Leadership Qualities

     Every day an unrelenting stream of messages appear in my email boxes and Facebook feed. Some of them proclaim support for a particular candidate; far too often they simply demean a candidate and those who support them; eroding any possibility for meaningful exchange of ideas. Very rarely do we seriously consider what one ought to look for in a candidate for high office. We seem to settle for sound-bite prattle instead of thinking through what we desire from the person who seeks public office. We ought to carefully consider what character traits best meet the demands and responsibilities generated by positions of great responsibility. Often our discussions focus on a few narrow issues. Sadly often the issues we spend so much time wrangling over either come up infrequently or the person has little ability to effect substantive change regarding the issue which enflames our passions. What character traits qualify an individual for public service?

     We need honesty in the public domain. We need office holders who will speak candidly with the public, and each other. Difficult problems need full disclosure and straightforward discussion concerning possible solutions. Dissembling disqualifies. Candidates are not the only ones who must embrace honesty. We must be willing to face difficult decisions and not penalize candidates that speak honestly with us.

     We need statesmen and stateswomen.  A statesman puts the nation above party. A stateswomen seeks office to solve difficult problems and understands that doing the right thing may result in personal or party loss. A statesman takes the long view, recognizing that intractable problems requiring incremental progress over an extended period of time.

     We need men and women who will partner with and work with individuals from the other party. We must demand progress instead of posturing. Party wins often levy a considerable burden on the nation. Meaningless votes delay meaningful action. Working together requires cooperation and a willingness to engage in compromise. We must learn to get along to move along.

     We need public servants who fully understand and are committed to the concept of protecting the resources of our nation, both natural and human. We’ve been blessed by an unusual abundance of resources, which with appropriate management will enable continued growth and prosperity. We must not needlessly squander or abuse these great assets. Natural resources do not comprise our only responsibility. We need leaders who fully commit to encouraging all members of our society to reach their full potential. This requires a wide array of programs designed to open doors, not shut them. Education, health, and employment opportunities must reach all sectors of our nation. Our leaders must work to end marginalization of peoples, incorporating them into full partnership.

     We need leaders who value kindness. Most of us do not place great value on kindness; however, it is much more powerful and strong than we realize. Kindness indicates strength and depth of character. Kindness helps ease interactions and the highly competitive political world of the twenty-first century we should embrace those things which help.

     Of course this simple list does not solve all problems or address all issues. It does give us a few things to measure potential leaders by. If we spend more time looking for leaders with the ability to lead instead of those who demonstrate party purity and a proclivity for parroting key phrases in the form of sound-bites we might see more progress in problem areas.