As voters look toward the November election and the daunting challenges facing the next president, they are finding it important to know not only where the two presumptive candidates stand on issues, but also who they are as leaders.  To help voters make this assessment the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard Kennedy School, in association with The Ken Blanchard Companies, convened a diverse group of more than 200 people to develop questions for the candidates that get at their leadership capabilities.

On May 12th, the participants in Leadership and the Next Presidency voted on some leadership questions from panelists and came up with a comprehensive list of their own.  Using these as a foundation, CPL and The Ken Blanchard Companies have developed 15 leadership questions that urge the candidates to move beyond stock responses and sound bites.  We invite all Americans to help disseminate these questions, add their own thoughts and questions, and urge the two presidential candidates to answer them.

Video of the entire day is available on the CPL YouTube channel.

For background on Leadership and the Next Presidency click here.

For results of Leadership and the Next Presidency click here.

Select Coverage of Leadership and the Next Presidency

Real Clear Politics - Zelleke: Which Candidate Would Be a Better Leader?
NPR: Ideastream - Swing State 2008: Finding a Good Leader
Christian Science Monitor/Yahoo! News - Gergen & Zelleke: What kind of leader would McCain or Obama be?
Boston Globe - Gergen & Zelleke: A question of presidential leadership
CitizenTube - Grove: Questions for the next president focus on leadership
Des Moines Register - Yepsen: Some New Candidate Questions
Harvard Business Digital - Tough Questions for the Presidential Candidates
Harvard Gazette - Panels contrive job interview for the next president of the U.S.
Huffington Post - Aarons-Mele: Who'd Be the Better Boss: McCain or Obama?
International Herlad Tribune - Gergen & Zelleke: A question of Leadership
Off On A Tangent - Garfield: 15 questions for the presidential candidates
Steve Farber - A Remarkable Day

Related  

Who Are You Really?

1.    Values: What are your five core values and how do they shape how you lead?
2.    Attributes & Competencies: What are the attributes and competencies you value most in yourself that will serve you well in the White House?
3.    Weaknesses & Mistakes: Recent American history has many examples of leaders whose weaknesses brought them down. What are your tendencies that could cause your presidency to fail?
4.    People I Have Learned From: What historical figure has exercised leadership in a way that you aspire to? What were their strengths? Tell us about a situation that tested their leadership.
5.    Multicultural Experience/World View: What experiences have helped you deeply understand the mindset and values of other cultures?

Who Will Be at The Table With You?

6.    Building a Team: Tell us about a high performing team that you’ve built. What made it high-performing?
7.    Coalition Building: Can you share some examples of when you were a catalyst who brought groups with polarized opinions together so that all voices were at the table?
8.    Increasing Participation: The internet and technology have flattened the political playing field, allowing for more participation and collective decision making. How will you create a more participatory democracy and give people the opportunity to influence decision making?
9.    Increasing Participation: Young people have engaged in this election in greater numbers than ever before. Please give us some examples of how you have listened and responded to the next generation in your campaign. How will you keep the next generation engaged?

How Will You Decide?

10.    Decision Making Style: The president’s role requires decisiveness. Please share some examples of your ability and willingness to be decisive. Can you tell us about a time when a lack of decisiveness got you into trouble. In retrospect, what would you have done differently?
11.    Judgment: Tell us about a time when your judgment was tested in crisis. What do you want us to appreciate about your judgment?

How Will You Act? And What Will You Act On?

12.    Leading Change: Can you give us an example of how you have overcome resistance to bring about a needed change?
13.    Innovative Thinking: How will you create an environment for innovation within your leadership team?
14.    Building the Confidence of Others: What are the first few things you’ll do to raise confidence at home and abroad?
15.    Priorities Indicative of Values: The USA ranks 1st in incarceration and 18th in high school graduation. What leadership skills and values do you bring to the challenge of reversing these numbers? Can you point to three things in your past that will help us understand that you care about this challenge?