Leadership Lessons from Obama
Posted by auroracitizen on July 14, 2009
Michael Zubrow (foreign policy expert at the Center for a New American Security, a non-partisan, independent, national security think tank in Washington, DC.) recently wrote for BBC News about President Obama’s recent trip and his differing leadership approach from the Bush administration’s.
He summarizes it as engaging directly with the people of the world versus the Bush era leadership-centric diplomacy.
Here are a few excerpts from Zubrow’s article:
- Barack Obama’s weapon of choice is public diplomacy, speaking plainly and persuasively, directly to the people. While President George W Bush was well known for relying on close relationships with heads of state, President Obama’s rhetoric is aimed at the ruling elite and the common citizen alike.
- In Prague he referred to the strength of the people of a different generation, exclaiming: “That’s why I’m speaking to you in the centre of a Europe that is peaceful, united and free – because ordinary people believed that divisions could be bridged, even when their leaders did not.
- In Accra, Mr Obama called for institutions that are transparent and reliable, noting that good governance is “about more than holding elections – it’s also about what happens between them
Key principles derived from Zubrow’s article:
- Leaders must engage directly with citizens.
- Leaders must lead through example not by intervention.
- Leaders must share values, hopes, and dreams with citizens.
- Leaders must have faith in citizens to create change that makes sense.
- Leaders must make use of new technologies and tools to communicate.
I encourage our current leadership to read Michael Zubrow’s full article by clicking here and learn from the lessons of Obama.
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Aurora Citizen 
Anonymous said
This mayor and council would probably think that they dould tell Obama how to run the US. I guess I say that as they seem to know it all as long as mayor Phyliss tells them so.
Anonymous said
Certain people would likely do the reading then believe the words were all theirs. Just slightly dillusional.
Anonymous said
interesting that there isn't a flurry of comments on this post.
i thought it was quite good…