WHAT MAKES A GREAT PRESIDENT?

Over the past few weeks, one of the subjects that has been most compelling to me is what actually makes a president great. In essence, after the elections are completed and the votes are counted, what makes the president of the United States, the president of a non-profit organization, the president of a business, the president of a college, the president of an association, or the president of a student body great?

According to William F. Buckley, the famous political commentator and author, “There aren’t any good presidents of the United States because the office of presidency is so staggeringly complicated that nobody, nobody, can be a good president.”

Although I agree that the office of presidency of the United States is an extremely challenging and complicated position, I do believe that there can be a good president and that there is a quantifiable difference between a good and a bad president. And, even though a variety of circumstances, situations, or beliefs can affect our individual perspectives of what makes a good or a bad president, I believe there are some solid leadership qualities that all potential presidents at any level must possess in order to have the chance to become effective and successful. After careful observation and research, I have listed below ten leadership qualities that I personally believe every president must possess in order to succeed as the leader of any organization, business, association, or even a world nation!

Leadership Quality #1
CLEAR VISION

The first leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is a clear vision that allows people to fully understand the direction and path that the president is following. The reason why a clear vision is important for presidents is because it not only connects people to the leader and their vision, but it provides the blueprint for their success as well. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have a CLEAR VISION!

Leadership Quality #2
SELF CONFIDENCE

The second leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is self confidence. The primary reason why I believe all presidents must possess self confidence is because they will not only be forced to make tough decisions that not everyone will agree with, but they will also have to possess the confidence needed to stand up for their core values in the midst of adversity, as well as deal with the challenging obstacles that all presidents face at times. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have SELF CONFIDENCE!

Leadership Quality #3
STRONG DECISION MAKING SKILLS

The third leadership quality that I believe all successful presidents must possess is strong decision making skills, which can be defined as being able to solve problems based on sound judgment. One of the primary reasons why this skill set is so important for presidents is because presidents will likely be forced to make tough decisions that can determine the success of their organization, business, or enterprise, and they will have to make these decisions in short amounts of time. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have STRONG DECISION MAKING SKILLS!

Leadership Quality #4
ABILITY TO DEVELOP A POWERFUL TEAM OF EXPERTS

The fourth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is the ability to develop a powerful team of experts to help support the vision of their business, organization, or enterprise. I believe this skill set is important for presidents to possess because not only does a strong team of experts help the president effectively carry out their mission successfully, but these members can often provide expertise in areas where the president may need help, these members can provide great insight or advice that the president may need, and these members can provide the support, honesty, and encouragement that every president will need at times. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have the ABILTY TO DEVELOP A POWERFUL TEAM OF EXPERTS!

Leadership Quality #5
STRONG CHARACTER

The fifth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is strong character, which I define as doing what is required in the position you have been granted. For instance, if you’re the president of a business, you will need to make sure you carry out the requirements of that position to the highest level. If you’re the president of an organization on campus, make sure you live up to the expectations that you have promised the students that provided you with the opportunity to serve as president. The reason why I believe this leadership quality is so important is because great character not only enables you to serve as a great leader, but it provides the necessary qualities that will help you impact and influence the people you have been given the opportunity to lead. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you have a STRONG CHARACTER!

Leadership Quality #6
PEOPLE COMPETENCE SKILLS

The sixth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is people competence, which I define as understanding all different types of people and knowing how to connect, inspire, and bring the most out of these different types of people. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess excellent PEOPLE COMPETENCE SKILLS!

Leadership Quality #7
COMPETENCE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL POSITION

The seventh leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is competence of the presidential position. In essence, I believe that anyone who desires to be the president of any business, organization, or enterprise should be competent and knowledgeable about the various responsibilities connected to the position they are striving to achieve. The primary reason why I believe this leadership quality is so important for presidents is because being competent and knowledgeable about the responsibilities required for the success of any organization, business, or enterprise is a prerequisite for effective leadership. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess excellent COMPETENCE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL POSITION!

Leadership Quality #8
ABILITY TO DEAL WITH HUGE CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES

The eighth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is a strong ability to deal with huge challenges and obstacles. I believe this leadership quality is very important for presidents because every president will face challenges, every president will face huge obstacles, and every president will be required to solve and overcome the challenges that arise while they are in the specific presidential position. For instance, although President Obama was not the primary cause of many of the challenges and obstacles facing our nation right now, he is expected to solve and overcome our nation’s most challenging and biggest obstacles. And, just like President Obama, people will expect the same out of you as president of your organization, business, or enterprise. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess a strong ABILITY TO DEAL WITH HUGE CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES!

Leadership Quality #9
HEART FOR THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE

The ninth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is a heart for the people they have the opportunity to serve. In essence, if a president is going to succeed within any organization, business, or enterprise, they must truly care about the well-being of the people they have been given the opportunity to serve. Presidents who possess a heart for the people most of the time, not only make a greater impact, but they gain greater support from the people that chose them as the president of their organization, business, or enterprise. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess a HEART FOR THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE!

Leadership Quality #10
TIME FOR SELF REFLECTION

The tenth leadership quality that I believe all presidents must possess is time for self reflection, which is allocating time out of every day to reflect how well they have carried out their duties as president. The primary reason why I believe this leadership quality is so important for presidents is because not only does it provide time for the president to rest, make improvements, and grow as a leader, but it also provides the president with special time to really think about tough decisions they may have to make concerning the well-being of their organization, business, or enterprise. So, if you ever decide to run for president, make sure you possess TIME FOR SELF REFLECTION!

Obviously, there are many other leadership qualities that any president must possess in order to succeed as the leader of their respected organization, business, enterprise, student body, or nation, but these are ten solid leadership qualities that every person must think about as they move forward toward their goal of a presidential position.