Leadership - The leadership principles of Barack Obama

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election-obama-us Dear Readers,

Before we look at the 4th level of development more closely, In this issue I would like to make a short digression with you and look more closely at the leadership qualities of a well-known personality. I am certain you will ask „Why?“ – and I would like to answer this question immediately. Having now looked more closely at the first 3 levels of development, the question often arises: “How can I now best implement that?” An initial response can be found in the analysis of leadership qualities of other famous leading personalities. But this also brings about a certain danger. When we look at the abilities of another great leader, we tend to compare ourselves with them. But when we compare ourselves we often miss the opportunity to learn because, as is the case with most people, their self-confidence is not strongly developed enough to make a comparison WITHOUT immediately looking for faults and mistakes in themselves. For this reason we will today only make a short digression and look at only three essential principles of leadership used by this leader and to which he owes his above-average and historically unique success.

A few months after the almost landslide victory of Barack Obama in the American presidential election we are faced with an historic moment: the first black president of the United States. But is that all we can learn from this election campaign? Today‘s view and analysis of this success is not about an ideology. The election is over. And while many believe that John McCain‘s economic program would have made more sense for business, particularly with regard to free trade, the tax policy and when it came to creation of jobs, almost everybody is nevertheless happy (coupled with a lot of hope) about the presidency of Barack Obama. Because his election campaign slogan was an “America for everybody” as he so passionately promised again and again. But enough about politics. Today I would like to examine with you what lessons you can draw as, a businessman or women, as an executive or as a private individual from McCain‘s defeat and Obama‘s victory. Because when we look closely three principles or lessons can be drawn which are valid for both the “politics & election campaign” stage and also for business and indeed our lives. And it was precisely on these three lessons that Barack Obama systematically built up his victory.

The first principle of leadership

Let us start with the classic principle of leadership: a clear constant vision.

If we would like people to follow us it is important that we repeat a clear understandable and constant message (or vision) again and again. This is a very well-known principle and, despite this, it is one of those most commonly disregarded in interpersonal communication – here it is not only valid for managing staff and/or a company, but also for friendships, relationships and in the upbringing of children and young people.

The more often you change your “message” the more you unsettle those who are supposed to be following you. And the more difficult it is to understand your “central message” the more difficult you make it for people to follow you. When you look at, for example, McCain‘s health policy you will recognize that it has in many details really very good elements which, if implemented, would definitely have helped many people. The problem however was that McCain did not succeed in communicating this policy simply and comprehensibly. Instead it appeared to many people to be too complex and incomprehensible.

So while McCain tried to convey his policies in a complex manner, Obama‘s message was simple and was more of a declaration of intent. He spoke of the failures of George W. Bush. He talked about transformation and hope and health care for all. He always painted a picture of the future that inspired people. This is also a perfect example for leaders: Seek out a limited number of points and repeat these untiringly when communicating with the people you want to “follow” you. Therefore it also means: “People will follow the person who is following his or her dream.” That is precisely what Obama succeeded in doing. With his simple message “Yes we can” he presented people with a clear and simple prospect and at the same time handed them a “mantra” that was easy to understand and follow. This is how we should live our lives. If you would like your subordinates to follow you, if you would like your children to do what you say, if in your relationships you would like your partners to have a feeling of security and follow you in order to build on the relationship, then it is important that you present all these people with a clear vision AND that you never get tired of repeating this vision again and again and “painting” it anew.

The second principle of leadership

After looking more closely at the first principle of leadership from the American election campaign of Barack Obama, let us turn to the next principle of leadership, which will, I am sure, be familiar to many of you: faultless execution.

In their trail-blazing book “Execution” Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan describe how faultless execution is not the only thing that a leader needs to act correctly – but without this important characteristic everything else that the leader does will count for little. This American election proves their thesis. Over almost two years of constant attacks and combat Obama‘s team made only very few mistakes. From the very beginning his advisers were the better campaign team and his “staffers” were always prepared, agile and active where they were needed most. By contrast McCain‘s team often seemed inept and “hobbled” in a makeshift fashion from one public appearance to the next. Bad team spirit among his advisers often made an impact in the form of bad preparation on McCain‘s part. And the significantly lower campaign budget showed the “lower” quality of his team since they were unable to raise enough funds. The team surrounding McCain tried again and again to run the campaign in the “classical manner” while Obama‘s team was innovative, for example, they used the new media ingeniously in order to provide as many people as possible with their information.

From this also you can draw two important lessons for yourself. Firstly: It is not bad if you make mistakes as long as you quickly learn from them and get them under control again. Secondly: the less mistakes you make in your execution and implementation the more people will connect competence with your conduct and behavior. This is valid both in business and in private life. And there is another important third lesson: You do not have to make all the mistakes yourself, but can learn more quickly from the lives, experiences and mistakes of others by precisely observing them and drawing lessons for yourself which you then implement.

Obama‘s team succeeded in doing the latter excellently. While with every new television debate McCain came across as being more and more “helpless”, Obama scored points less by what he said than by the way he reacted to what McCain said. Mc- Cain allowed himself to be tempted (or was forced by his party and his advisers) to attack Obama directly and personally, trying to arouse fear in him. But what this approach provokes is something that McCain‘s team was unaware of: It creates fear in those wanting to create fear! With every new attack, with every television debate and with every television appearance where an agitated McCain behaved erratically the impression grew that McCain himself was afraid and was helpless with the means at his disposal. Obama responded mostly with stoic calmness, stayed sitting in his place and answered with care. Even when he was personally attacked, he kept his cool. In this way he communicated “non-verbally”. He stuck to his viewpoint and radiated calmness.

Another of Obama‘s ingenious moves (which you can classify under the principle of “faultless execution”) is the way he outmaneuvered Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton committed a catastrophic mistake in thinking she could win in the same way all previous candidates had done; by securing victory in the large states New York, Ohio, California and so on. By contrast Obama‘s team did its homework perfectly and realized that he stood little chance against Hillary Clinton in the large states. However they figured out an unexpected possibility of how he could nevertheless win.. While Hillary Clinton concentrated on winning in the large states, Obama‘s team focused on the many small states and on the undervalued delegation meetings of all factions in a particular state. In this way Obama‘s team was able to secure the majority step by step and at the decisive moment overtake Hillary Clinton.

Here too you have an important lesson for all aspects of your life: It is not always the big things that lead to changes, but often the many small things that we often overlook and see little significance in. The best example of this is keeping a journal. Often people look for spectacular things to include instead of understanding that it is the many small, apparently insignificant entries , can change our lives.

The third principle of leadership

Let us now turn to the third principle of leadership that shaped Obama‘s election campaign strategy. The third principle of leadership is: well positioned allies.

During coaching sessions I experience again and again, companies that believe they can win in everyday business by using the same old methods and going the same old way – only more intensively and better. Therefore I would like to ask you a provocative question: Do you know the definition of idiocy?

Doing the same things again and again – and expecting different results!

And do you know the definition of increased idiocy?

Doing the same things more intensively, more frantically and more often – and expecting better results!

The road to more success in business consists of looking for new customers and finding and opening new markets en route. You can beat your competitors if you try to play according to “the old rules”. In order to grow, you must, however, invent a new game and then also defeat your competitors in this new game. This American election has once more shown and reinforced the value of “well positioned allies”. From the very start Obama had the support of the media, which in turn decided to consciously downplay the controversies Obama was involved in. And so the game that McCain‘s team had built up in order to whip up fear in Obama and to discredit him had, in the end, a boomerang effect against McCain. In the end nobody could deny that Obama‘s relationship with the media made a significant difference.

As a company you cannot succeed in winning in the long term if you do not have the support of your well positioned allies. And the bigger the company the more important this principle is. Because every time you try to change things or try to create a new path, you will always have people that will resist you. They will carry out the “struggle against you” openly in meetings, in the media or through “palace intrigues.” Therefore you need your allies in all these places. Because in the end these can be crucial in deciding whether you win or lose. That is the reason why it is important that you only start every leadership initiative and/or change in your company after you have your “well positioned allies” firmly on your side and these are convinced of the advantages, of your character and of your initiative. But that is not enough. If you would like your allies to stand by your side, you should not confront them with unexpected surprises.

Think only of the move by McCain‘s team to unexpectedly present Sarah Pallin as the vice-presidential candidate. The media had not been informed of it in advance and they did not react very positively to the move. Quite the contrary. Through this action, McCain‘s team lost many allies in the media and what then broke out was a kind of “hunt Sarah Pallin” campaign which culminated in the media doing everything to paint Sarah Pallin in a negative light.

Here too this third principle applies, not only to companies, but also to your private life. Thus, things become difficult if you are in a relationship and your partner‘s friends do not like or respect you. It will become difficult for you to bring up your children if you do not get on with your children‘s best friends and/or their parents, the same is true with the teachers etc. Therefore, always choose consciously and carefully which ally you need in which position in order to act for the general good. In the coming months we will see which deeds follow the words of the election campaign. As it is not without reason that the slogan goes:

“Actions speak louder then words!”

But no matter what deeds we see, one thing is clear: We are experiencing exciting times and we can look forward to an exciting future where we can learn a lot from the lives of others. Because: The future belongs to those who prepare for it!

Consider just how you can integrate these three principles of leadership into the first three levels of development the people in your downline are going through. It would be best to take up your journal right away and make a note of your thoughts on this. Always remember: Leadership is action – not position!

Kindest regards,

Your Coach Nuno F. Assis