Devin Danehy: Presidential Qualities To Look For

It is possible that the average American voter has elected some suspect people the last few years. We may have elected some individuals that are dishonest or narcissistic or selfish or ignorant or a combination of some these unfortunate human characteristics. The best evidence of this are the “Unfavorable” ratings that these same voters have given Congress and the Executive branches of government.

So what does history and human nature experiences tell us about what qualities we might look for in a Presidential or other important office candidate.
How about:

1. Willingness to hear opposing points of view and in fact demand that they be heard. History shows that some of the most damaging decisions in history occurred in a “Group Think” scenario where “Devil’s Advocate” positions were never brought to the forefront and in fact opposing views were deemphasized in the chemistry of that particular group. Of course, President Lincoln is a famous example of appointing many of his political enemies as advisors to ensure just this decision making capability. It can be argued that the worse governments, sports teams, or any other band of human beings probably were exhibiting “Group Think” behavior.

2. Life experiences that caused pain and adversity. This may seem somewhat harsh in nature, but some say that “nobody respects the flame like the fool that has been badly burned”. It is probably fair to say that individuals that have experienced tremendous adversity in their life also have a better chance to develop qualities like comparison, forgiveness, humility, and mental toughness. The human existence is still a very challenging experience for most humans on the planet. To understand this “quest for survival” is to be able to better empathize with other parts of the world, a key aspect for leadership success.

3. A person who truly is a decent person. Francois De La Rochefoucauld said that “Decency is the least of all laws, but yet it is the law which is most strictly observed.” Of course, Human Decency, is difficult to define but may simply be a code of ethics that most humans understand innately because it is “right”. In my opinion, there is no other human characteristic that commands the respect of others more than this quality. A President that can command that type of respect is someone that may have a chance to be very effective in a leadership position.

4. The characteristic that fits the times. Of course, there are hundreds and thousands of other important characteristics that we might want from our leaders; however, we could use some luck to match the need with the talent. So, if we think that a pragmatic, compromising leader is important in 2008 to 2016 that is who we should vote for. The key problem might be that we really won’t know until after those people are elected. Luck is always a factor.

And as an aside, these characteristics might actually be something to look for in friends, spouses, employees, and neighbors.

Devin Danehy