Inspiring Characteristics of Barack Obama's Presidential Leadership

Introduction 

The attainment of the presidency by Barack H. Obama is a classical story of from poverty to power that is perhaps hard to rival anytime soon. Obama’s ascent to becoming the most powerful man in the world is sometimes viewed as the long-term achievement of the Civil Rights Movement. The view largely ignores the leadership qualities that Obama possesses which may be responsible for the swaying of many voters to elect him for the various positions that adorn his politically rich history. The Civil Rights movement may be behind laying the basis for equality and fairness that offered African Americans opportunities and platforms to dream big and act in accordance to their dreams, but out of the millions of African Americans Obama pedestalled his way right to the presidency. For this reason, the leadership style and charm that is synonymous with Obama may be a significant contributor to his achievements (Garrow, 2017).

As a president, Obama stands out from the rest as a celebrity president, beating actual celebrities like Ronald Reagan. His leadership skills compare to no other of the 43 presidents who are preceding him. Obama’s influence went beyond politics and is said to have inspired the human race in all its endeavors with his campaign slogan ‘Yes We Can.' His character to see what others perceive as obstacles and push through them while at the same time being liberal in his visions have set him apart from many world leaders of recent times. The combination of leadership style and traits that are synonymous with Obama are the inspiration for this essay. The essay seeks to unravel the contributors of Obama’s leadership skills by reviewing his background. The essay then identifies the leadership style that Obama has and how that leadership trait got him in office. The essay then looks at the people’s reaction to his leadership style and the lessons learned from this leadership style (Garrow, 2017).

Thesis Statement 

President Obama’s leadership style and traits are intricately and conspicuously transformational and charismatic. He was a visionary president who sought to change the social fiber of the society and used his charisma to get people to share his view. Being from a multiethnic background and the multiple times his family moved when he was growing up gave young Obama a global look at the issues that really matter to people. The reaction of the people to his leadership style varies from uttermost support and admiration to passionate hate.

President Obama’s Background 

On August 4, 1961, in Hawaii’s Honolulu Island a baby, the son of a foreign student from Kenya with the daughter of an army veteran was born. The child would bear the name Barack H. Obama II, after his father. Obama’s father, Obama Sr. was of African ancestry, the Luo tribe found in Western Kenya. His mother was white and met with Obama Sr. as he was attending the University of Hawaii where she was also a student. The couple got married six months prior to Obama’s birth. His childhood was spent in multiple places due to the separation and eventual divorce of his parents. Obama’s mother remarried to a Hawaiian foreign student, and the family moved to Indonesia where Obama is said to have spent at least four years of his childhood before going back to Hawaii after fears safety by his mother. At Hawaii living with his grandparents, Obama became exposed to racism that minorities in America were facing.

After years of studying in various O-level institutions, Obama joined Harvard Law School. Having lost his protective father in a road accident back in Kenya and separated from his mother for the better part of his childhood, Obama found renewal in his law studies. Obama began to excel in Harvard impressing many people during his time there. One of the people who was captured by this determination is Obama’s professor Lawrence Tribe. He joined Sidley Austin, a Chicago law firm, for summer from where he met his future wife, Michelle Robinson. The latter was a young lawyer at the firm and had been assigned to him as an adviser. After law school, Barack went back to Chicago to practice law. He became a civil rights lawyer with the Miner, Barnhill & Galland firm. He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago’s Law School. His first influential move in politics was his contributions in the mobilization for voter registration in favor of Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaigns. That same year, Obama got married to his longtime girlfriend, Michelle.

Obama’s move into politics was heralded by his actions of advocacy especial for civil rights. In the 1996 elections, Obama ran for the Illinois State Senate seat and won. He won the seat on a Democrat ticket. Nonetheless, Obama would continue to work with both the Democrats and the Republicans as a senator. His most significant changes as a senator were the drafting of legislation on ethics as well as videotaping requirements for police interrogations and the expansion of healthcare services and E.C.D programs for the poor. His creation of a state- earned income tax credit whose aim was to benefit the poor were some of the poverty alleviation projects that he inaugurated. An unsuccessful ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000 gave Obama a four-year preparation time for the 2004 U.S. Senate elections, which he won. With a two-year long campaign beginning in 2002, his opponents did not stand a chance as he won the seat with a 70 percent majority ahead of Alan Keyes.

It is during this period and after the 9/11 attacks that Obama began his profile on national politics. He became an ardent critic of the then-president George W. Bush. Obama was a staunch critic of Bush’s decision to go to war. He used this argument to garner support for his campaigns on a succession of George W. Bush. Obama published a book in 2006 as a senator in which he expressed his dreams for America. The principals that he expressed in this book were the basis for his 2008 presidential campaigns. After winning the tightly contested party nominations for Hillary Clinton, Obama went on to win the presidential election in 2008 with a 52.9% majority compared to McCain’s 45.7%.

Events in Obama’s Past that Shaped his Leadership Skills 

The multi-ethnic background that Obama possesses and the racial discrimination that he was subjected to in Hawaii shaped his view of ethnic segregation. In light of this multi-ethnic identity and a segregated country in which Obama grew up in, that he envisioned an America where all people had equal opportunities. He would struggle through his childhood, and as a young adult, to complete his studies and start a career as a civil rights lawyer. The discrimination of minorities that Obama experienced first-hand may be what inspired him to come up with projects and legislation aimed at helping the less fortunate in the society. The action was perhaps to reinforce his belief that all people are equal and deserve a chance at living their dreams.

Obama’s growing up with his father absent is another event that most shaped his leadership traits. The absentia of Obama Sr. in the young boy’s life had created a void. Obama saw his father Obama Sr. once after his divorce with Obama’s mother and prior to Obama Sr.’s death in 1982. Obama’s father had separated with his family to pursue a Ph.D. at Harvard. A divorce would follow soon. Obama Sr. moved back to Kenya after his graduation where he got a job. It was only after his death that young Barrack went to his father’s rural home in Kenya’s Nyanza province. From there, Obama visited the graves of his father and his paternal grandfather. The visit was meant to try to understand his father whom Obama did not know much about prior to his death. The trip rejuvenated his beliefs in his own capabilities, and he joined law school on his arrival back to the States.

The movement to different states and countries that characterized much of Obama’s childhood and youth exposed to the human suffering as well as potential. It is this global view of the world as well as the disparities that lay between people economically that may have helped Obama see the potential that people can achieve if they believe in self. From this belief, Obama shaped his campaign manifestos. The campaign manifestos were about significant achievements and the power of unity. From selling this dream, Obama’s popularity grew in the party and countrywide. People who shared in his dream campaigned and voted for him in the election where he got his victory.

The law career that Obama practiced prior to his political career exposed him to the civil rights that had been fought for by other African Americans for decades. The civil rights movement of the 1960s through to the 1980s had advocated for equal rights and the abolishment of the Black Codes. The movement was seeking an equal platform for all Americans to pursue their goals and dreams. Perhaps it is due to Obama seeing these efforts and learning of the dreams that the African American society had that Obama came up with the famous manifesto ‘Yes We Can.' Having a black president was the ultimate ambition in the fight for equality and justice. The Obama campaign offered all Americans who believed in this quest an opportunity to see the Martin Luther King Jr. dream come true. The experience of Obama as a civil rights lawyer shaped his character as a visionary.

Notable Leadership Positions 

Barack H. Obama has a profile of leadership positions that graced his ascent to the position of the most influential person in the world. From small influential positions to influential political positions, Obama has an impressive leadership résumé. The first position of influence is as a lecturer and later a professor during his 12-year teaching career at the University of Chicago Law School (Dickerson, 2016). The second leadership position, which is also the first political post that Obama held, is that of Illinois State Senator from 1997 when he was sworn in 2004. In 2000 while still serving as the Illinois State Senator, Obama ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and lost. He would spend the two years leading to the 2004 elections to vie again, and he won. Barack Obama earned his third political title, U.S. Senator from Illinois. He served this role for the four years leading to the 2008 presidential elections where he successfully contested for the position. Obama gained nationwide popularity when he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. In the four years that Obama served as a U.S. Senator, he served on several congressional committees and even chaired one.

Obama’s Healthcare Reforms Accomplishment 

Despite being the most developed country in the world, the U.S did not have a comprehensive healthcare insurance to benefit all its citizens. All these changed on March 23, 2010, when 95% of the American population benefited from health insurance. This came after the signing of the Affordable Care Act. Apart from health insurance, Obamacare, as the Act would come to be known, lowered the costs of accessing preventive care in American hospitals. The Act transformed the economy of the country where a substantial amount of the federal budget went to health care. On the positive side, nonetheless, the costs of acquiring health services in the country became considerably low for all Americans. The lower prices were because of the subsidies that the U.S. government offers through Medicaid (Rosenbaum, 2011).

Obama’s Leadership Attributes 

Obama’s leadership style was a participatory one. One of Obama’s most significant legacies is his cooperation with local leaders and world leaders. He is known for consulting professionals and making informed decisions on matters to do with the U.S as well as bureaucratic issues. As president of today’s most influential economy, Obama made bilateral and multilateral trade deals that ensured fairness in trade and the conservation of the environment by all. Obama’s role as leader of the free world was not authoritative but somewhat participatory. He rarely imposed U.S. policies on countries but worked on amicable solutions for such actions that had been made by his predecessor. Such promotion of international cooperation led to his winning of the Nobel Peace Prize (Hardwick, 2010).

Obama was also a visionary leader. In his leadership role from the times of the campaigns leading to his first election, Obama created the impression of how possible it is for Americans and the world at large to achieve the goals that all humanity wants. He adopted the Martin Luther King Jr. dreams and forged them into possibilities that could be achieved with the casting of a vote. The ‘Yes We Can’ manifesto and the ‘Change We Can Believe In’ reelection manifesto were two carefully coined phrases to sell the visions that Obama had for America and the world at large. One vision that brought him on the national political stage is his belief that the U.S. should not invade Iraq and other Middle Eastern nations and that the withdrawal of the American forces which were already there. The vision remains mostly unfulfilled (Hardwick, 2010).

Obama was also a good delegator. He is known for making sound appointments for the critical positions in the U.S. government. As president, Obama united both his proponents and his opponents to form a government which main claim to be one of the most competent leadership that the country has ever had. The appointment of Hillary Clinton as Obama Administration’s Secretary of State is the best example of Obama’s delegation skills. He reconciled with his former opponent and took advantage of her vast experience in national politics and leadership, not to mention her visionary manifesto and made it all part of his leadership (Hardwick, 2010).

Relationship of Followers 

Barack Obama is perhaps the most famous American president in recent times. His charisma, eloquence and youthful looks earned him a multitude of followers on a global level. His vision for America and the world at large made him the famous world over. In a world f social media where public figures can directly interact with his fans and critics, Obama remains one of the most popular people on the planet. With millions of followers and an active account, Obama has kept close relations with his followers making both official and unofficial posts through his social media accounts. He has kept his family in the limelight endearing himself and his family to the public. Even after his retirement as president, Obama remains a prominent public figure whose opinion on various issues around the globe.

Obama’s Legacy 

Obama will go down history books for the numerous achievements that he has over the span of the last twenty years. He will remain the fifth African American to be in the U.S. Congress and only the third to achieve this through a popular vote. Obama will be remembered for being the first African American president of the United States. Obama is the author of two autobiographical New York best sellers. Obama joins the list of now three U.S. presidents to win the Nobel Peace Prize. His advocacy for global unity and actions of international cohesion earned him this award. Obama will also be remembered for the Affordable Care Act dubbed Obamacare, which availed health insurance coverage to approximately 95% of the American population.

On the economic sector, Obama has left a legacy for helping the U.S. recover from a global economic crisis. The 2008 global economic crisis hit American vehicle manufacturers hard, and Obama bailed out some of the most prominent manufacturers by making them globally competitive (Alter, 2010). On economy and security, Obama made many efforts to retract American soldiers from the Middle East where his predecessor had placed them. The move saves the country billions of dollars’ worth of taxpayer money. Further on security, Obama will be remembered for the capture and extermination of perhaps the greatest terrorist to walk the earth, Osama Bin Laden. On the contrary side, nonetheless, Obama will be remembered for the enormous financial debt into which his administration sunk the country.

Conclusion 

When it comes to ideal political leadership, Obama is arguably the closest thing to that. With a background rocked with difficulties and perceived impossibilities, the African American visionary has overcome many struggles to become the leader of the free world. Obama’s leadership story presents a quick ascent to power, having attained the presidency in just twelve years since his joining politics. His unrivaled leadership attributes have created a relationship with his followers that stretch long after the end of his tenure.

References

Alter, J. (2010).  The Promise: President Obama, Year One . New York: Simon & Schuster. 

Dickerson, K. (2016). Here's what it was like to take a class from Barack Obama when he was a lecturer at the University of Chicago  Business Insider . Retrieved from http://uk.businessinsider.com/when-president-obama-was-a-teacher-2016-7?r=US&IR=T 

Garrow, D. (2017).  Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama  (1st ed.). William Morrow.

Hardwick, P. (2010).  The leadership styles of President Obama - Mississippi Business Journal :  Mississippi Business Journal . Retrieved 17 November 2017, from http://msbusiness.com/2010/11/the-leadership-styles-of-president-obama/ 

Rosenbaum, S. (2011). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice.  Public Health Rep ,  126 (1), 130–135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003335491112600118