Boston Personalities Character

Boston Sports Personalities Character

In his book “The Presidential Character,” author James David Barber evaluates the presidencies of 41 of the 43 American presidents. Barber explains a president’s presidency by three categories: the institution (how power changes over time), who has the power and presidential personality (which is divided into three sub categories: style, world view and character). For the purpose of these daily looks into the Boston sports personalities we will be focusing more in depth on the third and how it affects their work in Boston.

Barber divides a person’s character into four categories: the active-positive, the active-negative, the passive-positive and the passive-negative. The first half (active/passive) defines the activity level of the person and how much they put into doing their job while the latter half (positive/negative) defines their affect.

Four Different Types of Character described by Barbers:

The Active-Positive is a highly active person who is proactive instead of re-active. If their plan failed they will acknowledge it failed and move on from it. Some examples of active-positives are FDR, JFK and Harry Truman.

Unlike the Active-Positive, the Active-Negative is a highly active person who, rather than being proactive, is reactive. They will react to things that come across their desks rather than go out after them. Also unlike the Active-Positive, Active-Negatives have a harder time acknowledging when their plans are failing, therefore, intern, have a harder time changing them. Some examples of active-negatives are Richard Nixon, Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Passive-Positive is similar to a people pleaser and are more prone to act on emotion unlike the Active-Positive or the Active-Negative and it shows in their effort. They are looking more to be liked and loved therefore making decisions accordingly.

The Passive-Negative character believes it is their duty to be in the position they are in.

Using Barber’s characteristics I will choose a Boston sports personality once a day to evaluate what type of character personality they are.

Here is who is on the list for the upcoming week:

1/2/08 – Bill Belichick

1/3/08 – Theo Epstein

1/4/08 – Terry Francona

1/5/08 – Scott Pioli

1/6/08 – Doc Rivers

1/7/08 – Danny Ainge

January 8 – 10 will be the majority owners of the four major sports franchises in Boston, John W. Henry, Bob Kraft, Wyc Grousbeck and Jeremy Jacobs, respectively.