LBJ Part 1 - "The honeymoon is over . . ."
“Honeymoon is over, and we’re going to have a lot of it.”
The “it” Johnson expected to come in buckets was criticism. And if you are a leader, “it” is going to come your way too. As in the case of LBJ, criticism usually lands on the doorstep unannounced and unwelcome. It is the dark cloud to your sunny day, the problem you did not think you had, and the new burden for a TO DO list that is already too long.
Criticism dogged our thirty-sixth President . . . as it did every president. Of course, with issues like Civil Rights, Vietnam, Voting Rights and the complexities of LBJ’s Great Society — viewed through the lenses of millions of constituents — one would expect criticism to be a daily occurrence. LBJ once said,
“If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read, “President Can’t Swim.””
Yes, in leadership, criticism is bound to come. Some deserved. Some not. The question is not “if” it will come, but when? And when it comes, what are you going to do with it?” In this post we will look at an incident in the life of LBJ (you can listen to the actual conversation too!). We will examine how he responded, what we can learn from it, and what God says about “it,” that is criticism.
Spoiler alert: Criticism may be unwelcome but it can also become your friend — and mine!
About this LBJ Leadership Series
This is a 13-part series on leadership lessons gleaned from one year in the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. As I read and reviewed the book, Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964 by Michael Beschloss, I identified thirteen quotes from this period in the Johnson presidency that captured my attention, gave me a picture of presidential leadership, and from which I gleaned a lesson I can apply to my life and leadership. I will be sharing them with you in the next few weeks.
Each post begins with the day—a real day in the life of LBJ. I’ll provide a little context, and you will hear the President in his own words as he grapples with the challenge at hand. Next, we’ll glean a leadership lesson from that incident and then wrestle with how to apply it to our lives. As a Christian, I’ll be viewing what I am seeing through the lens of history, experience, and Scripture. And that last one is big! God has so much to say about how we lead. You can read the introduction to this series, “History With Bark Off” by clicking here.
Okay, let’s get started. Oh, before we do let me add one more thing. If you are looking for a one-minute read with a little motivational caffeine for your day, you’ll be disappointed. I’m going to ask you to dig a little deeper, think a little harder, and wrestle a little longer with how to apply the lesson at hand.
The Day: December 3, 1963
It is Tuesday, December 3rd, 1963. Johnson has been president for a mere ten days. Just ten days earlier, then Vice President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson were in Dallas, Texas on the floor of the Vice-Presidential limousine, sandwiched between the floorboard and Secret Service Agent, Rufus Youngblood. About that moment, Johnson said,
There we were hunkered down in the car and he had his body on us, and Bird was hunkered down there with us, too. We were hunkered. Rufus moved so fast. It was one of the greatest things I have ever seen.
Since that time, he has done his best to console the Kennedys (including calling President Kennedy’s mother, Rose, and penning letters to JFK’s children, Caroline and John Jr.), calm the nation, and convince the world that the United States is on solid ground. He has spoken with former President Eisenhower and been in contact with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Johnson, aware of his unfavorable perception by the JFK Cabinet, speaks with each member to secure their continued help in this transitional time.
The telephone has become an appendage. He has talked with a cohort of political “Who’s Who” including Hubert Humphrey, Senate Minority Whip; Martin Luther King, Jr., President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and his friend and mentor, Richard Russell, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has addressed a Joint Session of Congress and is already moving toward a presidential commission to investigate the assassination.
Since no one presses “pause” on world affairs, Vietnam, that “little problem” brewing in Southeast Asia is starting to become a bigger problem. Johnson is determined he will not be the president who watches Vietnam “go the way China did.”
And now, one of the “greatest things” gives way to one of the most irksome things, the non-stop coverage by the press.
At 10:02 A.M., Dean Rusk, the Secretary of the State, calls Johnson and says, “Wicked story in the US News & World Report this morning that was just absolutely wrong on that reception where you received the foreign dignitaries at the funeral...” LBJ: “They're [the Press} going to do this with us – with you and McNamara and Bundy and everybody. Honeymoon is over, and we're going to have a lot of it” (89). You can click here to listen to the actual conversation.
The Lesson: Criticism is going to come. Expect it. Deal with it.
By the “honeymoon,” Johnson is referring to the brief appreciation he received navigating the national crisis at the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Now it is “business as usual.” And this he knows: Criticism is going to come. Expect it. Deal with it.
Johnson expected it, but he didn’t like it. In his book, With The Bark Off: A Journalist’s Memoirs of LBJ and a Life in the News Media, Neal Spelce writes:
After spending several years knowing and covering Lyndon Johnson, I ultimately realized he was a very sensitive man. He cared what people said and thought about him. But he was stubborn and dedicated to his principles, and he plowed straight ahead and tried his darndest to get his opponents and those who didn't agree with him to find common ground. His favorite quotation was from Isaiah 1:18 in the Bible: “Come now, and let us reason together” and in his better moments, that was the way he conducted his presidency.
Johnson had learned first-hand the challenges inherent in refusing to “reason together.” John Dickerson relays the following story:
In his early days in the House, [Johnson] explained, he was trying to get funds for a public works project but an older, stronger congressman had opposed it. Johnson maneuvered the program into committee and then onto the House floor. He won the debate on the floor but in doing so publicly put down his older opponent. Afterward, Sam Rayburn (fellow Texan and long-time Congressman and Speaker of the House) took Johnson aside and said,
“Lyndon, you feel pretty smart because you got what you wanted. But you also got yourself an enemy. A really clever fellow would have won without ridiculing a man on the way, and earning himself an enemy for life.”
Since that time, Johnson has learned his lesson. But on this December morning he is still the unwanted president, the one JFK’s Cabinet derisively referred to as “Uncle Cornpone” or “Rufus Cornpone,” the man the cabinet doubted, the nation questioned, and the world now watched. But Johnson had an immeasurable amount of self-confidence to offset his self-doubt. He had learned a thing or two in his years of Congress. One of those lessons came at the feet of the aforementioned Sam Rayburn.
“Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one. ”
And while Johnson was often crude, mercurial, temperamental, given to bursts of anger and bouts of depression . . . he was a carpenter.
Just last week, Shannan and I visited the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. Pens greet you when you arrive. Yes, pens. The Library showcases pen after pen that LBJ used, as a visible sign to all the legislation Johnson worked to construct and pass during the time he occupied the nation’s highest office.
Our 36th President was responsible for . . .
1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964
1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
1964: Wilderness Act
1964: Nurse Training Act
1964: Food Stamp Act of 1964
1964: Economic Opportunity Act
1965: Higher Education Act of 1965
1965: Social Security Act of 1965
1965: Voting Rights Act
1965: Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965
1967: Age Discrimination in Employment Act [55]
1967: Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
1968: Bilingual Education Act
1968: Fair housing
1968: Gun Control Act of 1968
Still, like any carpenter, Johnson had to endure the critique of those who “knew better,” thought differently, or operated from a different set of blueprints.
What we can learn from “The honeymoon is over”?
As I examine this incident in the life of President Johnson, I learn the importance of accepting criticism as a necessary (and helpful part) of the leadership journey. You’ll see more about that below. I also noticed that Johnson didn’t let that incident distract or detract him. In baseball parlance, he kept his eyes on the ball — that day’s challenge/s. Johnson also entrusted his very capable lieutenant, in this case Secretary of State Dean Rusk, to address and resolve the issue. As a leader, I must address criticism, but I need not resolve every criticism — I can put much of that in the hands of others.
As we reflect further on leadership and criticism, let’s think about its benefits. Next, let’s get strategic and consider how to make criticism work for us. Also, is there a time to pushback on our critics? I think there is. Let’s discuss that. And finally, how should we approach others when we feel the urge — even necessity — to offer some constructive criticism?
The Benefits of Criticism
Many people don't benefit from criticism because they view it as an unwelcome enemy. That is understandable. Critics generally don't arrive with similes on their faces. Scowls? Yes. Raised voices of frustration? Yes. Harsh whispers in tight moments of interlude? Yes. But criticism, a "friend" to help me? NO WAY! But there are benefits (sometimes barely observable “fringe benefits”) for those who listen to the critic’s voice.
When I consider the life of LBJ, he routinely listened to his critics, whether that be his long-time friend Jesse Kellam telling him he had “too much oil on his hair,” (listen to the Podcast episode) or Lady Bird critiquing a speech, or Martin Luther King Jr. sharing the plight of African Americans in the Civil Rights struggle or his arch-enemy Bobby Kennedy giving an opinion.
For Johnson, and for us, criticism often lands like a slap on the face. It hits hard and hurts our gentle pride. But when we listen to it — really listen to it — criticism helps! Here's what God says:
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and in the end you will be counted among the wise.”
We grow when we welcome criticism. God turns the critic’s words into leadership muscle. He uses it to smooth out the wrinkles in our character, to push us out of the rut of complacency and to open our eyes to blind spots. Let's look closer:
1. Criticism helps me separate what I do from who I am.
Bill Russell, the Boston Celtic superstar -- and considered by many the twentieth century's "greatest winner," said:
“Basketball is what I do, it’s not who I am.”
Christian leaders get this! Our work is important, but ultimately our work does not define us. God does.
The Christian message is that God accepts me because of what Jesus has done for me, not because of what I have done for him. When my "okayness" comes from being rightly related to God, then secure in his approval I no longer have to live for the approval of others. I don't have to be a genius. I don't have to have all the answers. In fact, knowing that I am complete only in Christ, I can admit that I need what others bring to the table.
Henri Nouwen speaks to the heart of the issue in his book, The Return of the Prodigal Son:
At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong? To God or to the world?" Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. . . . Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves.
When leaders remember their true identity, that God loves and accepts them in Christ (and they rest in that); it makes it easier to receive the criticism that inevitably comes their way.
2. Criticism improves my work
In 1932, the American economy was in a tail-spin. "The New York Stock Exchange had lost nearly 90 percent of its value. Thirteen million people were out of work, and an estimated 34 million Americans had no income whatsoever." American prospects were bleak.
Johnson’s political hero, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had just won the Democratic nomination for president and was preparing to deliver his acceptance speech. In his book, The Defining Moment, Jonathan Alter comments:
[Long-time political ally] Louis Howe was on a mission to "save" the acceptance speech, which, like all Roosevelt speeches, was a mishmash. Ray Moley had written a draft that was then cut and substantially rewritten in Albany by Rosenman, who had stayed up until dawn eating hot dogs and working on the speech. Roosevelt himself had tried a few drafts of an eloquent peroration amid all the phone calls to Chicago, but when the candidate finished one and read it aloud, the group around him agreed unanimously that it was terrible, and he sadly tore it up.
It is a good thing Roosevelt's draft landed in the trash can. The line that reverberates through history - "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people" — came from FDR's voice, but not from his pen. That clever piece of rhetoric, which sparked hope in millions, was the work of Rosenman. Roosevelt listened to his critics. Our nation benefited.
Michelangelo is credited with saying, "I have offended God and mankind because my work didn't reach the quality it should have." All the greats see room for improvement. Criticism is part of every leader’s "continuing education."
3. Criticism reveals my blind spots
It is a humbling experience to have someone point out a piece of broccoli stuck in my teeth, but better to have the problem revealed — and corrected — than to look the fool. Criticism helps reveal my blind spots: habits, attitudes, and patterns that can be detrimental to my life and work as a leader for God.
Recently, I sat down with a friend who had several strong words of critique regarding my leadership. Looking back on that meeting, it was one of the most beneficial times of this New Year. I can isolate three specific issues that I am thinking about that I would have missed except for "enduring" that uncomfortable time.
Let’s Get Strategic: How to Make Criticism Work for You:
If you want to make the most of the critic’s barrage, take these steps:
1. Welcome criticism!
Be known as the person who welcomes constructive criticism. On March 7, 1964, Lady Bird called the White House to give Johnson some feedback on his press conference. Listen to her words and how LBJ responds. Click here for the conversation.
Johnson listened to his wife’s critique! It was a gift!
In his book, 9 Things You Simply Must Do, Henry Cloud relates this story:
Once when I was leading a retreat for leaders, an executive name Adam had just outlined his current situation to the others in the group. Then one of them asked, “would you like some feedback?” We could all tell from his expression that what he had to say would not be complementary.… Adam’s response was outstanding: “Of course, give me a gift.” Adam saw that getting corrected or having his fault pointed out by someone wise was a gift indeed.
At that moment Adam was the poster boy for Proverbs 19:20: "Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise." Leaders welcome criticism. Because they don't have all the answers and because they want to get better, leaders say, "Yes, please speak into my life."
2. Look for the kernel of truth in every constructive criticism.
Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators, had a great practice for handling criticism:
No matter how unfair the criticism might seem to be, he would always take it into his prayer closet and in effect spread it before the Lord. The he would say, "Lord, please show me the kernel of truth hidden in this criticism." The truth may certainly be small on occasion, but it is always worth finding and thinking through.
Leaders grow when they look for the kernel of truth. As Gordon MacDonald notes, "I began to learn to grow at the hands of my critics. I have seldom ever heard a criticism about myself that didn't indeed contain a kernel of useful truth. Some of the kernels have been on the small side, but they were there."
3. Identify your trusted advisers
Smart leaders find good critics. Military advisors don't want a room full of "yes men." Presidents trust their cabinets to push back on ideas. Great players trust their coaches to say the hard words that will improve their game.
LBJ looked to Lady Bird for so many things, particularly his speeches as we just heard. In his younger years, Johnson’s mother was often nearby. Congressman Sam Rayburn and Senator Richard Russell were political allies and trusted advisors. Jesse Kellam was a friend and confidant. Additionally, Johnson entrusted criticism to a trusted ally, as was the case when Dean Rusk handled the negative or faulty press coverage.
Looking into the Bible, we find that King David had advisors that cared enough for him and for the kingdom to speak into his life:
Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding and a scribe. He and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni attended the king's sons. Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend.
God commends this. Who are two people you can trust to "shoot-you-straight"?
4. Give your critics permission to speak into your life
This may look like a repeat of my first point. It is not. Despite your best efforts, most people will not speak up. You are "the boss" or a good friend. People won't want to offend you. They won't want to hurt your feelings. You must repeatedly tell folks,
You can say anything to me. Tell me what I need to hear. "Please, help save me from myself."
5. Say "Thanks" and take action
Neal Spelce is an award-winning journalist, former Johnson employee, man with a lifetime of LBJ interactions, and the author of With The Bark Off, his memories of the Johnson years. One of his prized photographs is that of a framed picture of LBJ with these words scrawled across the bottom:
To Neal Spelce, from his friend throughout the years. Lyndon B. Johnson.
Spelce took plenty of heat from the president during the journalist’s career. He also received some thanks and praise. Good leaders remember to give thanks — even for the words of criticism that come their way for they receive those words as a gift, unwelcome perhaps, but a gift nonetheless.
Pushing Back On Our Critics
Not all criticism is welcome. Sometimes our critics are not out to "correct us," but to harm us. This was the case with Johnson and that was the case with the Apostle Paul. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul addressed his naysayers:
For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. . . . Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 2 Corinthians 10:10-13 ESV
What does a leader do when criticism is malicious and not intended to help?
Here are three observations:
It's okay to push back. It is not "unchristian" to disagree with critics.
I must defend myself when "the cause" is at stake. Paul pushed back because if he did not, his adversaries would bring ruin to the church. His reputation and the church's health were tied together. He had to speak up and set the record straight for the sake of the cause. Leaders push back on criticism when the critical narrative threatens the truth, jeopardizes the leader’s character, or disrupts the organization.
Make sure the facts lead the feelings. Read 2 Corinthians 10-11. Paul became very emotional at points, but his emotions trailed the facts. He gave a fact-based discourse with emotion, not an emotion-based discourse peppered with sentiment.
One of the biggest challenges leaders face is when to "push back" on our critics. For this, we need wisdom, wise counsel, and the help of the Holy Spirit of God.
When we want to play the critic:
When we discern that others are not where they should be and we are ready to provide a little constructive criticism ourselves, it is wise to remember the words of Oswald Chambers before we speak:
“God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.”
There is a time for intercession and there is a time for face-to-face confrontation. It takes wisdom to discern the difference. Either way, don't let criticism get the best of you. Make the best of it. Criticism can be your “unwelcome friend.”
The hide of a rhinoceros
In August of 1964, facing the difficulties over race relations and negative press while in the midst of the Democratic Convention, LBJ said to George Reedy (his Press Secretary), “And I know that a man ought to have the hide of rhinoceros to be in this job. But I don’t . . .” (530). Most of us don’t! But what we do have is a cause, a leadership trust, a waiting team, and a responsibility to get the job done. Criticism is going to come. Accept it. Expect it. Deal with it.
LBJ was a good but flawed carpenter. So are you. Where are you facing a little (or a lot) of criticism? What’s your next step to keep building?
Notes:
“Honeymoon is over . . .” from Telephone conversation # 255, sound recording, LBJ and DEAN RUSK, 12/3/1963, 10:02AM at www.discoverlbj.org. Accessed January 18, 2023.
“If one morning I walked across the water . . .” this quote greets you when you enter the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
“There we were hunkered down in the car . . .” from “JFK assassination: Inside LBJ’s home the night after JFK died,” by John Dickerson. November 23, 2013. https://www.cbsnews.com. Accessed, January 17, 2023.
“Johnson is determined he will not be the President who watches Vietnam “go the way China did,” from Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964, Edited and With Commentary by Michael Beschloss. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1997. Page 73.
“Wicked story in the US News & World Report this morning …” from The Johnson White House Tapes, transcribed in Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964, Edited and With Commentary by Michael Beschloss. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1997. Page 89.
“I ultimately realized he was a very sensitive man.” from With The Bark Off: A Journalist’s Memoirs of LBJ and a Life in the News Media by Neal Spelce. Austin, TX: Tower Books. 2021. Page 276.
“Lyndon you feel pretty smart,” from “JFK assassination: Inside LBJ’s home the night after JFK died,” by John Dickerson, in www.cbsnews.com. Accessed January 17, 2023.
“the one JFK’s Cabinet derisively referred to as “Uncle Cornpone” or “Rufus Cornpone” from The Passage of Power by Robert Caro. New York: Knopf. 2012. Page x.
“Any jackass can kick down a barn . . .” quoted in Master of the Senate, by Robert Caro. New York: Knopf. 2002. Page 523.
“I am a free man, an American . . .” from “Lyndon Johnson — The Man and His Record,” in U.S. News & World Report, December 2, 1963
"Basketball is what I do . . ." from Bill Russell, Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership From the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner, page 14.
"At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong?" from Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, page 42.
"The New York Stock Exchange had lost nearly 90 percent . . ." from Alex Kingsbury, "Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" Sealed the Deal in 1932." www.usnews.com, January 17, 2008. Accessed October 4, 2011.
"[Long-time political ally] Louis Howe was on a mission . . ." from Jonathan Alter, The Defining Moment, page 119.
"Of course, give me a gift" from Henry Cloud, 9 Things You Simply Must Do. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2004. Page 204.
"No matter how unfair the criticism might seem to be . . ." from Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World, page 126-127.
"I began to learn to grow at the hands of my critics." from MacDonald, page 127.
"Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor . . ." from 1 Chronicles 27:32-33.
“And I know that a man ought to have the hide of rhinoceros . . .” from The Johnson White House Tapes, transcribed in Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964, Edited and With Commentary by Michael Beschloss. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1997. Page 530.