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This essay is about the basis on which the president of a country should be elected. Whether Martti Ahtisaari does have the right qualifications to run our country or not will not be the issue of this essay but i will characterize the qualities that a person who runs a country should have in general. In this essay I will concentrate on one hand on the personality of a good president on the other hand his or her own skills and knowledge .
First of all, the president is the leader above all and therefore he or she must have the right qualities for it. A good leader creates an allowing atmosphere where there is freedom to speak and express one's own opinions. A good leader does not have to support his or her own personality or ego by subjugating the people with less power. This does not mean, however, that the president should just stand quiet and make the decisions made by others. Then it would be all the same if we did not have a president at all. When required, the president should be able to show clear leadership by making things happen without any hesitation. The preconditions for this kind of person are strong self-confidence and self-respect. Psychology calls this kind of leader for an authoritative leader .
What kind of skills and knowledge should the president have is another important question. One could shortly say that the president should have a large amount of knowledge in as many areas as possible. First of all, he or she should know something about biology and psychology. Biology therefore, that it is the bounds rsgulated by biological laws that mostly determine human behavior and it is useful for a leader to know something about human nature. Knowledge in psychology is very important, for example, in predicting coming acts of some people. The ability to read people's minds is a very useful skill and psychology helps to develop it. Furthermore, knowledge in in sociology and anthropology should be required, too. It is necessary for a leader to know how people act as a group and differences in different social classes. The president represents the whole country and that is why he or she should also know a great deal of differences between nations, their habits and culture, in general. One area is also very important, even though many people do not realize its importance, and that is mathematics. Whether the president of a coumtry needs all kind of formulas is highly questionnable but the sure thing is that he or she needs the ability to think logically and mathematics helps to develop this skill .
Additionally, the president should have some expert knowledge of the branches of science like political science, social science or economics. This is because these are the primary areas that he or she will have to deal with every day. Nowadays is also very important to know many languages because the president must be in constant connection with the other nations. The ability to speak at least two languages in addition to the mother tongue and the language spoken in neighbouring countries should also be among the primary qualifications of the president .
Among the special qualifications is also the ability to make and give speeches and the ability to perform in general. This is because the president should be able to send a reliable and confident image of him - or herself. The importance of these qualifications have grown all the time because of the media. The people should, however, take a less serious attitude towards the president's looks. The criticism is more understandable when it comes to royalties, who take care of the public relations. But when a person's duty is not just the public relations but he also has to make decisions that need knowledge, the looks become more irrelevant and should therefore not be the basis on which the president is elected .
The most important question is how much the president has work experience and experience of life in general. It is necessary for the president to have experience in politics, but it is not enough. He or she should have knowledge of works on several levels. It would be much easier for him or her to understand the needs of both the working class and the academic class, if he or she had experienced both sides. Experiences in working abroad should also be, if not compulsory, then at least recommendable, because it widens one's attitude to life. It also makes one more sure about him - or herself and gives a new perspective on life. The president should be tolerant and stay open to new ideas and development .
There is a huge amount of knowledge that a person who wishes to be a president some day should acquire. My description of a good president has been somewhat unrealistic in that extent that there hardly is any person who would meet all the requirements I have listed. Nevertheless, it would be good if he or she could meet at least the majority of them. Many people think that it is enough when the president has studied everything about the politics, at the university. But I would say that the knowledge gained from university is much less important than what a person has experienced by him - or herself. I would also recommend that the president would regularly go in therapy meetings because it is important to know one's own week points and capacity. The president must be a strong person so that he or she will be able to keep the nation united and that is why he or she must have strong self-confidence .
