“A Great President Has a Moral Compass, Guts, and…”: Michael Beschloss, Author of Several Current Best Sellers

Michael Beschloss, the author of many current best sellers, spoke at length last night about Presidential Courage at Messiah University. My wife and I had the pleasure of attending this history talk to hear the remarkable knowledge and perspective of America’s most knowledgeable presidential historian.

Mr. Beschloss outlined for the audience a list of 5 qualities of truly great presidents, but one of his asides during the list in my mind created a six. So here is the truly insightful list of six qualities of truly great American Presidents.

What Makes a Great President

Moral Leadership

The highest and most important quality that a great president must possess is the ability to be guided by a moral compass and an ethical moral code that values life, lifts up creation, and seeks to expand generosity and improve the lives of citizens of the country. I focused on this while creating Jackson Piper in the Bull Moose Series.

Leads the Nation as a Country of Ideals, Not a Means to an End

During the discussion of moral leadership, Michael spoke about great presidents and also understood that the United States was founded as a nation of ideals. Great presidents have always put those ideals at the center of their agenda – democracy, engaged citizenry, liberty, the rule of law, equality, justice, and opportunity – are chief among these ideals. Great Presidents improve and elevate these ideals. Perhaps some of the worst Presidents have abused the office and retreated the nation away from these ideals.

Possesses Guts and Courage

The hardest job on the entire earth is the Presidency. The President is faced daily with decisions that test their courage to discern truth and weigh many options, sometimes only bad options. Presidents need to have the type of steel spine and grit that allows them to wake up each day in the role and tackle the next problem before it becomes a crisis. When there is a crisis, solve it with the least damage possible to the nation.

Explains Unpopular Decisions Well and Strategically

I found this insight one of the most interesting and rarely included in other lists. This is the President as a communicator, but Beschloss added more interest and dimension to this quality. He outlined that Presidents (and political leaders) undoubtedly will make unpopular decisions, but great leaders are able to explain those decisions in such a way that brings the nation along with them and allows them to remain both effective and popular as the nation’s leader. This is something that What It Takes to Kill a Bull Moose suggests Jackson Piper did not do well following the events of The Senate Deception.

Appreciates and Learns from History

The nation might have taken this quality for granted for too long. Michael outlined the lack of an instruction manual or training manual for the presidency, and the study of history being really the only available roadmap for a President to know how to navigate leading the nation, especially through crisis.

Works with People Who Dislike or Disagree with Them

Gather round children. Let me tell you a story. Long, long ago, back before the Internet and social media, people who disagreed with one another did not treat one another as enemies. Close your mouths and don’t act so shocked. It’s hard to think of a time in the 21st Century when the President and his opponents got substantial work done together AND then bragged about their collaboration.

What a truly enjoyable evening in Grantham. Thank you to Messiah University and Michael Beschloss.

I highly recommend any of these nonfiction best selling books by Michael Beschloss

The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev

Presidents of War: The Epic Story, from 1807 ot Modern Times

The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman, and the Destruction of Hitler’s Germany

At the Highest Levels: The Inside Story of the End of the Cold War

Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America

Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev, and the U-2 Affair

Taking Charge: Johnson White House Tapes