When the likes of Wein/Conway/Wolfman came over from Marvel to DC to start the Bronze Age (you know, when superhero comics were really starting to get good and you create a new character) they gave all of these characters individual personalities and defined roles in the DCU mainly in JLoA (when shared continuity was kept only in the team-up books instead of all over the place connecting every book and every character in order to lead up to some event where all of them have to come together; which is the whole point of team-up books like Avengers and JLoA in the first place)
Superman was the guy everybody trusted, Batman was the guy who always had a plan, Hal was the guy who bent the rules but still respected his duty, Barry was the sort of square practical science expert, etc.
He was more like the Captain Kirk of the DCU.
Someone whose will/determination came from his training as a U.S.A.F. pilot/Starfleet Officer. The guy that was already trained to handle and maintain his calm and composure during unexpected high pressure and turbulent situations (like real pilots are trained for when something unexpected happens out of the blue, like sudden engine failure, etc,) before he got the ring and what made him worthy of it in the first place.
The guy who not only patrolled the universe, but had fun exploring it.
The guy who would bend the rules he was under if necessary (and sometimes for fun like sleeping with hot alien chicks)
The guy who sometimes struggled with all of his responsibilities, and whose responsibilities often affected his personal life.
The guy who wasn't perfect and made mistakes, but wasn't afraid to admit his mistakes and wasn't afraid to move on instead of constantly dwelling on them and whining about them.
It's not hard to build on those things.
"Life ain't nothin' but bitches and money" - Ice Cube
