You’ll never find a presidential candidate without a large ego. It takes a big ego to be a world leader. Look at the great figures in history, be they heroes or villains, they are larger than life. But the truly great leaders, while possessing big egos, also know the value of humility. They recognize the dangers of ego and have learned how to manage their own.
There are a host of big problems waiting for the next occupant of the White House-– war, economic uncertainty at home, and a tarnished image around the world. This president will need extraordinary relationship-building skills, particularly when dealing with ego-maniacal leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-il and others. Challenging times lay ahead of us and at the feet of the next Commander in Chief.
Political policies aside, in a perfect world we’d have a president with just enough ego, who is truly genuine, remarkably courageous and determined, and at the same time, deeply humble. Nelson Mandela is the ultimate example of leading with courage. He was driven by a noble cause and endured terrible suffering to find a way to achieve freedom for his people.
How are the current presidential candidates managing their egos?
Barrack Obama is a great orator and clearly thrives on large crowds and applause. He inspires people with his message of hope and the promise of change. He also seems to be buying into his own press that he’s a savior-of-sorts and the next JFK.
Early on in the campaign, Obama’s speeches had an air of genuineness and humility. You could see it in his body language and hear it in his voice. It felt real. After all these months and playing to huge, adoring international audiences is it possible that his humility has shrunk? Today he appears to swagger onto the stage and seems to be speaking more from his head than from his heart. It raises questions as to whether there is true alignment between who he really is and what he says.
John McCain, on the other hand, appears more authentic and less ego-driven. But is this true? It would be important for us to know. His body language is stiff and awkward-– is this because of his war injuries or is it a sign of humility? Or both? Over many months, his stage presence has remained unchanged. He’s focused, has no airs and graces, and enjoys a joke. His style may be less inspiring than Obama’s, but is it because he’s less interested in bells and whistles? Is it that his life experience gives him a different kind of quiet confidence, one that comes from years as a prisoner of war and a man who’s lived a full life? Or is he just simply uninspiring?
We know that McCain has an ego problem-- his temper. He’s spoken openly about it and seems to be aware that he needs to manage it. But can he? Once again, these are things we need to think seriously about.
The entire election season has been filled with examples of ego gone awry. Hillary Clinton’s ego got in the way of her achieving the Democratic nomination. Her message was all about “I, me, and mine.” Then there’s her husband Bill, whose ego hurt his own image during her campaign. John Edwards publicly blamed his ego when his affair with a campaign photographer was recently revealed.
So will it be political policies that decide the election in November? Age? Race? I truly believe the candidate who shows the most genuine display of personal authenticity, will be the one who wins. People are smart -– they know when someone is not authentic. They know pseudo realness from genuine realness. And guess what the word for that is? Humility! We want -– and need -– a president who is a visionary, who is confident, courageous and bold. And one who mixes that with a strong dose of integrity and humility.
We absolutely cannot afford a leader whose ego will become involved in the enormous decisions that have to be made and the critical relationships that have to be forged. It’s up to the American public to watch and listen for the signs of ego and the signs of authenticity and vote accordingly.
Author Resource:-
Sandy Gluckman, Ph.D., teaches ‘power behavior, power communication for powerful results’ to leaders and teams worldwide. These skills are available in her new book “Who’s in the Driver’s Seat?’ Take the Positive Power Quiz at http://www.sandygluckman.com/pos-2.htm
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