He is CEO of the free world. Director of democracy. Leader of a 275 million-person team. Today, he is President Bill Clinton, and in January 2001 he will be either a Democrat from Tennessee or a Republican from Texas.

Regardless of the man or woman who fills the job, the office of President of the United States is a powerful institution with a rich, 211-year history of leadership models and mentors. America's commanders in chief have represented a broad spectrum of backgrounds, doctrines, personalities, and leadership styles. From the aristocratic, charismatic Franklin D. Roosevelt and the unassuming, plain-spoken Harry Truman, to the charming, confident John F. Kennedy and the anxious, calculating Richard Nixon, the White House has been home to a gamut of leaders.

Princeton professor of politics Fred I. Greenstein analyzes and compares these presidential idiosyncrasies in his recent book, The Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to Clinton, and then presents six specific qualities that relate to presidential job performance. These factors, which take into consideration everything from political savvy to speaking ability, apply not only to the presidency, but to high offices in countless organizations, businesses, and government offices around the world.

"The qualities I use to evaluate presidents are partly related to the job of the chief executive and partly to the president's personal character," Greenstein says. "These are qualities that clearly can be applied to other fields. For example, all six of them can be applied to the CEO of a large corporation."

Fast Company spoke with Greenstein about the metrics he uses to gauge presidents' success. Here, he describes each trait, demonstrates how they were manifested in specific presidencies, and emphasizes their relevance to leaders outside the government.

"My advice to business leaders is this: Study the performance of successful leaders in your field. Seek mentors. Be self-aware. Don't rest on your oars," he says. "Many American presidents lacked important skills when they were young, but went to great lengths to develop those skills. Leaders of industry should do the same."

Effectiveness as a Public Communicator

"Because the presidency is a job that calls for teaching and preaching, communication to the public is important."

Just as a CEO must speak effectively and forcefully to stockholders, employees, and the board of directors, so too must the president communicate her goals, vision, and priorities to American citizens, media, and members of the executive staff.

"The most impressive of the presidential public communicators was FDR, who may have literally saved the nation by rallying the American public during the Depression and WWII," Greenstein says. Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton also earn Greenstein's praise in The Presidential Difference, which argues that "most presidents have not addressed the public with anything approximating the professionalism of countless educators, members of the clergy, and radio and television broadcasters."