosen because it was hard, his resolution during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his authorship of Profiles in Courage all reflect a Courage orientation in which the principled acceptance of difficulty is treated as the central virtue of leadership.

His career, from his calculated rise through California politics to his China opening to his willingness to subvert democratic institutions rather than accept electoral risk, reflects an Achievement orientation in which the attainment of goals progressively overwhelms the constraints of method.

His consistent framing of his career in terms of wins and losses, his use of financial and electoral metrics as the primary measure of success, and his explicit identification of personal victory with national achievement reflect an Achievement orientation applied to political life.