"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt

The presidency itself was not always at the core of American politics. For much of the country's beginning, the U.S. Congress—and even party bosses—were considered the leaders of our political system. Then along came Theodore Roosevelt at the dawn of the 20th century.

Roosevelt ushered in a new era of the presidency, imbuing the office with power, prestige and relentless press coverage. And he didn't just build up the role of commander-in-chief symbolically—he also initiated construction of the West Wing and the White House's first press room.

In the newest episode of the Presidential podcast, biographer David McCullough and Library of Congress historian Michelle Krowl take us inside the wild, unstoppable dynamism of Roosevelt, whose energy and activism redefined the way we conceive of presidential leadership today. Listen to the episode on The Washington Post or on iTunes.

More on presidential leadership:

* "All the presidents' friends: A history of close presidential allies," Salon

* "The surprisingly dark, twisted history of presidential impersonators in America," The Washington Post