Historian Identifies 24 Leadership Traits from Top US Presidents for Business and Political Leaders

The article discusses a recent interview with historian Talmage Boston regarding his book, “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons From Our Top Presidents.” Boston, a biographer and lawyer, applied history to provide practical insights for leaders in business and politics. He identified 24 leadership traits from eight influential presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. However, he criticized recent presidents, saying that George H.W. Bush failed economically, Bill Clinton was hindered by scandals, George W. Bush was underrated, and Barack Obama lacked follow-through despite giving good speeches. Referencing President Ronald Reagan’s famous speech urging Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, Boston suggested restarting a monument to honor all eight presidents. He expressed concern about the current state of leadership, warning that both former Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden will likely rank among the bottom ten due to cognitive decline and psychological instability, respectively. Boston suggested that the country needs new leaders with qualities highlighted in his book, such as Nikki Haley, whom he praised as a potential top-flight president. In contrast, he harshly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her a “100%, full-blown, undisputed, unambiguous, empty suit.” Boston expressed hope for new leaders to emerge after the current administration ends, stating that the country needs “a new group of leaders that hopefully will have at least some of these leadership traits.”