Qualities Of A Good President Essay

Presidential campaigns are a crucial time in a democratic country—a time to carefully consider what it is that matters to us, the populace, and who we feel is most fit to represent us. We choose a leader that we hope will address the issues we deem important as well as serve the best interests of the country. We have to try to look above the partisan lines and look at the candidate’s character to choose someone that is truly up to the task. It is critically important that our elected president possess certain attributes in order to lead effectively. Some of those attributes, in my opinion, are humility, confidence, and honesty.
An admirable quality in a leader, I feel, is humility. By humility, I don’t mean “thinking less of yourself” or meekness. In this context, I feel the president should see himself as an equal among his constituents and not to let his pride get in the way of the decisions he makes. Humility is the ability to listen before acting and make compromises. Consistency is fine but I don’t think the fact that someone changes their ideas about policies should be considered a detriment to their

capabilities. Presidents, more often than not, are beholden to their political party and often make decisions based on their party’s views. I feel a good leader should be able to see beyond those views. They should be able to open themselves up to other options, which may sometimes result in a point of view other than what they had originally intended, even when it conflicts with their party’s politics.
As a counterpoint to humility, a president needs to have confidence. If a leader waffles in their decisions then they will lose the respect of those they are leading. They need to be able to present themselves in such a way that those listening to them will know that their leader believes what they say and is confident about the course of action presented. A president with confidence inspires respect and admiration. A good leader can accomplish this through the tone of their voice, keeping their emotions in check, and acting with good judgement.
The most important quality I feel a president should have is honesty.

First and foremost, if people can’t believe in their leader 100% of the time then all the confidence in the world won’t help them sway opinion. If the president is honest in what they present to the public and people can trust what they say then I feel they are more likely to have a larger percentage of support, even if some don’t agree with the president’s views. I don’t expect to agree with the president all of the time but if they gives me the facts, explain the options, and then present a plan of action then I am much more likely to listen and maybe even change my own opinion of the situation. If I feel that the president has been less than honest in any area then I am much less likely to trust anything they say in the future, even if it’s something that I would normally agree

with.
An incredible amount of integrity is demanded of our leaders; few are able to truly measure up. Unfortunately, the media circus surrounding presidential campaigns often muddles the issues far more than it illustrates them. We’re forced to sift through months of insincerities and oversimplifications for an individual who shows a glimmer of promise. Some constituents will always vote strictly for who represents their political party and, for that reason, often overlook the attributes that our newly elected president needs to have. I am hopeful that the most worthy candidate will prevail and I hope to see the qualities of humility, confidence, and honesty in our new leader when they take office.