George Washington Strengths And Weaknesses

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, led the Continental Congress in the development of the United States Constitution and served as the first United States President. His enduring contributions were far reaching and greatly impacted the course of American and world history. While Washington is the epitome of a strategic leader, he was not without his weaknesses. As a military commander, Washington made serious mistakes, however, his most significant strength was his ability to survive his mistakes and learn from them. Setbacks early in life, coupled with disappointment at the start of his military career set the foundation for Washington to emerge as America’s most iconic strategic

Following the Battle of Yorktown, Washington’s strategic leadership would prove vital. The shortcomings of the Continental Congress caused Washington to become frustrated and tested his patience as he struggled to keep his army intact during a two year stalemate for peace negotiations. An illustration of the depth of Washington’s conviction toward his army was captured in a letter to the custodian of his Mount Vernon home, where Washington expressed deep anguish when learning that British soldiers were fed in exchange for sparing his home from being burned down. This is just one example of his authentic leadership, which endeared him to his army. With his army desperate for provisions, his officers called for Washington to overtake the Continental Congress. He refused on the basis that he was obligated to subordinate the military to civilian leadership. To do otherwise would result in serious repercussions for the country. This represented Washington’s was keen awareness that the Continental Congress represented the will of the people and he could not breach that trust as a strategic