The US Presidential election is nearing and as the year 2008 looms bigger than ever, it’s becoming more important for Americans to discover exactly what traits a leader needs if he plans to lead the country.
United States used to be the most powerful country of the world, and it might still be, although some people seem to doubt it. It’s imperative that Americans vote wisely for the coming elections and have a leader who really knows what he’s doing.
Top Traits a Leader Needs If He’s Planning to Lead the Country
A country’s leader must not allow himself to stay in a state of denial, just like how Bob Woodwards asserts the 43rd President of the United States, George Bush, Jr., is. He must learn how to accept whatever mistakes he commits, get over it, and do what’s necessary to improve the situation.
A country’s leader must not let his passion govern his thinking, just like how the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was guilty of when the Monica Llewinsky scandal destroyed his previously shining credibility to the whole world.
Of course, it also goes without saying that a country’s leader must not be corrupt. He must not think he’s above the law or is the law. Instead, he should think with humility in that it’s his responsibility to set the right example. He must not be like Richard Nixon and get embroiled in a Watergate Scandal of his own making.
A country’s leader will have an easier time ruling his administration if he is as popular as President John F. Kennedy Sr. He must understand how powerful the masses are, and how important it is for him to gain their support. In some ways, he must be a consummate charmer so that those who don’t care about him will extend their support for him simply because he’s charming. This trait was amply displayed by President Ronald Reagan.
A country’s leader must be strong in times of trouble just like President Franklin Roosevelt during the Second World War and President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Unlike other war presidents, these two leaders had the fortune to be a part of two wars in which the lines between good and bad weren’t blurred. And they were smart and strong enough to make the right decisions and fight for them.
These are the traits that a person planning to lead the country must have, and it’s up to Americans to decide which of the candidates – Obama, Clinton, Guiliani, and the others – can live up to these standards.