74. Jimmy Carter – suffering the curse of far-sightedness?
The only US President with whom I have shaken hands (so far) – a great man and a flawed leader?
Jimmy Carter is the only US President (so far) with whom I have shaken hands. It was 2015 and I was in Atlanta, Georgia for the second international Sunday Assembly conference. The event went well and I was making the return flight to London, which was slightly delayed after boarding. I settled into my economy seat and looked up to see a big guy in a black suit and dark glasses coming down the aisle. Behind him was Jimmy Carter himself: the former president was using the delay as an opportunity to say hello to everyone on the plane! Of course he was also bound for London, though not in economy. At that point he was over 90 years of age and seemed undaunted at the prospect of shaking hands with a couple of hundred strangers. Way to go, Jimmy!
President Jimmy Carter 1924-2024
Assessments of the life of Jimmy Carter have been appearing since his death on 29 December 2024 at the age of 100. As you probably know, he won the 1976 US Presidential election, beating incumbent Gerald Ford: a new broom in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and the resignation of Richard Nixon. He was an outsider; it was reported at the time that when he told his mother he was going to run for president, she replied “president of what?”. He came in to do his best by the American people and, in the words of the Guardian obituary, was ‘overwhelmed by the job’.
This is not to say he didn’t make strenuous efforts in his time in the White House. On the contrary, he put human rights firmly on the international agenda, persuaded Congress to cede US control of the Panama canal, demonstrated that peace settlements could be achieved in the Middle East, and completed the second strategic arms limitation treaty with the Soviet Union. He was early to warn about the climate crisis. But events went against him with successive oil crises in the Middle East, a declining economy at home and, perhaps fatally, a botched rescue attempt for US hostages held in Iran following the Islamic revolution of 1979 all weighed heavily. Carter was comprehensively beaten by Ronald Reagan in 1980.
That, however, was just the start. Rather than retire to lick his wounds and write a book, Carter established the Carter Centre and put all his efforts into humanitarian work around the world. He went around the world mediating peace, supporting health initiatives and using his convening power to bring warring factions together. He is credited with nearly eliminating the river blindness disease, and was a leading member of The Elders, a group of global leaders formed by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to promote peace, justice, human rights and sustainability. His post-Presidential career was inspiring and leaves a vast global legacy which dwarfs his time in office.
The curse of far-sightedness?
Jimmy Carter was unquestionably a very bright, far-sighted and empathetic individual. I wonder whether, in terms of his time in office, this was actually his downfall. He could grasp the complexity of international situations, see things from everyone’s perspective, take time to engage with the different stakeholders… These are noble goals, but they may not be seen as decisive by people in need of leadership and courage.
Ronald Reagan, former B-movie star and Governor of California before becoming Carter’s successor, had far less intellectual heft – but he did have a great way with words, an ability to deliver a line and the ability to say ‘aw shucks’ and shrug off negative turns. I criticised him in the 1980s for adopting a stereotyped view of events, turning everything into a cowboy film with well-defined goodies and baddies rather than a more nuanced view. Sitting here in 2025, I can see how in some ways this is a useful stance, at least in public. People mostly don’t want to know how difficult things are – they want a clear picture, an idea that those in charge grasp the situation and are doing their best. (It helps if there are others behind the scenes who do see the complex inter-connectedness and work with that – but that’s not for the tabloid front pages.)
The parable of the dragon and the watermelon
One way of illustrating this is with a teaching story I heard some three decades ago. I have tried to find it online and have not yet succeeded (if you know a good source, please let me know!). So this is my dim memory of the parable of the dragon and the watermelon.
Once upon a time in a land far away, a scholar was travelling through the countryside. He came across a village surrounded by fields, and was surprised to find the population crouching behind a wall, gripped with terror. “There’s a dragon in that field!” cried the villagers. “We are doomed!” The scholar looked over the wall and into the field. He couldn’t see a dragon, only a watermelon. “Pah, that’s only a watermelon!” said the scholar. “Nothing to worry about.” In their terror, the villagers killed him.
Some time later, another scholar was wandering through the countryside and came across the same situation; the villagers were still crouching behind the wall, terrified of the dragon in the field. The scholar looked, saw the watermelon and immediately leapt into action, cutting the stalk and holding the melon up in triumph. “See – I have vanquished the dragon!” The villagers were very grateful and invited the second scholar to stay and be their leader. He carried out the role very successfully for several years and taught the villagers many things – including the difference between a dragon and a watermelon.
(Update - my old pal Richard Bramley added a link to a slightly fuller version of this story in the comments. Thanks Richard! https://teachingstories.briancullen.net/2014/09/12/the-watermelon/)
Balancing uncertainty and confidence
This series of articles is about how to organise both humanely AND effectively. It seems to me that Jimmy Carter was a very good man who didn’t quite get the balance right. President of the United States is a high-profile job where people are eager for results and impatient with failure (as Donald Trump is about to discover). Carter made excellent progress but failed to inspire confidence. He was much more effective post-office where his patience and openness could thrive away from the day-to-day spotlight.
Those of us who aspire to lead as hosts rather than heroes are well advised to learn from the Carter experience. While we embrace complexity, tend to move gently and use soft power, there is also the art of keeping our guests on board and alive to the possibilities of the future. Good hosts bring people with them in public and use private time ‘in the kitchen’ to grapple with tough situations.
To close this time, enjoy this recording of Jimmy Carter’s jazz party held at the White House on 18th June 1978. It features a huge line-up the top stars of the day including Clark Terry, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Ornette Coleman. I hadn’t seen or heard of this event before – check it out.
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You were close: https://teachingstories.briancullen.net/2014/09/12/the-watermelon/