Qualities of a Good Leader

Along with encouraging people not to give or accept bribes, the Clean Election Campaign also sets out to remind people of the qualities needed for a good leader. The following text was distributed alongside the pledge forms in a recent Kenyan CEC.

Every leader aspiring to elected office should possess the following qualities:

1. Commitment – dedicated to doing the work, not just a dreamer.
2. Courage – able to face fears and act regardless.
3. Discernment – seeking to be guided through listening to the inner voice of truth/conscience/divine wisdom.
4. Generosity – ready to share the credit with others. A candle loses nothing when it lights another.
5. Integrity – living the truths they talk about, 'walking the talk'.
6. Vision – seeing the bigger picture, thinking for the next generation, not just the next election.
7. Compassion – a person who cares and feels for other people, fair to all and treating everybody with respect and dignity.
8. Honesty – being trustworthy and sincere. Does not practice or encourage the giving or receiving of bribes or inducements in any form, both in private and public life.
9. Servant leadership – serving the people, not themselves and putting the interests of the nation above personal and party considerations.
10. Good Relationships – able to work well with others, not controlled by anger or bitterness.
11. Responsibility – not bending their conscience under pressure from others, but listening to public opinion and honoring promises made.
12. Self Discipline – managing their family well, protecting public institutions and obeying the laws of the land.
13. Confidence – a person with faith and trust in themselves, their roles, their team and their values.