Leadership the Barack Obama Way: Lessons on Teambuilding and Creating a Winning Culture in Challenging Times - Hardcover

Leanne, Shelly

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0071664025 ISBN 13: 9780071664028

Verlag: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009

Inhaltsangabe

Use the President's history-making leadership skills in any business setting!

In his historic rise to the most powerful position in the world, Barack Obama single-handedly altered the concept of leadership around the world. Now, Shel Leanne—the expert on the Obama way of leadership—explains how to thrive in any business setting by adopting the same skill set.

Leadership the Barack Obama Way examines the ins and outs of the leadership style the President of the United States rode to heights of power nobody dreamed possible just a short time ago. Leanne breaks down Obama’s style into easily digestible pieces that you can apply in any situation.

You'll learn all the skills of extraordinary leadership, including how to:

• Communicate your vision in clear, persuasive language
• Create a “reservoir of goodwill”
• Form and lead outstanding teams
• Harness and leverage the power of technology
• Establish trust and confidence
• Build bridges among diverse people

Obama's adversaries passed him off as nothing more than a good speech-maker; they couldn't have been more wrong. The President is, indeed, an engaging speaker—but he is much more. His style of leadership is carefully planned and meticulously honed. Follow the Obama blueprint and lead your organization to the head of your industry.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Shel Leanneis president of Regent CrestCorporation, a leadership developmentfirm with Fortune 500 clients.She is the author of Say it LikeObama and How to Interview Likea Top MBA.

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LEADERSHIP THE BARACK OBAMA WAY

LESSONS ON TEAMBUILDING AND CREATING A WINNING CULTURE IN CHALLENGING TIMESBy SHELLY LEANNE

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Regent Crest, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-07-166402-8

Contents

Chapter One

FIRST, WIN TRUST AND CONFIDENCE

"Now that's a leader."

Such was the reaction of millions of viewers in the United States and around the world on the second night of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when Barack Obama stepped onto the stage and delivered an electrifying Keynote Address. The occasion marked, for most observers, a first glimpse of this young leader. It marked Obama's defining moment, when he formed a first impression so positive and so strong that it catapulted his career to new heights, greatly accelerating his trajectory from a first-time candidate to the U.S. Senate to President of the United States and "leader of the free world"—a journey he made in only four short years.

On that pivotal night in 2004, Obama's outstanding use of body language and image enabled him to reach out to TV viewers around the globe and open a positive dialogue even before he uttered a first word. With his confident gait, squared shoulders, assured smile, confident wave to the audience, and commanding stance, Obama evoked a sit-up-and-listen response. In him, people saw a confident, charismatic leader.

While body language and image allowed Obama to grab people's attention quickly through a strong first impression, his exceptional use of voice and intonation enabled him to sustain that attention through an excellent second impression. The deep timbre of his voice—his natural asset—reinforced the initial view. Obama skillfully controlled his voice to convey excitement, disapproval, urgency, and passion. He amplified his voice when appropriate, glided it up a half-octave when needed, and allowed it to diminish or fall flat at key times. He also varied the emotional texture of his tone—making it wistful at times, affectionate at others, indignant when appropriate—giving greater depth and impact to his words. Through masterful use of voice and intonation, Obama drew attention to key points, evoked an emotional response from the audience, rallied viewers to his words, and made his speech much more memorable.

Obama's gestures were equally effective, enhancing his delivery: knocking on an imaginary door; pinching his fingers at key times; writing words on air with an imaginary pen; raising his hand like a bar in a sweeping upward motion; holding his palm out like a stop sign. Obama combined these and many other gestures to drive home key points. Other well-timed gestures, such as placing his hand over his heart during a deeply felt testimony, allowed Obama to convey great emotion and sincerity. Obama reinforced these impressions with a strong third impression as he uttered words that resonated with the audience, conveying his commitment to American values and his embrace of laudable ethics. He came across as authentic, passionate, capable, and worthy both of trust and of leadership.

Public and media reaction to Obama's Keynote Address was immediate. Many viewers were moved to tears; others spoke of how the speech had swayed them. The media described Obama and his speech as magnetic, electrifying, energizing, and inspiring. The exceptional response testifies to Obama's success— within the span of a short, 20-minute address—in creating excellent first, second, and third impressions. In short, Obama won trust and confidence.

In the days that followed, the press continued to praise what many considered to be Obama's masterpiece of oration. "One of the best [addresses] we've heard in many, many years," CNN's Wolf Blitzer declared. "That's as good as they come ... This is a fellow who is talking beyond the Democratic base to the whole country.... It was terrific," political analyst Jeff Greenfield commented. The media deemed Obama a rising star.

The notable impact of Obama's defining moment in 2004 and the enduring impressions it created testify to the power of early impressions. Let's delve into what has enabled Obama to form such strong early impressions both during his 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address and on many other occasions throughout his career.

Recognize the Power of Early Impressions

Obama understands that if you aspire to be a highly effective leader, you must win the trust and confidence of the people you hope to lead. People must trust your capabilities and judgment and believe that authority is well vested in you. In the absence of trust and confidence, little else follows. An important early task of all effective leaders, therefore, is to earn the trust and confidence of those they seek to lead.

To this end, Obama has demonstrated he understands the power of early impressions. The moment one person first moves into the presence of another, an opinion is formed. It is as if this initial image is etched in stone, becoming a lasting impression that, once formed, is hard to dislodge. Observers make up their minds quickly and tend to refer to that first impression long after it has been made. If it is negative, the ramifications can be significant. If positive, the first impression can help form a strong foundation for exercising effective leadership. Whether the impression is positive or negative, it takes a great deal of concerted effort to wear down the first impression enough to clear the slate and sketch anew. A first impression thus represents an important opportunity to create a positive lasting image that can be leveraged in support of effective leadership. It is best to get off to a strong start and avoid situations in which you must work hard to reverse the damage of a poor first impression. Skilled leaders make the most of this initial opportunity.

Indeed, Barack Obama has made an art of building strong early impressions. The deliberateness with which he walks, his careful choice of attire and setting, his demeanor and the tone with which he addresses people, calibrated by occasion, work together to serve his positive purposes. Like other notable leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan, people have seen and responded to the highly positive impressions they have formed of Obama and his passion, confidence, and command. The wide array of people who have supported Obama is striking, and includes politicians, large donors, small donors, policymakers, homemakers, white-collar workers, blue-collar workers, college students, and people from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. This testifies to the strength of the early impressions he makes. Obama even garners praise from opponents across the political aisle, including Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and conservative Christian evangelical leader Pat Buchanan.

Obama's success in creating such strong early impressions is not new. As with many aspects of his distinguished leadership, he has developed, practiced, and refined over the years his skill in creating such strong early impressions. A review of Obama's career, as far back as his college days, reveals high consistency in how much he has impressed others early on. Michael J. Wolf, for instance, who took an eight-student senior seminar on international politics and American policy with Obama at Columbia University in the 1980s, recalls Obama "stood out" and engaged in rigorous debate. Gerald Kellman, who interviewed Obama for a community organizing job in Chicago after college,...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: McGraw-Hill Professional
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0071664025
• ISBN 13: 9780071664028
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 274
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar