Raymond J Gump
May 13, 2022·2 min read
Yahoo News
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
https://www.yahoo.com/news/guest-opinion-qualities-great-leader-212810788.html
