Power & Influence

The Presidents of the United States

Tyler Roden:

The 15^th President of the United States, James Buchanan, is considered one of the worst presidents in U.S. history. James Buchanan was able to fool the American public in the Election of 1857 into believing that he could be the president they needed to mend the friction their country was dealing with. James Buchanan developed a reputation for being a powerful speaker, which is the reason he rose to power. By possessing powerful speech techniques Buchanan was able to suggest to the people of the United States that he would be a powerful leader as well. Buchanan also had a deceivingly powerful stature, being 6 feet tall with broad shoulders. Buchanan had legitimate power, which resides in the position rather than in the person, but did not have the leadership skills to back up that power. James Buchanan is now known for how we handled (did not handle) conflict. His leadership style could be considered Laissez-Faire, he constantly avoided issues concerning slavery and the conflicts with Mormons in the west and he avoided interaction with the general public. Seven states seceded from the Union due to the president’s inability to bring resolution to the growing tension. Buchanan is often considered a major catalyst that broke the nation in half and started the Civil War. What we can learn from James Buchanan is that no matter how well you look on paper or how much power you seem to exude, if you do not have the proper leadership skills and techniques to lead your followers towards success then you will also fail.