When choosing a president or any person in leadership capacity, watch how they act under pressure. How a person acts in the fire is who they really are. Good leadership has a quality that is indispensable. It must be able to handle criticism without immature responses and knee-jerk emotional outbursts. Leadership carries an expectancy – the person is mature, stable, and calm in troubled waters. National leadership should never be synonymous with political punditry or ideologue. When at the helm a person must be able to gather from multiple voices and educated opinions of trusted sources and then make a quality decision based on principle and truth.

Never make decisions established on political pressures, financial accruement, or vengeance as a payback for wounded ego.

Sometimes we have to walk away from the pressures of decision making instead of caving and making rash premature decisions. Temporal satisfaction that we made a Johnny-on-the-spot executive move does not compare to the long-term failure and loss of legacy. It’s better to weather the criticism of not moving fast enough and later enjoying the quality of a decision well-made than the other way around.

When it comes to criticism here is some pointers to keep ourselves stabilized in an unstable environment. If the criticism is false, disregard it. If it is unfair, keep yourself from being irritated. But, if it is true, learn from it.

When we sneeze, all of the germs in us spread and infects everyone around us. The same is true about our reactions and character and especially when one is in a leadership position. How we respond spreads infectiously to everyone around us which sets the tone and atmosphere of the company and nation depending upon which position we are in.

Remember, as a leader, you are no longer standing idle on the shore making no waves. Every action you make, is like tossing a stone in the middle of a pond causing a ripple effect throughout the entire body of water. Whether it is positive or negative is up to the leadership.

Never act without thinking. Never continue to think without acting.

Just a little musing today concerning the search for quality leadership in the world today.

Reuben Egolf