100 Days

There’s an old joke that my Swedish grandfather told at the expense of his Norwegian counterparts and it goes like this:  

Question: How do you keep a Norwegian in suspense? 

Answer: I’ll tell you tomorrow. 

Not exactly hilarious, but it does point out the fact that there is something to be said about suspense. It’s kind of a showman thing. Harry Houdini could often escape or get out of whatever predicament he was in after only a few moments, but he wanted to make the audience worry and get anxious so he took longer. 

Likewise, Franklin D. Roosevelt used suspense to help enact his agenda. After being elected in 1932, during the Great Depression, he kind of went into a retreat where he was working behind the scenes and out of sight from the public. There really wasn’t much of anything from him until his inauguration. At that point he moved powerfully, boldly, and aggressively toward getting the country back on track. It took some time, but it worked. 

That initial period came to be known as the first 100 days and now it is the standard by which all new leaders must conform. Suspense can help to get people to pay attention and anxiously wait for answers. Suspense can also create more of a dramatic effect. Suspense, when used correctly, can make a direct and real positive impact. Unfortunately, with bad leaders who crave the attention and limelight, it can have bad effects. It helps to know what kind we’re dealing with…