“As countless deposed kings and hapless heirs to great fortunes can attest, true leaders are not born, but made, and usually self-made” (Bennis, 2003, p. 33). This statement cannot be more true than when one considers the leadership capacity of Barack Obama. Here is a man that was not born of greatness, and yet, his conviction for righteousness for all Americans has led him to greatness. He realizes the intensity of surrounding himself with a powerful team of players and running the country from the bottom-up rather than from the top-down.
In the short time that Obama has been in office, he has been able to rally his team in Congress to approve the largest stimulus package to ever be created in American history. This is no small feat. Generally, passing any form of budget through Congress can take many months and at times close to a year. Yet Obama was able to convince enough members that time was of the essence and this could not be a business as usual passage.
As a community organizer and activist in Chicago, Obama was able to inspire and motivate communities of people who in the past felt hopeless. He was able to lead teams toward positive change for the formerly silenced voices. He did not believe that individuals of lower socio-economic status had less to offer or deserved what was left over. This ability to coordinate masses of individuals created huge leadership capacity for Barack Obama.
I truly believe that Obama’s capacity for leadership comes from his ability to motivate. He creates teams of leaders and models collaboration and engagement. He openly shares his vision with each team member and the community as a whole in order to enable each member to join him in fulfilling that vision. He speaks with authority and listens with compassion. He is a true leader.
Bennis, W. (2003). On Becoming a Leader. New York: Basic Books.
A & E Television Networks (Producer). (2008). Barack Obama: From His Childhood Years to His Historic Election [Documentary]. (Available from New Video Productions, USA).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Obama's Leadership Qualities
What are the qualities of leadership? You may receive many different answers depending on whom you ask. However, upon analyzing the definitions of many, we can produce a more concise definition as leadership is such a multi-faceted concept. Bennis presents leadership comparatively with management. He puts forth that leaders are innovators who inspire trust as they focus on people rather than systems and structure. In his definition, leaders inspire trust and have long-range perspective or vision. He believes that a leader challenges the status quo and is his or her own person rather than “the classic good soldier” (Bennis, 2003). Anthony Robbins states that, “Leaders are those individuals who live by empowering beliefs and teach others to tap their full capabilities by shifting the beliefs that have been limiting them” (Robbins, 1991, p. 104). Yogesh Ambekar lists 8 specific qualities of a good leader. They are as follows: 1. Good communication skills; 2. Honesty; 3. Visionary outlook; 4. Selecting a good team; 5. Action speaks louder than words; 6. Ability to motivate people; 7. Consistency; 8. Ability to stand against critics (Ambekar, 2004). These are only a few interpretations of the qualities of leadership.
I would like to consider the above interpretations in regard to the leadership qualities of President Barack Obama. Through each phase of his political career, one of Obama’s strongest assets seemed to be his ability to inspire the masses. He did this by analyzing the needs of the people and appealing to the voices that are so often silenced. He has been able to motivate people to believe in his vision and follow his lead. His grassroots campaign style depended upon his ability “to teach others to tap their full capabilities” (Robbins, 1991). He was extremely innovative in his approach to outreach being the first presidential nominee to embrace the powers of technology and use them to his benefit. He has been consistent and honest in his analysis of the current crises that our country is facing, and he is able to stand against his critics and support his decisions. For example, Obama refused to denounce his association with William Ayers or the positive impact that Ayers had on the education movement in Chicago. Obama created a very strong team for his Cabinet and has been reaching out across party lines to present a bipartisan approach.
Barack Obama’s leadership abilities became clear to me when he presented the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He spoke with conviction and vision then, and he has not changed his vision to align with what he feels the public wants to hear. It was clear at that moment that he was a man that stood for honor and hope for America, and that message remains strong today.
Ambekar, Y. (2004, September 3). Leadership Qualities. Buzzle.com: Intelligent Life on the Web. Retrieved February 20, 2009 from:
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-3-2004-58861.asp.
Bennis, W. (2003). On Becoming a Leader. New York: Basic Books.
Robbins, A. (1991). Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Financial Destiny. New York: Free Press.
I would like to consider the above interpretations in regard to the leadership qualities of President Barack Obama. Through each phase of his political career, one of Obama’s strongest assets seemed to be his ability to inspire the masses. He did this by analyzing the needs of the people and appealing to the voices that are so often silenced. He has been able to motivate people to believe in his vision and follow his lead. His grassroots campaign style depended upon his ability “to teach others to tap their full capabilities” (Robbins, 1991). He was extremely innovative in his approach to outreach being the first presidential nominee to embrace the powers of technology and use them to his benefit. He has been consistent and honest in his analysis of the current crises that our country is facing, and he is able to stand against his critics and support his decisions. For example, Obama refused to denounce his association with William Ayers or the positive impact that Ayers had on the education movement in Chicago. Obama created a very strong team for his Cabinet and has been reaching out across party lines to present a bipartisan approach.
Barack Obama’s leadership abilities became clear to me when he presented the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. He spoke with conviction and vision then, and he has not changed his vision to align with what he feels the public wants to hear. It was clear at that moment that he was a man that stood for honor and hope for America, and that message remains strong today.
Ambekar, Y. (2004, September 3). Leadership Qualities. Buzzle.com: Intelligent Life on the Web. Retrieved February 20, 2009 from:
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-3-2004-58861.asp.
Bennis, W. (2003). On Becoming a Leader. New York: Basic Books.
Robbins, A. (1991). Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Financial Destiny. New York: Free Press.
Friday, February 20, 2009
President Barack Obama
The leader that I chose to focus on in my blog is President Barack Obama. His rise to power has been both fascinating and inspiring to me. Throughout his political career, each of his victories has been a long-shot to landslide conquest. His introspection and apparent calm in the face of crisis exudes the qualities of a true problem solver in a time when our country needs it most. He gathers teams of problem solvers to the table, both friend and foe, in order to clearly see all sides of an issue. To me, this is a true leader.
In learning a bit about Obama’s life, it is clear that his introspection is resultant of his attempt to understand his own true identity. Born to Ann Dunham of Wichita, Kansas and Barack Obama, Sr. of Kenya, his life took many twists. His father returned to Kenya when Barack was two years old, and his mother married an Indonesian man named Lolo Soetoro. The family moved to Indonesia where Barack witnessed true poverty and despair. When he was ten years old, his mother moved Barack back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents so that he could get a better education, and he entered a world in which he was the only Black student in his class. He struggled with this part Black, part White, part Hawaiian, part Indonesian identity. He embraced a “party life-style” during his first years in college, partaking in drugs and alcohol. It appears as though it was not until his entry into Columbia College where he decided to study Political Science that his focus on his identity as an individual with power in his diverse background began to unfold.
My true fascination with Barack Obama lies in his conviction to create powerful communities through grassroots efforts. While attending Columbia College, Obama decided turn his efforts toward community activism. He moved to Chicago and worked with the people in the less desirable neighborhoods where most politicians dared not enter. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to mobilize people in an organized fashion. He listened; he processed; he organized; he acted. That is the form of leadership that I hope to embrace.
A & E Television Networks (Producer). (2008). Barack Obama: From His Childhood Years to His Historic Election [Documentary]. (Available from New Video Productions, USA).
Taylor, L. & Herbert, K. (2008, March 2). Obama Forged Path as Chicago Community Organizer. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/nyusobam025598601mar02,1,6933215,full.story
In learning a bit about Obama’s life, it is clear that his introspection is resultant of his attempt to understand his own true identity. Born to Ann Dunham of Wichita, Kansas and Barack Obama, Sr. of Kenya, his life took many twists. His father returned to Kenya when Barack was two years old, and his mother married an Indonesian man named Lolo Soetoro. The family moved to Indonesia where Barack witnessed true poverty and despair. When he was ten years old, his mother moved Barack back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents so that he could get a better education, and he entered a world in which he was the only Black student in his class. He struggled with this part Black, part White, part Hawaiian, part Indonesian identity. He embraced a “party life-style” during his first years in college, partaking in drugs and alcohol. It appears as though it was not until his entry into Columbia College where he decided to study Political Science that his focus on his identity as an individual with power in his diverse background began to unfold.
My true fascination with Barack Obama lies in his conviction to create powerful communities through grassroots efforts. While attending Columbia College, Obama decided turn his efforts toward community activism. He moved to Chicago and worked with the people in the less desirable neighborhoods where most politicians dared not enter. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to mobilize people in an organized fashion. He listened; he processed; he organized; he acted. That is the form of leadership that I hope to embrace.
A & E Television Networks (Producer). (2008). Barack Obama: From His Childhood Years to His Historic Election [Documentary]. (Available from New Video Productions, USA).
Taylor, L. & Herbert, K. (2008, March 2). Obama Forged Path as Chicago Community Organizer. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 17, 2009, from
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/nyusobam025598601mar02,1,6933215,full.story
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