Guest Opinion: These qualities make a great leader — and president
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As someone who has held leadership positions throughout a large portion of my career (along with suffering under a series of poor leaders), taught a seminar on leadership, and has graduate level credits from Penn State in leadership courses along with numerous other training seminars, I read with interest the Tuesday (May 3) leadership guest opinion ("As a leader, Trump outclasses Joe Biden").
While I am in agreement that the listed qualities certainly are the macro view of good leadership, there is a significant disconnect between my perception and the perception of the writer as to how Donald Trump and Joe Biden slot into those traits. Regardless, please allow me to suggest a more nuanced micro view of some of the specific traits of good leadership gleaned from my personal experience and training. The reader can best determine whether Biden or Trump best exhibit each trait and to what degree — be honest.
A good leader:
Is honest, transparent and has integrity
Is humble yet confident, but not guided by their ego — lacks hubris
Treats everyone with dignity, respect and courtesy
Shows compassion and empathy
Seeks unity, compromise and consensus
Takes responsibility and shares credit
Follows the law and adheres to the traditions of their post
Puts the good of the organization above self interest in their strategic thinking
Makes decisions for the good of the entire organization without pandering to special interestsor subverting to the politically powerful
Supports subordinates who may make appropriate but unpopular decisions
Is diligent in attempting to provide the opportunity for everyone to succeed
Is more interested in resolving/preventing mistakes than assigning blame
Is bold, flexible and creative but not reckless
Surrounds themselves with competence not sycophants
Isn’t a serial liar
Doesn’t bully, coerce, threaten or intimidate
Doesn’t stoke peoples’ fear, bias or prejudice or identify scapegoats
Doesn’t seek to profit from their position
Doesn’t use the power of their position to pursue vendetta or grievance
The essence of true leadership is to have the courage to do the right thing (legally, morally and ethically) at the right time for the right reasons.
Raymond J Gump lives in Southampton.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Guest Opinion: These traits are at the heart of a good leader