A statesman must have exceptional interpersonal skills to interact with various people. Persuasion is key to both the politician and statesman, so each must have effective communication skills to explain complex legislative processes to people who know little of politics. Like his father, John Adams originally wanted to be a farmer. But when he saw the power of communication, he set out to become a great writer and speaker. ohn Adams had no qualms admitting he was not the right person for a job. And when he found himself in a situation where he felt inadequate, he did one of two things: recommend someone else, and if that was impossible, he’d buckle down, learn what he had to, and then work diligently to achieve the desired outcome. The ability to see ability in others is essential to a leader. This is perhaps where Adams shined the brightest. He was the first to submit George Washington’s name for general of the Continental Army, a post being clamored for by many. And as if that were not enough, he recruited the pen of Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence and the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin to help edit it. McCullough pointed out both of these decisions by Adams as being so monumental in the formation of the United States, that if either of them had been Adam’s only contribution during his time with Congress, they alone would have made Adam’s a great man.
Adams’s unwavering integrity stands apart when contrasted with the very publicly documented failings of so many of our leaders today. There is no evidence of Adams ever being unfaithful to Abigail while spending years in Europe away from her. He was also known for keeping detailed reports of all his expenditures while overseas on congressional money when many of his contemporaries did not. Many people disliked Adams for his political views, but they never could say that he was not a man of integrity.
The public career of John Adams can be described as nothing other than service beyond self. He and Abigail spent much of their marriage apart from each other because they both recognized the part that he was to play in the formation of the United States. He gave his time, his education, and his health to the cause of liberty. He never sought power, once writing in his diary that he was no Caesar. He would have much preferred to be a Boston Lawyer and then settle down as a farmer in his hometown of Braintree. But Adams believed in something bigger, he gave his life so that every American might have the freedom and liberty to live the life we choose.
