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The US presidential election is one of the most-watched and anticipated events. Since the country holds a special place in international affairs, everyone around the world becomes eager to see who will be at the helm for four years.
Even though many influential presidents were hailed to be great leaders from around the globe and often won accolades, they had a hard time finding support at home. Many were impeached and others faced backlashes for rash decisions. People became disillusioned and thought of them as not good presidents.
But who is a good president? Or what qualities make a good president?
In this article, we will explore deeper into the qualities of great leaders to see what makes a good president.
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Qualities of A Good President
Instead of exploring minute details about each great president throughout history, it is best to draw parallels across common lines for the good qualities of a president. In the case of presidents, we can isolate the attributes that make a great president and then take a hard look at presidents to see which ones had them. This is a simple yet effective way to inquire such as this.
Here are some of the qualities of a good president:
- Strategic Vision & Direction
- Clarity of Goals
- Ability To Carry The Burden Of Legacy
- Rationality & Emotional Intelligence
- Recognition Of Responsibility
- Team Of Advisors
- Readiness To Act
Strategic Vision & Direction
The office of the US President holds a lot of responsibility. At a single time, the POTUS is Chief Executive, Commander in Chief, Chief Legislator, Chief Ambassador, etc. There are just too many responsibilities that are bestowed upon the shoulders of the office. To carry out all of these and many more duties, a good president has to strategic vision and direction. This helps the president focus to carry out duties without worrying about unnecessary details.
It means he or she has to keep the big picture in mind while taking all the decisions. Also, he or she must know the right direction to lead the country in at all times, especially in times of crisis.
Clarity of Goals
Clarity of goals makes a great leader in every field, be it business, politics, or sports. As the president of the US, the office-holder must have a clarity of goals. Once he has it, he can always consult his advisors and even the public to come up with a method.
This trait helps presidents in understanding what is right and what is not, no matter the support or opposition for a cause. For instance, Andrew Jackson was the only president to veto Congress legislation because he thought it was not right. In the annals of US presidential history, he is still hailed as a constitutional hero.
In the same manner, George W. Bush went head-on with his war on terror even in the presence of domestic and international opposition. That’s why it is a must when someone needs to see what qualities make a good president.
Ability to Carry the Burden of Legacy
The best presidents of the US are always under the strobe light of the world as well as the citizens of their own country to show their leadership skills. Often they are blamed for the things that were left by their predecessors. Since there is no actual starting point of a presidency; those who come after carries the burden of those who came before them.
Big names in the US presidency such as Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt were criticized for their rash decisions. Ronald Reagan was praised for his charisma and public appeal but he could not carry the burden of his legacy and was caught up in Watergate Scandal.
Rationality & Emotional Intelligence
Another thing that makes a good president is his rationality and emotional intelligence. Many political scientists are of the view that a great president must have an inner pendulum against all things external. He or she should decide for the rest of the country based on his rationality. When he reaches a decision, he should have the emotional intelligence to keep a straight face.
President Barack Obama took many hard decisions during his tenure. Still, he carried himself and his office with extreme confidence and control and proved to be a good leader.
Rationality and emotional intelligence come from inner strength and beliefs. When a president is confident about his ability to make tough decisions in times of crisis, he will have complete control over his emotions. It becomes easier for him to exercise command.
Recognition for Responsibility
This is a two-edged sword, that’s why many seemingly great presidents fell short of the finishing line in American History. The recognition of responsibility means that a new president must respect public opinion regarding his policies and decisions. Still, he does not let the polls force him into formulating a policy.
A great president does not shy away from the fact that no matter how much power his office exercises, like George Washington. Unfortunately, many great names in the presidential history of the US could not understand the power of the people that led them into office in the first place. That disregard came at a steep price.
Some historians point out this quality to be the ultimate virtue that makes a president a good, or even a great president.
Team of Advisors
Even at the cost of being a cliche, it is true for the US president to be known by the company he keeps. There is a classic example in this regard. President George Washington surrounded himself with Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton in the federal government. Those two hated each other and they never shied away from expressing that hatred. Still, they advised perhaps the greatest and most influential president of the US.
Apart from simply surrounding himself with great advisors, a president also gives them a free hand to give them solid, adulterated advice. Some advisors to the POTUS were famous for coming into the Oval Office to utter the words, “I strongly disagree, Mr. President“.
Readiness to Act
Last but not least, a president must have a readiness to act whenever he or she is hit by the need to make a decision. This is where Theodore Roosevelt came into the picture. He wanted to build the West Wing even though Congress and the executive branch were against the decision. Still, he contacted the architects and put the machinery in motion before he even managed to secure the money.
It took almost four months to build the West Wing. In the same time frame, the grounds were cleared to resume activity. This shows that the president of the United States needs to think ahead in terms of acting on his plans. Although Theodore Roosevelt had its way, it was a small building with less-than-perfect construction. So, it was built again.
Conclusion
The president of the United States has it all; the good, the bad, and the ugly ones. Those who managed to get their statues on the pedestal were considered great. Keep in mind that there is still not an empirical way to measure which one was good and which was not.
There is some consensus among historians about who was a good president but they all agree that having certain qualities make for a great president. It is hard to gauge that in short term, but long-term results often turn out to be more accurate and trustworthy, based on a list of desired characteristics.