Blog about Leadership

Yesterday, President Barack Obama took the oath to become the 44th President of the United States. Within hours, the former President George W. Bush left to return to his home in Texas, the White House’s website, www.whitehouse.gov, was changed and proclaimed the banner “Change has come to America,” and the long list of challenges and problems continued to flaunt their dreary burden on this nation, and the rest of the world.

President Obama’s Challenge – Inspiring Leadership

On a national stage, we have one major accomplishment that we did not have during the last eight years – a President who was elected by a clear and decisive victory. It doesn’t matter what your opinion of President Bush, nor which political ideology you learn toward. In 2000, President Bush won the Presidency following an election where he lost the popular vote and the decision rested on a group of the nine members of the US Supreme Court. That foundation, regardless of ideology, was shaky, unstable, and divisive. President Obama has won the Presidency with a clear majority of the popular vote as well as the Electoral College.

Now, his task is to inspire this entire nation of 304 million people to follow his leadership to overcome the problems that lay before us. When he is able to inspire the faith and confidence of the American people, he will erode the fear, uncertainty, and volatility that has eroded our economy and weakened our standing as a nation.

Of course, to inspire faith and confidence, the President must accomplish concrete goals. Inspirational leadership is not derived from speeches or ceremonies, but through action – action that propels others to action and unites a group of people toward a common purpose and a common goal.

I use the word “common” for a very specific reason. It is not connoted to that of a plurality or majority, but is closer to universal or of a whole. The word “common” was also used in President Obama’s speech in five contexts:

1. “common purpose”
2. “common good”
3. “common defense”
4. “common humanity”
5. “common dangers” – used after his story and quote of President George Washington

While President Obama’s challenge may be difficult and may require a struggle, we can remember the words of Frederick Douglas, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

And then as President Obama declares, “This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected.”

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