My good friend and colleague, Dan Mulhern, the First Gentleman of the State of Michigan, asked me in November 2007 as the presidential election campaign was getting under way to respond on his blog to the following question: Given the needs of America at this unique moment in history, what does it especially need in a leader? Are there particular attributes, characteristics or practices that would especially serve our country?
The presidential campaign has heated up considerably since I responded to Dan's question. Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton are slugging it out for every single delegate, while John McCain is flying solo as the winner on the Republican side. It seems certain that the remaining Democratic primaries will be hard-fought and nasty, and the summer convention may become one for the history books. The Fall contest will be as intense, fierce, and entertaining as any we've seen in years. But despite all the twists and turns of the campaign melodrama, I would still respond to Dan with the same advice I offered five months ago.
Here is what I said:
For the last twenty-five years my coauthor, Barry Posner, and I have been asking working people around the world to answer the following question: “What do you look for and admire in a leader, someone whose direction you would willingly follow?” The results have been striking in their regularity over the years, and they do not significantly vary by demographical, organizational, or cultural differences.
What is most striking and most evident in our research is that only four qualities, over time, have always received over 60 percent of the votes. Mind you that this research spans 25 years, so this is not some fad. The data tell us that there are a few essential “character tests” someone must pass before others are willing to grant the designation "leader." These are the basics, and they are fundamental to what people expect of any leader in our country, no matter what the times. So, what are they?
For people to follow someone willingly, the majority of constituents believe the leader must be
• Honest
• Forward-looking
• Inspiring
• Competent
Taken by themselves, these four characteristics are useful. Write them down and take them into the polling booth with you. Put them next to the names and then vote. But what is more significant is what these qualities mean when taken as a whole. Three of these four key characteristics—honest, competent, and inspiring—make up what communications experts refer to as “source credibility.” More than anything, people want leaders in whom they can believe. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. Period. Full stop. Put another way, if you don’t believe in the messenger, you won’t believe the message.
The fourth universal quality of being forward-looking is the attribute that differentiates leaders from other credible people. People expect their leaders to have a point of view about the future. They want to be confident that their leaders know where they’re going.
Now if this is what people most look for and admire in their leaders, then it seems to me that we, the voters, ought to include these four criteria among those we use in deciding who we want as our next President. When you walk into that voting booth, and before you pull that lever, here are a few basic questions you should ask yourself:
• To what extent has this person been honest with the people? How open are they about their beliefs? How much do I trust this person?
• How clear and compelling is this person's vision of the future for this country and this world? How consistent is this vision with the kind of future that the constituents want? How well are my own aspirations represented in this image of tomorrow?
• To what extent does this person convey hope and optimism about the future? How upbeat is this person? When I listen to and watch this person, how positive and uplifted do I feel?
• How capable is this person in leading others? What’s been this person’s track record of accomplishments? How successful has this person been in getting things done? Regardless of the years of experience this person has had, to what extent does this person demonstrate the capacity to learn and grow?
• And finally, here's the big one: Does this person keep promises, follow through on commitments, practice what he/she preaches, and walk the talk? Does this person do what he/she says?
While there is more to a president than credibility and vision, this is where it all starts. After all the fog of rhetoric has cleared and the day comes when one person takes that oath of office and then grabs the helm of the ship of state, we all want to feel confident that our leader will keep the promises made during the campaign.
Posted by Jim Kouzes
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