The President both leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. In order to be President a person must not only possess great character, but also be a leader. While many persons enjoy remarkable personal attributes, few are natural leaders, a trait that requires several qualities to come together to make leadership happen.
With the presidential election upon us, what would be better than to talk about what it takes to be a good leader? As a summer camp for boys, Kingswood hopes that every one of our campers leaves with more experience, the ability to work with others and the knowledge of what it takes to lead. There are four qualities that make a true leader:
- Humility
- Openness
- Creativity
- Fairness
Humility
Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the group. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. The President uses humility when considering that every citizen of the United States will be affected by his decisions. Our campers learn humility in much the same manner by identifying with the common good of the entire camp community. Younger children look up to the camp elders, and are taught to look forward to the day when they are the ones holding leadership positions, not only at camp, but wherever their lives take them. And, like the president, who acts to make every U.S. citizen better off, campers see the value in collective group happiness.
Openness
Leaders need to comprehend openness and thus be able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else first proposed. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision. Presidents must be open-minded because they are constantly presented with new and unseen challenges, many of which affect the entire nation. At Kingswood we help our campers remain open the same way good leaders do, especially when facing problems that directly effect their good time at camp.
Creativity
Leadership requires creativity, the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains many from reaching good solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus move forward in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if?” The President, and each candidate for the election, must have a plan for where to lead our country and how to deal with the problems we face. A creative leader can quickly adapt to the constantly changing conditions not only at home, but also throughout an increasingly confusing world. At camp, leaders are trained to “think ahead” and have basic plans at the ready for most camp situations likely to arise.
Fairness
A leader must have the quality of fairness, which means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication. The President must make decision knowing all the facts and come to the outcome best for everyone, even if at times it seems like he is stalling, or even not telling the whole truth to the public. Fair decisions require time to ponder. At Kingswood, we tell everybody that “time is on your side” when endeavoring to reach a fair verdict on any disagreement with another person.
Past Presidents, Camp and Leadership!
So, you may be thinking Presidents do need leadership qualities, but do they really learn those qualities at camp? Well, yes, some of them have! Bill Clinton the 42nd US President, George W. Bush the 46th US President, and Gerald Ford the 38th US President, all went to camp as children. Not all youngsters grow up to become a US President but all of them desire those learned leadership qualities necessary to teach, run a business, become a doctor, lawyer, senator, or just to be able to persuade people to support their good ideas! Take these qualities of leadership into consideration when voting in this election and when thinking about where you would send your kids to camp.