Baby boomers have had three primary values when they select people to lead them. Perhaps four, but the fourth lags far behind the first three. What do we reward? What have we looked for in selecting a pastor... or a President?

1. Magnetic personality.

If ever there was a generation in love with personality, it is boomers. We prefer a leader who can "fill up a room" with personality upon entering. A dull uninteresting person has a hard time getting elected by boomers. We want exciting motivating dynamic pastors. And Presidents.

2. Caring heart.

We boomers want leaders who care. We prefer therapeutic leaders who feel our pain and "relate" to those of us in the trenches on the front line. We require our leaders to "share" their own struggles and difficulties with us, and we'll "go through" difficult times with them. We opt for leaders who made us feel good. Through their denominational addresses, their weekly messages, or their State of the Union speeches.

3. Professional competence.

But most of all we want competence. We are the excellence generation. We want a job done right and we will handsomely reward the people who can do it that way. Denomination leaders or lay members will overlook another weakness if a pastor has a booming church. By "booming" we mean numerical success -- growth. For pastors this overruling competence means having a booming church. For presidents, a booming economy.

4. Inner m