Be Described A Gentleman

Image of Ronald Reagan in a tan suit walking and waving to the crowd. The president would always be described as a gentleman.

Photo courtesy of Ronald Reagan Library

Be Described a Gentleman is an excerpt from Lead Like Reagan, Principles of Dynamic Leadership
In doing research for my book on the leadership style of Ronald Reagan, time and time again I recognized in Reagan some of the same strengths and attributes I saw in my father, James Scanlon. They were both gentlemen.

Those who were closest to Ronald Reagan are very consistent in the words they choose to describe the type of person he was, and the type of person he was not. There seems to be a wide consensus of what Ronald Reagan was not, by those who worked with him, wrote about him, protected him, fought for him, and lived with him. Ronald Reagan was:

Jellybeans!

Jellybeans!

As cabinet members and advisors debated various issues, there was a reason why Ronald Reagan reached for the jellybeans.

Photo of jellybeans of dozens of different flavors and colors

It was Reagan’s management style to listen to his advisors argue all sides of an issue. With no shortage of egos among these strong-willed and talented people, things could sometimes get heated during these discussions and debates. At these moments, Reagan was likely to sift through the assorted jellybeans searching for his favorite flavor, licorice.