Episode 53: The Cabinet with Lindsay Chervinsky

Oct 16, 2023

43:05

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It’s tempting to think of the presidential cabinet as having always been in place. But, like the development of the U.S., government itself, it was gradual and it involved the initial leadership of George Washington.

Dr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University and author The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution, joins us to discuss this important step in the evolution of presidential leadership.

In the discussion, we’ll learn the reasons why Washington surrounded himself with people smarter than him, or at least those who complimented him. And how the inefficiency of Congress — something we painfully experience even today — was the impetus for the formation of the Executive branch.

All of this points toward a very modern view of leadership, consensus building, and decision-making that impact leaders at every level.