10 Leadership Lessons from US Presidential Inaugurations

The presidential inauguration of March 4, 1889 could have been a mess. President Grover Cleveland had been denied his bid for reelection. Incoming President Benjamin Harrison had won the electoral college despite losing the popular vote, a relatively rare outcome in US history at the time. At age 51, Cleveland's political career was far from over. Just four years later, these two presidents would face off again in the 1892 presidential election (and the results would be reversed). The tension that day could have been palpable. To top it off, the ceremony was marred by rain. Cleveland must have wished he were anywhere else as Harrison prepared to take the oath. But when the moment of the oath came and Harrison couldn't hold an umbrella while he had one hand raised and the other on the Bible, Cleveland held it for him (see photo above). Whether it was a spontaneous act of courtesy or elaborately planned, the symbolism of that act would be noted by historians.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #1-> Don't underestimate the power of common courtesy in easing contentious interactions.

The US presidential inauguration ceremony has evolved over the centuries since 1789. All of the ceremonies have been peaceful, but some have been smoother than others. Here are 10 leadership lessons from some key precedents that built up the inauguration day customs over time.

1801 - Adams to Jefferson - This was the first inauguration which had an incumbent president leave office after losing a reelection bid. Even though Jefferson was the sitting Vice President under Adams, the transition was not an uncontested hand off. Adams had edged Jefferson out for the presidency four years earlier. The electoral system at the time installed the runner-up as Vice President, so that set up the 1800 contest as one between a sitting President and a sitting Vice President. Adams left town that morning before the inauguration. Adams was said to still be bitter over losing his reelection bid in a heated contest with an old friend-turned-rival. Years later, Adams and Jefferson would famously reconnect their friendship via a long exchange of letters until their deaths on the same day, July 4th, 1826, the 50th anniversary of Declaration of Independence.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #2 -> Friendships split by rivalry at work can be repaired.

1809 - Thomas Jefferson to James Madison - This may be literally the "friendliest" transition of presidential power in American history. After two terms in office, Jefferson chose not to run for reelection. Since Madison was Jefferson's Secretary of State, and a close friend, Jefferson had supported Madison's election. It was such a friendly transition of power that Jefferson returned to the White House that night as one of the guests at the party President Madison hosted at the White House. After the inauguration ceremony at the Capitol, President Madison had even offered to give former President Jefferson a ride back in his carriage to the White House, but Jefferson politely declined, because he didn't want to take any of the spotlight off of his friend.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #3 -> Don't compete for attention with your successor.

1817 - James Madison to James Monroe - This started the precedent for the inauguration to be done outside the Capitol building on a platform built for the occasion. The inspiration for this change was not innovation but an inability of the House and Senate to agree about logistics. Some say the disagreement between the legislative chambers was over what furniture from the Senate chamber needed to be moved into the House chamber, which hosted the ceremony. Others believed the disagreement was driven by Speaker of the House Henry Clay, who was reportedly disappointed about not being chosen by Monroe as Secretary of State.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #4 -> Sometimes innovation can come out of disagreements.

1825 - James Monroe to John Quincy Adams - This inauguration marked a changing of the guard. John Quincy Adams was the first President not to have been a Founding Father. In fact, he was the son of a Founding Father - John Adams. Symbolically, the change was reflected in the new president's choice of more modern clothing. President Adams was the first to wear long trousers instead of breeches at his ceremony. Adams was also following three two-term presidents in a row who were all slave-holding plantation owners in Virginia. Like his father, John Quincy Adams was a Massachusetts lawyer. In another break from what has now become a precedent, Adams took his oath as president on a book of law instead of a Bible.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #5 -> Changes in dress and symbols can be a marker and sign of a transition between eras.

1829 - John Quincy Adams to Andrew Jackson - This marked the beginning of the inauguration as a large outdoor event. At his inauguration four years before, John Quincy Adams had returned to the precedent of taking the oath inside the House of Representatives chamber. Jackson's inauguration ceremony was a large outdoor event, reflecting his populist appeal. The party at the White House that evening to celebrate his inauguration was so large and boisterous that President Jackson left for a local hotel that night. Jackson's popularity would spill over to his second inauguration, which would be the first to have more than one official balls.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #6 -> Break precedents when a large increase in perceived demand shows previous plans won't accommodate everyone.

1837 - Andrew Jackson to Martin Van Buren - This marked the first time the incoming and outgoing presidents rode together to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony. The transition of power was very smooth as Van Buren was Jackson's Vice President and Jackson wanted him to follow him to keep his policies in place.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #7 -> Symbols like sharing a ride to the formal transition of power can be important to show the transition is smooth.

1921 - Woodrow Wilson to Warren Harding - This was the last time an outgoing president did not attend his successor's regularly scheduled swearing in ceremony. Several living outgoing presidents in the 1800s - John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Johnson - had skipped their successor's swearing in ceremonies, but it had become a custom for the outgoing president to be there. President Wilson had a good excuse though - he was severely incapacitated from his 1919 stroke.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #8 -> Organizations should have plans and procedures in place to transition power from an executive who is physically incapacitated.

1933 - Herbert Hoover to Franklin Roosevelt - This was the last inauguration ceremony held on March 4th and may have been the iciest inauguration day in history. The Great Depression was raging and the banking system was under siege during the four month transition between the election and inauguration day. Hoover wanted the incoming president to support several policies but Roosevelt wanted to start with a clean break. The photo of the two riding to the Capitol together, where they are not even looking at each other, before the inauguration ceremony captures the reported mood of that relationship.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #9 -> Don't assume your successor wants a lot of your advice.

1977 - Gerald Ford to Jimmy Carter - President Carter thanked outgoing President Ford, whom he had just defeated to win the presidency. President Carter's first words of his inaugural address were, "For myself, and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land." The two then shook hands. Carter was referring to Ford's role in helping the country get past the wake of the Watergate scandal that had forced President Nixon to resign and brought Ford to the presidency.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #10 -> Making a gesture of thanks to your predecessor can be a powerful symbol of unity and healing.

The inauguration ceremony this year will likely be a unique chapter in history. Hopefully it will also provide helpful lessons for leaders in the future.

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About the Author: Victor Prince is a corporate trainer, executive coach, and an Amazon Top 20 best-selling leadership author who helps organizations build leadership, strategy, communications, and critical thinking skills. Follow Victor on LinkedIN to access his 100+ articles on leadership, strategy, learning & development, and more.