In Mystery and Meaning: Ambiguity and the Perception of Leaders, Heroes and Villains by Goethals and Allison, I was stuck by the cues society uses to evaluate or judge leaders. This reading articulates that there are four cues: language, voice, appearance, and movement. This was very telling because many of us try to determine a person’s inner character by their visual appearance. Their mention of the 1960 U.S. Presidential debate with John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon exemplifies this. We looked at and studied this debate in Dr. Hoyt’s LDST 101 section. At the time, I was very intrigued by people’s judgement of each candidate through either the radio or the TV. If one was listening on the radio, one would think that Nixon won. However, if one was watching it live then it appeared that Kennedy won. Goethals and Allison explain that Kennedy’s success in the TV medium form of the debate was not due to his young or charming looks. Rather, they argued it was “the dynamism and fluidity with which he moved” (Goethals & Allison pg.23). The radio could not show the weird or uncomfortable movements Nixon was making on screen. Following the debate, President Kennedy is now viewed historically as a charismatic leader because the general public saw that his movement and demeanor could be attributed to a positive ‘leader schema’.

This attachment we have to a charismatic or strong leader has had powerful effects in our national or local elections. During the bitter 2016 National Presidential Election, Americans were facing two polarizing candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While Trump made many brutish and unforgiving remarks during his campaign, many Republican Americans were captivated by his rhetoric and language. Donald Trump was willing to say many things a U.S. Presidential candidate would not have said. People were impressed by his undeterred resolve to lead Washington without the cumbersome bureaucratic structure. Although many Americans were shocked about Trump’s Presidential victory, he was able to garner votes because of the public’s belief of his charismatic qualities. Although this election has passed, the American people must be more conscious if they are voting for a politician’s plans or his outer cues. By using leadership studies, we know that leadership comes in many different forms and traits. Although we may want a charismatic leader, we really need someone who is strongly goal-oriented and is willing to achieve goals ethically. Hopefully, the American people can better scrutinize the leadership qualities and cues of the 2020 candidates for this upcoming election.