The Presidential Leadership Project

Thanks again to Jim Kouzes for the way he tapped the research about what we want in our leaders; read it immediately below this post. Thanks to you all for a great opening round of comments. I was struck by a few things. First, as many of you noted (e.g., Peter Lake, Norma and Daniel Wolf right out of the chute!): The process we have makes it very hard to truly assess candidates. Voters seems not to know candidates on the issues. And it’s so hard to know whether characteristics like honesty are present. Bill Fulmer points out that we can see the real life work of our managers and even our CEOs, but it’s hard to really gauge these candidates. Campaigns seem to emphasize feelings and vague views over logic, as many of you have said.

These observations only reinforce my view that we need to speak about the importance of these virtuous characteristics. We need to seek them. No matter how hard they are to discern from commercials, sound bytes, and triangulations. I believe that at this point in our history, more than at others, we need honesty, or integrity in action as Ruth and Bill have suggested (Jim Kouzes, by the way, would heartily agree). I don’t think I’m partisan in saying that our President has just not been straight with us, e.g., in spreading the ignorant belief that Saadam and al Quaeda were joined at the hip. That has hurt the credibility of our government in our eyes and the eyes of the world. And Bush’s predecessor’s personal travails and tortuous answers did little to generate - especially among his adversaries - a sense that simple honesty prevailed.

I am intent on looking for honesty, as a primary virtue. It won’t be simple. For instance, is Hilary trying to be totally open, or trying to have it both ways, when she refuses to say her vote for the war was a mistake? When she takes middling positions is that an honest stance on a complicated issue? Does she get credit for being transparent about her thinking, or does honesty mean taking a “conclusive” position as Mr. Petrie argues? Do we value Mitt Romney’s honesty in saying his views on abortion changed, because he saw a moral light? Or do we believe that the real reason was a political reality that a Republican who was “soft on abortion” could not win? Was he honest the first time, and the second time, and in explaining the change? These are tough questions to evaluate, but they seem essential if we are looking for a credible leader, someone we will willingly follow.

How important is honesty to you? And how will you know when you have it?

Dan

In today’s maiden column, Jim Kouzes, one of the most thoughtful and research-based authors, tells of the central characteristics people should and do expect of a president. ~Dan

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?

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.

So, here are the basic questions to ask yourself as you approach voting day:

• How much do I trust this person? To what extent has this person been honest with the people? How open are they about their beliefs?
• How clear and compelling is their vision for this country?
• 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 much experience does this person have in leading others and in significant executive roles? What’s been this person’s track record of accomplishments? How successful has this person been in getting things done?

While there is more to a president than credibility and vision, I’ll start here. First I need to believe in the candidate, and then I can begin to believe in the message. Credibility is the foundation of leadership.

Written by Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling and award-winning book The Leadership Challenge.