“Franklin deliberately set out upon a program of personal growth.” Orrin Woodward
by Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady
Benjamin Franklin was one of the United States’ most distinguished and diverse founding fathers. He lived a long and prosperous life, was a “rags to riches” story, spoke several languages, dined with ambassadors and philosophers, was published in many countries, enjoyed world-wide fame, and was one of the only signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He invented bifocals, the enormously popular Franklin stove, and even a musical instrument for which Mozart composed a specific piece of music. Franklin’s experiments in electricity thrilled the world and initiated the age of electrical discovery and application. He founded the American Philosophical Society, was instrumental in the birth of the University of Pennsylvania, established the first library in the colonies, and worked to organize the early fire departments in Philadelphia.
How did he accomplish so much in just one life time? Benjamin Franklin’s remarkable achievements were the result of his deliberate efforts. He was not lucky. He did not “back into” his accomplishments. He worked hard and tirelessly throughout his life.
There is a story Franklin himself tells in his autobiography about his troubles relating to people as a young man. A confidante took him aside one day and was both bold and kind enough to share the truth with Franklin that people didn’t like him. Although he was amazingly brilliant—nobody cared. They couldn’t stand to be around him. He was too argumentative and opinionated. Franklin was told him that people would see him approaching on the street and cross the road so as to avoid any contact with him. Franklin was devastated. But his reaction to the cold hard truth was perhaps one of the most important components in his meteoric success. As a young man, he decided to do something about it.
First, Franklin began tempering his statements to people so as not to offend. He worked hard to become less dogmatic in his choices of words and tones of voice. So Benjamin Franklin …deliberately set out upon a program of personal growth.
With a reminder that improvement and growth is a self-guided mission, Franklin said “we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.” Each leader must take it upon his or herself to grow personally, just as Benjamin Franklin did. And if it was a worthy endeavor for a man of such genius, what may its worth be to the less endowed?
The people we've chosen to write about have/had their quota of human failings and foibles just like the rest of us... But they share one transcendent quality: All of them in some way, at some time, acted courageously.
We appreciate columnists, Orrin Woodward Chris Brady, focusing on Mr. Franklin’s, accomplishments, commitment to hard work and self improvement because this better equips us.
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