2 thoughts on “Here is a great story that piqued my interest. What do you think makes a great president?”
Secrets of the Great Presidents
By Doris Kearns Goodwin
September 14, 2008 Parade Magazine
What makes a great President? As a historian, I look to the past to help predict the future. And I am convinced that Americans should consider the leadership strengths of our most successful Presidents when deciding how to cast their ballots in November. Focusing on the qualities that have made some of our leaders exceptional provides a better perspective on our current candidates than what’s so often reported—mistaken words, glib replies, fundraising abilities, and TV ads. Taking Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt as guides, I’ve identified 10 attributes that distinguish truly great Presidents.
I hope that as this campaign reaches its end, we can all move beyond the superficial “issues” that now play too large a role in Presidential politics. Let us look closely at the leadership styles of John McCain and Barack Obama and analyze their strengths and weaknesses in relation to our greatest leaders. It will take imagination to shift our present mode of thinking. Old habits die hard. But let us begin.
Read the full article at http://www.parade.com/hot-topics/2008/09/secrets-of-great-presidents.
That was an interesting article. Almost as interesting were the emotional responses at the end of it. We have experience in learner development and in training/imparting ideas in a usable format to others. What can we do as individuals to slow the over-active emotional responses to the politics of our day? I think we can crawl out from under it, but rational discussion certainly does not seem to make interesting press – I sure don’t see it much.
How We Lead 
Secrets of the Great Presidents
By Doris Kearns Goodwin
September 14, 2008 Parade Magazine
What makes a great President? As a historian, I look to the past to help predict the future. And I am convinced that Americans should consider the leadership strengths of our most successful Presidents when deciding how to cast their ballots in November. Focusing on the qualities that have made some of our leaders exceptional provides a better perspective on our current candidates than what’s so often reported—mistaken words, glib replies, fundraising abilities, and TV ads. Taking Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt as guides, I’ve identified 10 attributes that distinguish truly great Presidents.
I hope that as this campaign reaches its end, we can all move beyond the superficial “issues” that now play too large a role in Presidential politics. Let us look closely at the leadership styles of John McCain and Barack Obama and analyze their strengths and weaknesses in relation to our greatest leaders. It will take imagination to shift our present mode of thinking. Old habits die hard. But let us begin.
Read the full article at http://www.parade.com/hot-topics/2008/09/secrets-of-great-presidents.
That was an interesting article. Almost as interesting were the emotional responses at the end of it. We have experience in learner development and in training/imparting ideas in a usable format to others. What can we do as individuals to slow the over-active emotional responses to the politics of our day? I think we can crawl out from under it, but rational discussion certainly does not seem to make interesting press – I sure don’t see it much.