[October 11, 2015] It’s the right time to be discussing traits of political leaders in America because of publicity given to the campaigners in the upcoming presidential election next year. Examination of those traits is a legitimate topic and a thorough discussion is worthwhile for those who plan to vote and for the future of the country. Our question here is whether those traits make for good leadership?
What I would like to do is provide a list of the more common traits of our political leaders in America. Yet, I don’t think that the list would be so different from politicians in most democratic countries and the link of this issue to leadership is fundamental to the successful running of the country. Senior political leaders make a difference; whether they are good or bad leaders will be decided quickly.
Listed in no particular order – because of the subjectivity of the issue – are 5 outstanding traits of political leaders. There is a bias as the list is more appropriate for senior political leaders. The traits are not what they should be for a political leader, but what they are:
- Ability to relate to constituents. No surprise here since being a senior politician means having been elected many times. The most outstanding social skill is being able to “connect” to the voters; sometimes called charisma. Thus, it follows, they are a successful campaigner.
- Risk-Adverse. When a leader takes risks there’s a good chance of alienating voters. A middle-of-the-road approach therefore frequently crafted to reduce exposure to bad ideas, people, and events.
- Deficient in important historical knowledge. Whether through intellectual laziness or purposeful manipulation, using past history – a distortion of the past – to justify future actions is common among shrewd politicians.
- Ambitious and emotionally stable. Motivation is another name that describes political leaders. They must have the emotional fortitude and resilience to lead people with many needs and wants.
- Good analytical skills. Found in most politicians, especially those who have been reelected, is the mental ability to juggle many ideas simultaneously and to solve problems quickly and equitably.
What makes a successful political leader? 1 The most critical issue of all is whether those traits are useful in a political leadership role and the list here is useful. But getting elected requires skills that differ from actually leading.
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1. A few stereotypical traits that may have some truth to them:
- Corrupt, dishonest, and unethical.
- Self-Centered, arrogant, and narcissistic.
- Overly secretive.
- Thin-skinned.
- Reactive instead of proactive.Ruthlessness.