A Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Leadership Test

To decide on the best person for the job of President of the United States, you'll have to cut through biased TV commercials, hype, disinformation, false statements, others' emotional reasoning, yellow journalism, and mudslinging to come to a wise decision. There are better alternatives to assess competency for the position of President of the United States.

Between now and the election, you'll have many opportunities to judge each candidates’ leadership qualities and to compare one with the other. The debates create one set of opportunities, but there are many other ways to do this as well.

I’ll describe what great leaders have in common. Then, I’ll share a sample of 22 personal qualities that highly effective leaders normally show. I translated these qualities into an informal leadership test that you can use to assess each candidate’s personal-presidential-leadership qualities.

What Do Great Leaders Do?

Great leaders are creators and constructors who you know about because of their historically significant actions. They have little time for procrastinating. They earn the trust that others give them.

When you think of great political leaders, who do you think of first? Is it Abraham Lincoln who put an end to slavery and kept a divided nation together? Is it Mahatma Gandhi, whose philosophy of passive resistance led to his nation’s freedom from British rule? Is it Elizabeth l of Great Britain, who transformed the island nation into an international power?

What do these great leaders have in common? Each faced major national challenges. In the course of meeting these challenges, each

• presented as transformational thinkers who directed their actions toward achieving positive results for their community.
• took initiatives to advance their mission and to solve problems.
• acted knowledgeably and decisively.
• showed endurance under adverse conditions.
• rebounded quickly from setbacks.
• managed themselves effectively under conditions of uncertainty.
• inspired others to play a role in meeting great challenges.
• showed rare intelligence and good judgment.
• demonstrated remarkable foresight and recognized challenges and opportunities long before many others saw the same thing.
• thought strategically and used this ability consistently and effectively.
• worked effectively with and through others to achieve productive results.
• showed courage and boldness.

Conditions and times, of course, often bring greatness out in people; also, conditions can bring out the worst.

Twenty-two Leadership Qualities

Let's look at 22 personal qualities that great leaders ordinarily display. These attributes link to positive results. If you choose to match Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on these dimensions, you'll find two survey forms--one for each. Cut and paste them from this article. Print them. Use them to compare the candidates.

There are a couple of ways to use this informal leadership measure. You can check off each item that you believe applies to a candidate. Who gets the most checks?

Because each dimension can be scaled, as an option, rate each according to a five-point Likert-type scale where 1 = poor, 2 = below average, 3 = average, 4 = above average, and 5 = excellent. This more sophisticated method takes more time to do but reflects a reality that human qualities are on a continuum. Then total the scores. Compare the candidates. What do the numbers show?

Candidate: Donald Trump

1. Exhibits a clear leadership presence ____.

2. Inspires confidence ____.

3. Sizes up situations quickly and accurately _____.

4. Shows mental flexibility ____.

5. Demonstrates high frustration tolerance ____.

6. Articulates positions in clear and understandable terms ____.

7. Sticks to priorities ­­_____.

8. Takes responsibility for results ____.

9. Has a broad range of knowledge ____.

10. Shows strong reasoning capabilities ____.

11. Demonstrates maturity ____.

12. Displays perspective ____.

13. Separates relevant from less relevant issues ____.

14. Shows foresight _____.

15. Demonstrates integrity _____.

16. Exhibits a genuine empathy _____.

17. Demonstrates authenticity and genuineness _____.

18. Displays assertiveness skills _____.

19. Has creative thinking abilities _____.

20. Shows strong planning abilities _____.

21. Takes wise initiatives _____.

22. Shows determination, boldness, and courage _____.

TOTAL _______.

Candidate: Hillary Clinton.

1. Exhibits a clear leadership presence ____.

2. Inspires confidence ____.

3. Sizes up situations quickly and accurately _____.

4. Shows mental flexibility ____.

5. Demonstrates high frustration tolerance ____.

6. Articulates positions in clear and understandable terms ____.

7. Sticks to priorities ­­_____.

8. Takes responsibility for results ____.

9. Has a broad range of knowledge ____.

10. Shows strong reasoning capabilities ____.

11. Demonstrates maturity ____.

12. Displays perspective ____.

13. Separates relevant from less relevant issues ____.

14. Shows foresight _____.

15. Demonstrates integrity _____.

16. Exhibits a genuine empathy _____.

17. Demonstrates authenticity and genuineness _____.

18. Displays assertiveness skills _____.

19. Has creative thinking abilities _____.

20. Shows strong planning abilities _____.

21. Takes wise initiatives _____.

22. Shows determination, boldness, and courage _____.

TOTAL _______.

This dimensional approach is not a standardized measure. It doesn't cover everything. For example, the 22 dimension survey won't help you assess body language or tone. Nevertheless, this dimensional approach can help you develop a more objective look at the candidates.

After you've completed your assessment, here is the critical question. Which candidate has more of what you are looking for? That will determine your vote.

©

Dr. Bill Knaus, author of The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety (Second Edition)

2016

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