What does the free world think about Putin as a person?

He's done an excellent job at securing his power, in that sense he's a genius. In fact, many people including analysts and lower ranking leaders in Russia itself aren't sure what's going to happen when Putin no longer runs the country. No one else has the capital to keep the oligarchs, the FSB, the Chechens, and other entities united like Putin does. Some even fear harm to Russia after he's gone due to internal political strife. Through incentive, threat, and sometimes force and assassination, he's crystalized his position. He's a very militant man though, and that might be costing him in some regards. His move to cease Crimea worked, and it had sound strategic motive, but the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and unnecessary intervention in Syria (unnecessary because Russia has little to gain from it) are costing him, both due to the sanctions, and the resources spent in them. The Russian economy has seen better days. And while Putin is weathering the sanctions, the lost economic output is weighing on Russia. That might be about to turn around though, as it seems quite possible Putin and Trump have special inroads with each other.

It's difficult to say whether this is a good thing or not though. Despite the fall of the USSR, the US and Russia still have some key differences in agenda, much of it revolving around energy in one way or another, and complicated by the nuclear capability of both nations. Powerful nations manipulate smaller nations for their own benefit, and both the US and Russia seek to do that. Both also keep telling the other to stop, because of course they'd have an easier time of it then. There isn't a good and bad in that respect, just nations doing what they do. Stepping back from it means running the risk of losing out in the future. If cozying up to Russia leads to some kind of golden age, great. If it leads to the resurrection of an eastern superpower bloc...maybe not so great...not for the West anyway. Most people do see that as Putin's long term goal, which makes him a natural danger to the West. Hence the sanctions and so on. Nip it in the bud.

TL;DR: He's effective, but ruthless and dangerous.