When hiring for any position much less or more the President of the United States character becomes a direct factor.
Our culture is so focused on degrees we tend to loose sight of experience, talent and personality. We should not take anything away from a college degree achieved with much dedication and drive. However, it is my belief that our life experiences specifically from major traumas or extremely challenging times test us much deeper than any degree ever could. Crisis is the deciding component of all human beings. It becomes your judge and jury. Psychologist cannot explain why in devastating circumstances some come out fighting while others break down. In my opinion it comes down to using every ounce of fiber in ones core. Making a mental choice to never give up. Embracing reality yet giving yourself permission to place hope in the future. John McCain while speaking on his prisoner of war experience said"believing in a cause much greater than yourself". This captured the essence of his personality. Crisis can also make individuals much more sensitive and compassionate to others.
We have all heard the phrase "time will tell".  Personalities are so complex only by crisis and time will the true core character surface. In my humble opinion the top personality traits are compassion, perseverance, courage, back bone, love of country,  love of family,  humility, foresight, hard worker, dedication, diplomatic, and disciplined. I would also like to remind my fellow Americans of a very important fact. With age comes wisdom.