9 Leadership Challenges In A Presidential Election Year

Weekly Business Insights from Top Ten Business Magazines

Extractive summaries and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Since September 2017 | Week 350 | May 24-30, 2024 

Personal Development, Leading & Management Section | 2

9 Leadership Challenges In A Presidential Election Year

By Eli Amdur | Forbes Magazine | May 28, 2024

Extractive Summary of the Article | Read and/or Listen

According to the author his 15 years of teaching leadership and communication courses in the MBA and MAS programs at Fairleigh Dickinson University spanned four presidential cycles plus the early run-up to a fifth. His students and he became keen observers, and – interestingly – identified nine leadership challenges that, for the most part, remain constant no matter how the players or times change.  And what it really comes down to is not just the issues, but how the candidates communicate them.

1. Vision.  The foremost leadership issue in any election year is the candidates’ ability to articulate a compelling vision for the nation’s future. That’s no different from any other time; it just comes to the forefront now.
2. Communication.  After vision, communication is the biggest leadership issue. Effective communication skills are essential for any leader, not just presidential candidates, but in this realm it’s magnified.
3. Policy.  What are the overarching stances that will support that vision? This is where vision becomes concrete and tangible.
4. Trust and Integrity.  Trust in any leadership is crucial, yet in the political arena it’s often fragile. Even more so in an election, when dialog becomes attack. Candidates must demonstrate integrity, honesty, and transparency in their actions and communications. Candidates’ histories matter, but so does the vulnerability of reality in an A.I. world.
5. Crisis Management.  Today’s world is one great big ball of crises – and they’re all intertwined. The ability to effectively navigate crises is a defining leadership aspect.
6. Diplomacy.  Presidential candidates must demonstrate the ability to engage with diverse audiences, both domestically and internationally, and negotiate complex issues with tact and judicious demeanor.
7. Inclusivity and Representation.  Leaders in a diverse society must commit to inclusivity and representation. Voters scrutinize candidates’ records on issues such as racial justice, gender equality, and immigration – and on how well candidates articulate these issues.
8. Judgment and Decision-Making.  Sound judgment and the ability to make tough decisions under pressure are fundamental aspects of effective leadership, but this is something that cannot be discussed. It can only be demonstrated. 
9. Collaboration and Bipartisanship.  With political polarization at the worst level that any of us have ever seen, it’s easy to resign ourselves to more of the same. Common ground is harder to find, as is compromise. But we’ve seen this before. We just have to look harder for it. Communicating this may be the toughest challenge.

2 key takeaways from the article

1. The author in his 15 years of teaching leadership and communication courses spanned four presidential cycles plus the early run-up to a fifth. His students and he became keen observers, and – interestingly – identified nine leadership challenges that, for the most part, remain constant no matter how the players or times change.  
2. And what it really comes down to is not just the issues, but how the candidates communicate them.  9 leadership challenges are:  ability to articulate a compelling vision for the nation’s future,  effective communication, what are the policies that will support that vision, trust and Integrity, ability to effectively navigate crises, ability to engage with diverse audiences, commitment to inclusivity and representation, sound judgment and the ability to make tough decisions under pressure, and collaboration & bipartisanship.

Full Article

(Copyright lies with the publisher)

Topics:  Leadership, Decision-making, Collaboration, Inclusivity, Diversity, Negotiation, Bipartisanship, Vision, Policies, Implementation, Trust, Integrity, Crisis Management, Diplomatic