6 Qualities of a Good Political Candidate

Like many other Filipinos, you’re probably wondering who to vote for in the next elections. Should you choose candidates based on their personal achievements and length of experience? Or would you rather look at their family background, political parties, and affiliations?

Indeed, selecting a candidate is not an easy task. There are so many things to consider before we cast our precious votes. Whether we are choosing the next Barangay Chairperson, Mayor, District Representative, Party-List Representative, Senator, Vice President, or even the next President of the Philippines -- we should think carefully about who to vote for!

Certainly, a candidate’s personal achievements, length of experience, family history, and political party is important… but what else should we look for? What makes a good political leader? In this article, we will discuss several qualities that we believe a good political candidate should have. Read on and see if the following traits are in your “checklist” as well:

1. Honesty

As cliche as it may sound, “honesty is still the best policy,” especially when it comes to politics. Honesty builds trust, which is a necessary ingredient to earning the respect -- and eventually the loyalty and the vote -- of the people in the community.

2. Good Listening Skills

Does the candidate have good listening skills? Politicians are considered “good listeners” if they: take time to get to know the people in the community; respond to messages via phone calls, emails, social media, and other means; and create programs that address people’s needs.

3. Confidence

Confidence is a trait that every political leader should have. If they don’t have confidence in themselves, then who else will? Confident people are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They believe in their skills and abilities, thus inspiring others to believe in them, too.

4. Being Proactive

“Actions speak louder than words,” as the old adage goes, and every politician should take this to heart. Many politicians may be great speakers, but not all are men or women of action. Being proactive is another essential characteristic that a political candidate should have.

5. Flexibility

Good and effective politicians are flexible. They are willing to consider all sides of an argument or problem, before making any decision and taking action. They know how to adapt to different kinds of situations, and is open to all sorts of ideas from people in the community.

6. Compassion

Compassion means “putting others first before oneself.” It involves understanding people’s needs, and finding ways to address their problems and concerns. A good politician must be compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others, while serving in the community.

The Bottom Line

All of these traits: honesty, good listening skills, confidence, being proactive, flexibility, and compassion -- are qualities that every politician should have. Aside from personal achievements, length of experience, family background, political parties, and affiliations, the above traits are just as important, regardless of position. These are traits that every political candidate should aspire to have, to gain the people’s trust… and of course, their votes!