1. Ability to assemble and guide a team of qualified people-- The work of the president is far too much for just one person. Only the most difficult decisions land on the president's desk. George H.W. Bush is an example of a president who was able to gather an extraordinarily smart and competent team.
2. Ability to inspire people through difficult times-- Through certain periods of American history, the country has needed a president who could lift people's spirits and hopes. By his very election, Barak Obama lifted people's hopes. By his calmness and projected empathy, Ronald Reagan comforted people. By his aspirations, Franklin Roosevelt help the nation rise from the midst of a depression.
3. Ability to persuade people and form alliances to get things done-- Abraham Lincoln had the ability to explain why people needed to fight, both to hold the nation together and to free the slaves. He was able to bring a coalition out of great chaos to get the nation through the civil war. Franklin Roosevelt was also a good "explainer" and coalition builder, as was Bill Clinton.
4. Character-- Gerald Ford, while not a perfect person, did much to help the nation in the aftermath of Watergate by his steady conservative values. Jimmy Carter, a president who is now being reassessed by historians, also had some of his finest accomplishments because of the strength of his character. (And not just after he left office...) It is no accident that Carter and Ford, while political enemies during their careers, became best of friends in later life. Another president, after years of being trashed by confederate myths, is now being rediscovered as a man of character: Ulysses Grant. While many of the people who attached themselves to his administration were out and out crooks, Grant himself was far ahead of his time when it came to race relations and Native American issues.
5. Ability to grow and adapt to changing circumstances-- Chester Arthur, one of the nation's least known presidents, was nothing but a political hack when he was thrust suddenly into the presidency in 1881. The president, James Garfield, had just died from a combination of an assassin's bullet and appalling medical care. But Arthur grew into the position, and a reassessment of his presidency shows that he made huge progress in reforming the government.
6. Intelligence-- Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, while showing great personal failures during their years of service, were also some of the brightest minds in America. They were able to employ their intelligence to do many things that advanced the country and its values, despite their personal flaws. Other brilliant presidents had less successful presidencies, in part because they lacked some of the other characteristics in this list (particularly #7): John Adams, John Quincy Adams (perhaps the brightest of all our presidents), Herbert Hoover...
7. Humility-- One of the biggest triggers for downfall in a president is hubris. While certainly not lacking in ego, both Truman and Lincoln had strong streaks of humility that helped them make many solid decisions during their terms of office. Not that they were perfect: but their humility helped them help the country in countless ways. Other presidents who were known for humility included Taft, Bush 41, Arthur, and Grant.
8. Sense of humor-- A good sense of humor can be a plus in order to reduce tension and clear the mind. Presidents known for humor include Lincoln and Kennedy. Trump is said to have a good sense of humor, but he often uses it as a part of a mean streak, leading to more division in the country and more problems. For his base, however, it is very effective.
9. Intuition and Instinct-- Intuition is when a person leaps to an insight while everyone else is still plodding the way there with map and compass. Instinct is when a person can act quickly...during the window of opportunity...to survive, take control, and mobilize people toward a solution. The presidents with the best instincts have been the two Roosevelts, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and George Washington.
10. Resilience-- Despite being the most powerful person in the world, the president will get knocked flat...over and over. Even George Washington couldn't wait to be rid of the job. We see how many presidents have prematurely aged during their terms of office. For all the powers a president has, he or she cannot just snap some fingers and control congress, the courts, foreign governments, viruses, depressions, social unrest, environmental catastrophe... Part of the personal strength of a president comes from recovering from personal adversity in life. Examples are Truman, Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Bush 41.
