[August 9, 2015] Just a few days ago the first presidential debate of 2015 was hosted by Fox News and Facebook and was watched by a record number of people. How senior leaders view the debate of those participating will be discussed here. Senior leaders will, in most cases, have far greater leadership experience, management expertise, and relevant leader skills than those running for the U.S. presidency. Their views are ideally suited to help us look into the traits of those candidates.
The Republican debate Thursday evening was not so much a debate as a Question and Answer session but it did provided us some insight into a few indicators of senior leadership ability. I spoke with nine leaders who gave me some of their thoughts and ideas on the debate. I consolidated them here.1 A special thanks to Fox News for proposing very difficult questions to the candidates.
A common theme that I was asked to note was that if there is one “must have” ability for anyone aspiring to be president is that they must be capable of inspiring others to the good cause to keep the U.S. a “beacon” for freedom in the world. Given the great difficulty of this responsibility, they must possess a strong and resilient personality, deep-seated Judeo-Christian values, and a gritty determination.
There was no consensus on which candidate showed this the most but Rubio, Christie, and Cruz were given high marks as well as Fiorina and Jindal. Both Trump and Rand Paul would have rated higher if not for their emotional flare-ups getting in their way. There is no doubt, however, that Trump and Paul will continue to attract large numbers but my nine leaders would be concerned if they were to see them as president.2
Who inspired my nine leaders the most? It was Christie, by a hair, followed by Rubio, then Cruz and Fiorina. The reason for Rubio is that he was consistent, balanced, and well informed. Christie and Fiorina were considered by several to be the best performers that evening because they performed well under pressure and had just the right balance of passion for the job. They all showed a tough emotional skin and were able to convince us they had the relevant experience to do the job as president.
Experience counts because it tests one’s inner person. In the end, it’s how they consistently performed. All the candidates have these qualities. Who will rise to the top? My nine leaders predict that at least one of these four will rise to be the major contender, and if in the top by Election Day, very likely will win the presidency over a Democratic opponent.
The election is 14 months away; forever in the political world. However, good leadership showed itself in the Republican candidates.
Tomorrow: We take a break from political campaigning blogging but will return to it in a few days.
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1. Of the nine, six are military, two senior officers in a large commercial company, and one retired CEO; a fair representation of outstanding leaders. My question to them was, “Can you tell me your thoughts about any of these men or woman if they were to be elected President of the United States.” They were to consider any information they have about the candidates and not to restrict themselves to the debate as the sole source of opinions.
2. Donald Trump continued his offensive against Fox News after the debates and consequently experienced some pushback. He was later disinvited from a conservative gathering of the top candidates. This is a mistake for him not to be invited; he is the top runner at this point.
[Disclaimer] I have no affiliation with any presidential candidate, nor do any of my relatives. I’m a registered Republican with a history of voting. The views here are mine and mine alone and I am responsible for any errors contained in my blog.