Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the late Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, wrote:

“Great leaders are great not just because they care for their own people – everyone except a self-hater does that – but because they care for humanity. That is what gives their devotion to their own people its dignity and moral strength… To be an agent of hope, to love the people you lead, and to widen their horizons to embrace humanity as a whole – that is the kind of leadership that gives people the ability to recover from crisis and move on. It is what made Moses, Isaiah and Jeremiah three of the greatest leaders of all time.”

As we prepare to vote in the coming election, I’ve been thinking a great deal about those personal qualities and virtues that make for great leadership, and I want to offer here my own thoughts and conclusions.

Taking everything into account, based on my own 40+ years leading synagogue communities and being engaged actively in a number of not-for-profit and political organizations watching good and bad leaders succeed and fail, I believe that great leadership requires, in addition to Rabbi Sacks’ insights, not just vision and high moral rectitude, but the love of truth, the love of humanity, the virtues of humility, gratitude, generosity and wisdom, a respect for the dignity of every individual and a commitment to further the common good.

Great leaders constantly are honing their skills, are curious, committed to learning and embrace experimentation in their work, and seek to synthesize information and apply what they learn carefully and thoughtfully. They don’t fear failure because they know that from failure they learn the most. They delegate responsibility to enable colleagues and followers to do their best work knowing that they can’t do everything themselves. They recognize that there are others who know more and are better able and well-suited in ways in which they themselves lack appropriate expertise and skills.

Great leaders support those they lead, offer fair criticism so that others may grow in their own right and according to their capacity, goals and dreams. Great leaders are available to advise and act as sounding boards for new ideas. They credit others generously for their respective successes both privately and publicly. They take pride in others’ accomplishments and thank them personally for what they do on behalf of the leader and/or the organization of which they are active members and/or leaders. They rely upon team-work and encourage everyone to do their best. They take responsibility when things go wrong and never blame others for mishaps and failures. They are open to constructive criticism and how they themselves can improve and grow. They work hard but they take time for themselves, for their families and friends. They encourage the people with whom they work to do the same because they understand that everyone needs balance between love and work.

In recent years, the servant-leader model of leadership, encompassing a values leadership approach in religious institutions and non-profit organizations has taken hold. Rabbi David Ellenson (z’l), the emeritus president of the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, wrote:

“[The servant-leader] is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The servant-leadership model is one that promotes such values as collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment… relationship-driven leaders are more empathetic, patient and tolerant. They approach decision-making subjectively, using personal values as a guide, and they examine how each option will impact others. They are approachable, strive for harmony amongst their employees and work to build consensus and trust. They also admit when they are wrong and seek constructive criticism… they are adept at listening and forging personal connections.”

Doris Kearns Goodwin, the American presidential historian, offered these insights:

“Leadership is the ability to use one’s talent, skills, emotional intelligence to mobilize people to a common purpose and to make a positive difference in people’s lives. The qualities important for leadership are humility, empathy, resilience, self-awareness, self-reflection, the ability to create a team where people can argue with you and question your assumptions, and the ability to communicate to people with stories to make people feel a part of what you are saying. The most important thing is the willingness to take a risk because the ambition for the greater good has become greater for you than for yourself.”

Great leaders take risks even when they know they will be criticized and possibly attacked. “You must be headlights and not tail-lights,” said Representative John Lewis.

Leadership is often difficult, painful and lonely. Leaders need the support of allies who join them in their mission. They need, as well, trusted loved ones with whom the leader can confide his/her fears, doubts and despair, and who can advise them by always being honest with them.

Any government, political party, company or business, religious or educational institution, non-profit organization or cause succeeds or fails based upon the moral values, competency, skill and vision of its leader. It is therefore in the best interest of everyone to choose their leaders wisely and carefully and, in an ongoing manner, evaluate critically and fairly the leader against high moral and ethical standards.

Zev Yaroslavsky, a former long-time Los Angeles City Councilman and Member of the LA County Board of Supervisors, wrote: “I have long believed that the key question is not which positions politicians will support or oppose. It’s the issues they’re willing to lose their office over in the name of principles that matter.”

As we move closer to voting, perhaps these ethical and functional standards of great leadership can help guide us in our decision-making in the voting booth.