Forty years ago, on March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was just over two months into his presidency when he was wounded in an assassination attempt. A bullet ricocheted off Reagan's armored limousine and struck him in the left underarm and lodged in his lung less than an inch from his heart. The bullet had a small explosive charge that did not detonate. Three others were wounded by the other bullets - a DC police officer, a Secret Service officer, and Reagan's press secretary. The would be assassin, John Hinckley was arrested at the scene and would later be found not guilty by reason of insanity. Reagan underwent emergency surgery that day and was discharged from the hospital just under two weeks later and recovered fully.

Here are 5 leadership lessons from that day.

1 - Training is Essential - Upon hearing the shots, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy (in the light blue suit in the right of the photo) immediately turned and made himself a large target to take the bullets to stop them from hitting President Reagan. He was shot in the torso and fully recovered. His immediate reflex was the result of the training he received as an agent. The lead agent on the detail, Jerry Parr (in the light colored overcoat next to Reagan in the photo), did exactly what his training required, too, by shoving Reagan into the limousine upon the sound of shots. Parr's training also enabled him to make the correct decision to take Reagan to the the hospital instead of back to the White House, which may have saved his life.

2 - Fix the Weakest Link - The shooting happened at a large hotel where the Secret Service had been many times for other presidential appearances. They were very familiar with the building and how to secure the president inside. The shooting happened in the 30 feet (9 meters) that Reagan had to walk outside to get into his limousine. In retrospect, it seems incredible that unscreened people would be allowed to stand within close enough range of the president. Today, that entrance is a walled-off area where presidential limousines can load and unload out of eyesight.

3 - Have a Capable Successor in Place - Reagan's first important presidential decision came as a candidate when he had to pick his vice presidential running mate. Reagan considered two very capable candidates. First, he tried to get former President Gerald Ford to join him as his Vice President. When those negotiations did not work out, Reagan chose the second most qualified person - George HW Bush, who had exceptional experience in Washington and was his closest competitor for the Republican nomination. Bush's performance filling in for Reagan during the shooting and the aftermath was pitch perfect, and he would go on to become president in his own right.

4 - Train on the Succession Plan - There is a clear line of succession to the presidency in the US Constitution. There was some confusion that day because Vice President George HW Bush was out of Washington DC in Texas. The communication technology around Bush on his plane was not robust and he was largely out of easy secure communication during his flight back. Secretary of State Haig publicly asserted in a press conference that he was in control of the Executive Branch operations until the Vice President arrived back. (The Vice President, Speaker of the House, and Senate President Pro Team were ahead of the Secretary of State in the Constitution.) Haig's statement was widely panned and he left the role just over a year later.

5 - Symbols are Important - When Vice President Bush did arrive back in Washington DC, staff wanted him to take a helicopter directly to the White House to immediately chair the meeting in the Situation Room. Bush overruled them, however, and had the helicopter land at the Vice Presidential residence and took a motorcade to the White House. He realized the symbolism of a helicopter landing at the White House was important and that only presidents land at the White House. He did not want to have any confusion that President Reagan was still the president.

Thankfully, Reagan fully recovered from the wound. In fact, Reagan gained much sympathy from surviving the attack. The jokes Reagan made in the first minutes in the hospital showed his ability to keep a cool head in crisis. The Secret Service agent, Tim McCarthy recovered fully too. The DC police officer, Thomas Delahanty, recovered after being shot in his neck but did suffer some permanent damage. The worst injury was to James Brady, the president's press secretary, who was shot in the head. He had brain damage and permanent disabilities.

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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.

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Facts sourced from Wikipedia.