Barack Hussein Obama II

Introduction and Background

Barrack Hussein Obama II is the first Black in the History of the US to be elected president. His election was historic defying the racial odds and bringing to power a black person from the usual Caucasian white presidents who preceded him. His first name Barack is African and implies the blessed. The middle name Hussein whose is from the Middle East is associated with the Muslims, a religion that is both feared and hated by the Americans following the 9/11 attack conjured Muslim suspicions. His sir name Obama is of Kenyan origin where his father was national. Amidst all these complexities, Barrack Hussein Obama II pushed the limits to become the First Black American President an indication of America’s tolerance for transformation. 

With little experience in politics having served only one term as a senator, he moved the Americans through the power of speech that was first experienced in July 2004 - the DNC keynote address. From his speech Obama came to the limelight and leadership, charisma and communication were evidently inseparable from his person. July 2004 marked the beginning of his journey to the presidency. But who is an effective leader? An effective leader is an individual who is passionate about a course bigger than themselves. It is someone with a dream and a vision that is determined to better the society. Such a person is often visionary in perspective and hence has an idea about change. They always think of how the future could be different and are guided by creativity and intellect. As such, the leader is able to write or speak in a manner that convinces the rest to follow in his agenda and be a part. They are Charismatic and have self-belief, charm, and grace that earns them following based on their admirable personality. They are also transformative and inject enthusiasm and energy to influence their followers into taking action. A perfect manifestation of such a leader is President Barack Obama. This paper discusses Barack Obama II as an effective leader who utilized exceptional leadership, communication skills and charisma to move his followers to do great things. Finally, the paper provides a summary conclusion of points discussed in the article. 

Current Thinking

Barack Hussein Obama II communication skills

An effective leader is a good communicator who is transformative and injects enthusiasm and energy to influence their followers into taking action. Obama has a transformative rhetoric ability. Transformational leadership adopts a mutually rewarding vision (Remnick, 2011). As such, the leader develops a vision and exits as well as convert his followers through motivating them toward a movement. In transformational leadership, communication is key. Obama used a transformative rhetoric to motivate his followers, create inspiration and change behaviors toward the goals he poses. Obama was also an African American Jeremiad. From this perspective, Obama taps into the ethics, moral and psych of the individual followers and speaks to their conscience like an African prophet bringing them into his course to share in his vision. Obama learned and mustard the art of rhetoric leadership to come out as a good communicator. As a criterion for transformative leadership, Obama adopts a rhetoric leadership through talk and persuasion to influence his followers into action (Remnick, 2011). Rhetoric leadership discovers, articulates and shares the available means of sway to motivate individuals into a specific course. Obama’s style transformed and prompted a movement that was historic in the American elections. The transformation into a movement produced a change of behaviors and perceptions. Obama brought out his views and perspective through telling out his story in two books: "The Dreams of My Father and The Audacity of Hope." These were, but just among the communication medium barrack, Obama used to articulate his perspective and transform his people into action. 

Obama used the power of speech as an effective leader to communicate his vision and address the challenges that his group faced. The communication strength of Obama through his political rhetoric addressed his race and religion controversy that was from the beginning a stumbling block toward his candidacy. To do that, he came up with “The Renowned Union” also referred to as the “the Race Speech.” The speech was relieved in March 2008 to address Americans and change their perceptions about Obama. Additionally, Obama did "the American Promise Speech" and "the Election Night Victory Speech" which all were transformative through articulate and inspiring statements that worked his followers into a frenzy. These speeches palyed a fundamental role in having Obama elected as the President of the US.

Across his many speeches, Obama discusses his diversity and gives gratitude for his family heritage. By so doing he promotes the greatness of America that as a nation, it can achieve whatever they set their minds on. Obama uses this speech to address the particular areas of concern that he feels America as a great nation needs to work on and sites unemployment as one of them. He makes reference to John F Kennedy’s biography that notes that even though America is made of many races, they are indeed one nation, one people and have one hope. Obama carries forward many of this message of unity and hope in his presidential campaign to persuade the electorate to look beyond his race (Remnick, 2011). 

A more perfect union is another mostly refer to as the Race speech. Through this, Obama Unifies the Americans by persuading them to embrace their racial differences and also addressing the religious controversy surrounding him (Obama, 2008). Obama uses anecdotal stories of racial discrimination, segregation and the historical milestone that America has witnessed to address the perspective between Caucasians and Blacks in the US. He does that which the intention of persuading Americans to develop stronger as one nation of equal opportunity for all its citizens. 

In "The American Promise Acceptance Speech," Obama articulates the desire for transformation. He criticizes Bush’s Administration and draws people’s attention to the reason they need to make a decision that will bring them change (Obama, 2008). He promotes his vision by persuading the Americans that America has the opportunity to become a better nation. He also castigates Bush’s economic failures which include the war in Iraq, unemployment, high energy costs among other issues to points out the failures of Bush’s administration and offer an opportunity for change. In this speech, Obama gives a promissory hope to change the narrative for a better future for the Americans by giving accounts of war troupers and the difficulties that characterizes the lives of Americans to validate the spirit of the Americans to trudge on. 

In his election speech, Obama addresses hope, possibility, and unity of the American people. He also reiterates that the change they yearned for is coming. Obama seeks to empower the empower Americans and also asks for their support to ensure the new energy, jobs, employments turn into the reality. Obama uses the “yes we can” slogan which demonstrates hope, possibility, vision, and determination to stimulate the support of Americans that indeed they can when they come together. Further in his Inaugural Speech, Obama points out at the collective failures American people have had as a nation (Obama, 2009). He points out at healthcare, education, and energy as some of the sectors that have witnessed tremendous failures to appeal to people’s hearts and win over their souls. He thus promises to revitalize hope and unity of purpose. Through this, Obama promotes a revitalized hope as well as the unity of purpose that together with the virtues of the American people they can achieve the God-given promises like freedom, happiness, and equality to make America great again. 

For Obama, Transformational leadership is a method he used to ascend to power while transformational leadership was his style of governance. Obama used speeches as a platform where better transformational effect could be felt in a way that only him could. His speeches so rich in examples drawn from real life experiences of the American people and communicated via anecdotal stories to convince the citizens - a better way to use transformational leadership (Remnick, 2011). His speeches were so rich in meaning, using rhetoric that illustrates transformational leadership. Obama uses communication, in particular, transformation rhetoric, which has a direct correlation with leadership to inspire action. Communication is important in revealing a leader's character, their zeal, political views, and determination among other aspects of a leader. As such, they equip the citizens with the information that informs their decision making about a particular leader. For the case of Obama, his transformation rhetoric as a way of communication became his success factor in clinching the presidency and governing for eight years. 

Barack Hussein Obama II charisma

A charismatic leader has charm and grace that enables them to gain a huge following. They have a personality that people admire and make them the people’s favorite. Barack Obama’s charisma made him endeared to many. Being the 44th president of the US elected in 2008, Obama’s personality and charisma made him the new representation of hope and change among the Americans and the world as a whole. He did not stay long in the Senate but used his charisma to change the culture and perceptions of the western people regarding people with color (Remnick, 2011). Obama has shown himself in his two terms as the president of the US as a transformational, charismatic leader. Obama has a narcissistic behavior which makes him the productive narcissist. He is an exceptionally creative strategist with a bigger perspective in an issue and finds significance in opportunities to change the world and make it a better place. In times of great transition, it is always important to look to productive narcissist since they pose a strong hope or audacity that is critical in pushing through the huge transformation that the society occasionally undertakes.

As a charismatic person. Barack Obama came up as President Bush’s administration wound up to relate with the problems and challenges of the middle-class Americans. The Bush administration was characterized by deep resentment and disquiet among the citizens in politics (Remnick, 2011). Obama saw the opportunity and took it with “the audacity of hope” as his lodestar to spur a generational transformation in perceptions about people with color. In his presidential bid, Obama mastered productive narcissism and used it and took his own beliefs and ideas and turned them into transformational leadership. Barrack narcissism made him have preoccupations with success. He fantasized about the presidency, and the amount of admiration that it attracts. For this case to be narcissistic was more than a necessity. From his school times, Barrack was an individual concerned about success in his endeavors. After his election as the Illinois Senator, Obama soon became bored with the position (Remnick, 2011). During his election, Obama’s campaign team also targeted the international community. Although they were a non-voting bloc, the international community provided the legitimacy of his candidature. They brought the aura with which Obama got to sail through. He created an illusion that he was the world's favored and the most likely candidate to win the elections. The world felt that Obama deserved to win the elections. He is a true manifestation of admiration and charm. Obama’s narcissism powered him to become a charismatic leader with an un-cunning ability to draw not just Americans but the international community towards him. During his first term, his charisma enabled him to woo people to his vision of making a huge difference in domestic affairs as well as foreign affairs. 

Obama has also earned the charisma through his communication skills. The gestures he uses when giving his speech such as hands movement, waving of hands and ensuring that his nonverbal communication is in sync with verbal communication. As a gifted orator who carefully chooses his words to work his audience into a frenzy and on other occasions make them so emotional. He had mustard the art of moving the crowds and making them a part of his group through the “yes we can” slogan. As such, he used his charisma to build a group and attach themselves in an unchallengeable manner. Barrack Obama navigated his narcissism by understanding himself and taking an initiative to be a part of the change the Americans desired. Self-identity as an aspect of narcissism has enabled Obama to forge a fundamentally transformational charismatic leadership style. He made use of the productive narcissism to earn not just the Americans admiration but that of the international community causing a massive amount of aura about his candidature. 

Barack Hussein Obama II leadership skills

Obama has a leadership style that not only was characterized by charisma and good communication but also of motivation. This is a fundamental feature of transformational leadership. Throughout Obama's rhetoric, motivations are very evident. As a leader, Obama uses motivation to inspire Americans and contends that change is the way to improve America. When he says, “Yes we can” it is in itself a motivating slogan giving credence to his motivation rhetoric. Obama describes America as a place where all things are possible and nobody should be surprised that the dream of their fathers are still alive in their times. (Obama, 2008).Obama uses hope to motivate his followers: hope for a better future. Motivation to change can be brought about by emotional connections that Obama also makes use of in his attempt to woo the Americans. 

More than just motivation, his leadership calls people to action. Obama provided a vision for the Americans to rally behind him and a transformation rhetoric to convince the group to act along a collective path. As a transformational leader, Obama uses transformative rhetoric when he says; they will rebuild and recover to make the US become stronger than ever (Obama, 2009). Obama gives a vision to the electorates and also use fear motivation to inspire action when he brings to their attention how great the cost of action will be despite how hard their decisions were. (Obama, 2009). Obama uses fear tactic a lot to make Americans act on issues affecting the country. He emphasizes the need for unity among the America reminding them that they are one nation (Obama, 2008). As such he warns Americans to come together, or they risk failing. The fear concept is used well by Obama in, motivating the citizens to get into action. 

His leadership also makes individuals take responsibility for their action. In empowering his protective followers to be the change they want to see, he ensures they understand the policy changes they need and recognize that unless they move to the voting booth they cannot experience the change they desire. He employs both communal and individual appeal in moving people to action. Through this, he convicts the citizens to take action and create change. Obama communicates to his people that he needs them to participate in his vision. In his victory speech, Obama tells the citizenry that the victory alone is not the change they needed but just a chance to make the change they desired. In this instance, he summons the nation to act and goes ahead to tell them in the victory speech that it cannot happen without them. 

Obama in using transformational leadership makes good use of rhetoric to call the action for change and instills a sense of urgency upon the citizenry to act immediately. Obama reminds the Americans that the time to act boldly has come and wise decisions have to be made in order to revive the economy and transform America to prosperity (Obama, 2009). Through transformation leadership and rhetoric he articulates change by intellectually stimulating Americans to have a different imagination. His leadership style focuses on what needs to be done and gives a glimpse into the future to not only excite the citizenry but also enable them imaginatively think of a different future when they act. As such he emphasizes the need to revive and build America. He encourages innovation in his rhetoric and promotes a change of idea by carefully choosing his words like “new” to bring a sense of difference implying transformation. His transformational leadership enables him to use his rhetoric in expressing a vision he possesses to the American people and unify giving hope of a better America. Through that, Obama is able to inspire action. 

Conclusion

Barrack Hussein Obama II indeed is a transformational leader who has utilized great leadership, communication skills, and charisma to move followers to take action. This paper has exhaustively explained that Barrack Hussein Obama II used his transformational leadership to become the first Black president of the US. Obama used a transformative rhetoric language that motivates the Americans, creates inspiration and changes their behavior towards achieving goals that benefits the larger America. Obama used speeches as a platform where better transformational effect could be felt in a way that only him could. His statements are rich in examples drawn from real life experiences of the American people and communicated via anecdotal stories to convince the citizens - a better way to use transformational leadership. As a charismatic person, Barack Obama appealed to the Middle Class Americans by relating with their challenges and problems. Obama saw the opportunity and took it with “the audacity of hope” as his lodestar to spur a generational change in perspectives about people with color. In his presidential bid, Obama mastered productive narcissism and used it and took his own beliefs and ideas and turned them into transformational leadership. He had a productive narcissism that made him have preoccupations with success. Obama provided a vision for the Americans to rally behind him and a transformation rhetoric to convince the group to act along a collective path. As a transformational leader, he used transformative rhetoric to give hope of rebuilding and recovering to make the United States a stronger Nation than ever. 

References

Obama, B. (2008, March 18). A more perfect union: “The race speech.” Philadelphia, PA . Retrieved from http://obamaspeeches.com/E05-Barack-Obama-A-More-PerfectUnion-the -Race-Speech-Philadelphia-PA-March-18-2008.htm. 

Obama, B. (2008, August 28). The American promise Acceptance speech at Democratic National Convention Mile High Stadium, Denver Colorado . Retrieved from http://obamaspeeches.com/E10-Barack-Obama-The-American-Promise-Acceptance-Speech-at-the-Democratic-Convention-Mile-High-Stadium--Denver-Colorado-August-28-2008.htm. 

Obama, B. (2008, November 4). Election night victory speech. Grant Park, Illinois . Retrieved from http://obamaspeeches.com/E11-Barack-Obama-Election-Night-Victory-SpeechGrant-Park-Illinois-November-4-2008.

Obama, B. (2009, January 20). Inaugural Address. The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/. 

Remnick, D. (2011).  The bridge: the life and rise of Barack Obama . NY, New York: Vintage Books.