Mitt Romney’s Leadership Style
11-2-12
Andrew M. Obritsch received his B.A. from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, in 2011. He is currently a graduate student in clinical psychology at Eastern Illinois University.
Aubrey Immelman received his Ph.D. from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 1991. He is currently an associate professor of psychology at St. John’s University in Collegeville and the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN.
Perhaps not surprising for someone with Romney’s academic and professional credentials, he emerged from the assessment as a highly conscientiousness personality. What is notable, however, is that in an era of “made-for-television” elections, no presidential candidate with conscientiousness as his most prominent trait has been elected president; a primarily conscientious personality has not occupied the Oval Office since Jimmy Carter, and before him Herbert Hoover and Woodrow Wilson. In fact, the list of conscientious presidential nominees in recent elections cycles reads like an exclusive club of losing candidates, including Michael Dukakis, Bob Dole, and Al Gore.
Psychological assessment is not a panacea for prognosticating every possible contingency during a president’s tenure, and “strong situations” -- such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 -- can totally eclipse the influence of personality; however, accurate personality assessment nonetheless serves as a useful tool for anticipating the general tenor of a prospective presidency.
Related Links
