George W Bush Leadership Style

What Leadership Style Does George W Bush Have? The public rarely has clear insight into how POTUS runs the executive branch of the government.

Some, including critics at the Harvard Business School, say that George W Bush used a “command-and-control” style of leadership. Others point to the former president’s ability to work with people and delegate responsibilities to people within his inner circle.

In reality, Bush probably used a combination of leadership styles, choosing each one to match the challenges of the day.

Was George W Bush an Autocratic Leader?

David Gergen, a professor and founding director at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, has described President George W Bush as a “top-down, no-nonsense, decisive, macho leader… [who] can be confrontational.”

It’s safe to assume that Gergen knows what he’s talking about. He spent time as Richard Nixon’s Director of Speechwriting, Ronald Reagan’s White House Staff Secretary, Reagan’s Communication Director, and Counselor to Bill Clinton. In other words, he has worked with presidents with diverse personalities and political beliefs.

Gergen’s description makes George W Bush sound like an autocratic leader who makes decisions independently and expects everyone to follow his orders.

Was George W Bush a Transformational Leader?

George W Bush may have acted as an autocratic leader at times, but he knew when to take more effective approaches. Stanley Renshon, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, writes about George W Bush as a transformational leader during the midterm elections of his second term.

At this point in his presidency, Bush was starting to lose much of the support that had made him a cherished leader after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and during the beginning of Iraq War. As the war continued, Osama bin Laden remained free, and the economy started to show troubling signs, Bush used his remaining goodwill to improve the prospects of other Republican politicians.

He toured the country extensively to bolster the early careers of Republicans at state and federal levels. He also began to bring more people into his circle, allowing him to model effective leadership traits that they could apply to their own careers and teams.

What Type of Leadership Style Do Presidents Have?

Presidents have to make firm decisions based on the information they have. This often looks like an autocratic leadership style because a reliable president accepts responsibility for failures and successes. They become the face of the federal government, so people rely on them to make hard decisions.

It’s inaccurate to think that presidents do their jobs alone, though. Although presidents often make final choices, they rely on information and guidance from trusted aides.

No one can possibly know enough about the world to make accurate, informed decisions about economic policies, military strategies, diplomacy, and other critical aspects of leading a country. All presidents must rely on trusted confidants to give them reliable information and advice.

Clearly, some presidents do this better than others. In retrospect, Bush made mistakes, yet he did so with the best data and expert advice.

What Was George W Bush Known for During His Presidency?

George W Bush’s presidency is known for several things, including positive and negative decisions. Readers can judge whether his positions had a net positive or negative influence on the world.

Some of the achievements that stand out include:

• Increasing federal spending by about 60% while cutting taxes.
• Responding to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
• Leading a war in Iraq that resulted in the execution of Saddam Hussein.
• Attempting the No Child Left Behind educational policy.
• Proclaiming that “American is addicted to oil” and encouraging technologies to find alternative fuels.

Near the end of George W Bush’s presidency, he had to manage the Great Recession, which was largely caused by permissive lending laws and may have contributed to the election of Barack Obama.

Was George W Bush A Good Leader?

Whether George W Bush was a good leader depends on who you ask and what problem he was trying to solve.

Centrist Republicans typically see him as a good leader, although those on the more extreme side tend to think that he should have been more aggressive about cutting taxes and finishing the War in Iraq.

Those on the left of American politics typically saw George W Bush as someone without the necessary skills to lead the country.

At the time, many conjectured that Dick Cheney led the US just as much as Bush did.

Is George W Bush A Billionaire?

George W Bush is definitely wealthy, but his net value does not come close to making him a billionaire. Most experts who follow Bush’s career believe that he has about $40 million.

Bush made most of his money from business ventures he started before he became president. In 1977, he founded Arbusto Energy, a company dedicated to oil and gas exploration. The company merged with Spectrum 7 in 1984. Two years later, he sold the company to Gorge Soros. He owned about 1.1 million shares in the company, so his wealth grew quickly.

Bush also made a considerable profit when he and a group of investors purchased the Texas Rangers. Bush put $500,000 into the investment. He later sold his shares for $15 million.

How Much Does George W Bush Earn?

George W Bush has mostly retired, although he did spend several years after his presidency giving paid lectures.

Over half a decade, he gave about 200 speeches that paid between $100,000 and $175,000 each.

Even his high rate of $175,000 isn’t as much as other living presidents get. For example, Bill Clinton charges $225,000 per event.

George W Bush Leadership Style: Conclusion

Like all presidents, George W Bush used a combination of leadership styles. A single person cannot run such a gigantic operation as the executive branch of the US government.

While at times autocratic, he also delegated authority to others and used a transformational style to build the careers of like-minded politicians.

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