“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).
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ReplyDeletePeggy,
ReplyDelete"The whole is only as strong as the sum of its parts". Though I think that Obama has the ability to be a great leader, if he is not given the proper support his true leadership capacity can not be actualized. What I hope is that those whom we have elected to "lead" this country in the Congress and in the Senate start getting on Obama's team. This is the only way that we can move forward as a nation and see prosperity again.
Hi Peggy!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read The Screwtape Letters? Wormwood and Screwtape live in a peculiarly morally reversed world, where individual benefit and greed are seen as the greatest good. Doesn't this sound like the state of the Union that Obama has inherited from Bush?
Hi Peggy,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that Obama's leadership has a lot to due with his ability to motivate. I watched the Presidential Adress to Congress last night and I was so inspired! Every word that comes out of his mouth is believable. People automatically feel at ease when they hear him speak. There were a lot of touchy moments in his speech, and I thought he pulled it off beautifully! Iacocca has this quality from what I read about him. His directness allows people to trust him. Being trustworthy is vital for good leadership.
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ReplyDeleteHi Peggy,
ReplyDeleteIn your post you mention the word compassion. I believe that this is a critical leadership quality that serves him exceptionally well. It connects strongly with moral purpose and with relationship building. Compassion is what all of leaders need to have and it certainly a quality of President Obama. This compassion comes through in his common vision for all and is evident in his actions and the policies with which he was elected based upon.
He is a leader who was self-made as you brought forth based upon the Bennis book. He was persistent in his work and created a team of leaders to support him and help bring forth his common vision. There is much to be learned from the life of the current President. I believe he was an excellent choice as a leader to connect with leadership theory. Thank you.
Dave