Secrets of Great Leaders

As Election Day approaches, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hype that’s conjured up by the media. Each day mistaken words, abridged interviews, and campaign ads attempt to influence the millions of voters that will be heading to the polls. Attempting to cut through the nonsense, one historian urges Americans to consider the leadership strengths of our most successful Presidents when deciding to cast their ballots this November.

“Focusing on the qualities that have made some of our leaders exceptional provides a better perspective on our current candidates than what’s so often reported…” – Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin, a renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, is featured in Parade, this week with her article entitled, “The Secret’s of America’s Great Presidents.” Using the lessons of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt as her guide, she attempts to identify 10 leadership attributes that distinguish truly great presidents.

Though her full article goes into much greater historical detail and is worth the read, the following is a summary of the 10 key attributes that Goodwin identified.

1. The courage to stay strong. A leader needs the ability to withstand adversity and motivate oneself in the face of frustration.
2. Self-confidence. Good leadership requires you to surround yourself with people of diverse perspectives who can disagree with you without fear of retaliation.
3. An ability to learn from errors. To lead successfully, you must be willing to acknowledge and learn from your mistakes.
4. A willingness to change. Conditions change and Presidents must respond.
5. Emotional intelligence. A President must encourage his closest advisers to give their best and remain loyal.
6. Self control. Great leaders manage their emotions and remain calm in the midst of trouble.
7. A popular touch. The best presidents have an intuitive awareness of public sentiment, a sense of when to wait and when to lead.
8. A moral compass. Only strong leaders have the courage and integrity to follow their convictions when the risk of losing popular support is great.
9. A capacity to relax. FDR held a White House cocktail hour every evening. Its cardinal rule: Nothing was to be said of politics or war.
10. A gift for inspiring others. One of the key qualities of a great President is his ability to communicate national goals to the people and to educate and shape public opinion.

Regardless of the Presidential connotation, her aforementioned attributes are clearly applicable to great leaders in any capacity. Each attribute seamlessly builds on the next, yielding a leader poised for success. How does your leadership approach compare to the list?