MARCH 12, 2010 – With candidates starting to drop out of the governor’s race and endorsements being promoted, it seems like a good time to examine what makes an effective governor. With all the state is going through, it surely can use a good one.

So let’s try to look at qualities of good leaders in the abstract that can be applied to the current crop of candidates to help you make a decision for which you might consider supporting.

Regardless of party, most politicos agree that two recent governors – Dick Riley and Carroll Campbell Jr., both of Greenville – were effective leaders for the state. Others haven’t been as good. So what were the qualities that made Riley and Campbell good? Here are some indicators as related through several interviews:

Varied leadership experience. Both Riley and Campbell served in the state House and Senate before offering for higher office. Campbell also served as a chief of staff to a governor and as a member of Congress. Such broad government experience seems to help governors implement their visions.

Business experience. Having some success in business – law for Riley and small business for Campbell – added another layer of experience in that both knew how government impacted people and businesses in real ways. Business experience also helps leaders know the importance of cultivating relationships, understanding management and seeing a broader picture.

Big picture. Effective governors also seem to be able to balance the need to be partisan at some times with the necessity of being bipartisan at other times to promote the state’s interests. Economist Harry Miley, who served on Campbell’s staff, recalled that Campbell had an uncanny knack of being able to “think smart” but also compromise when needed to get things done. Miley said effective governors have the strength to stick to their convictions and do the right thing for everyone, not just a narrow interest.

Vision. S.C. Chamber of Commerce President Otis Rawl said successful governors also have a broad vision and are able to implement it in ways that really matter to people and improve the quality of their lives. “Do they have a vision of something more than just tomorrow?” Rawl asked. “You’ve got to be able to run on an issue that really matters.”

Salesmanship. But just having a big vision isn’t enough. Effective governors have to be able to sell their ideas to the people and state legislators. And sometimes that takes cajoling, horse-trading and compromise. “To be truly effective, you have to be the leader of the state and not the politician in the Statehouse with the most clout,” said political consultant Phil Noble of Charleston. “Being leader of a state involves mobilizing the whole state – the creative people, business community and the like – and setting an agenda for what needs to be done.”

If there ever were a time in South Carolina’s history that it needed real leadership, it is now. These past months have been rudderless at the top following much-reported infidelities by GOP Gov. Mark Sanford that have made him little more than a lame duck figurehead. Added to South Carolina’s problems are budget challenges and high unemployment caused by the slowly improving economy.

Picking the state’s next leader is more important than ever. When making your choice later this year, it might be smart to look beyond the labels and rhetoric. Judge the candidates based on the qualities they have as compared to successful and effective governors of yore.

Noble suggests South Carolina needs transformational leadership, not just “transactional leadership” that ensures that the trains of government run on time.

“The political environment and political culture has shifted and is continuing to shift,” he said. “Vision is more important than experience. Values are more important than record. And communication is as important as the mechanical ability to get things done.”

Andy Brack is publisher of Statehouse Report, where this column first appeared.