On Wednesday evening I was in Berlin and heard President Obama’s speech on leadership and the global challenges of our time. It was a special and curious event and an indirect support for the Obama Foundation.
Can you imagine a German chancellor being welcomed like a pop star in the US?
Obama is a phenomenon. Charismatic, engaging, dynamic, positive, somehow familiar. In an article about his visit to Berlin, DIE ZEIT wrote quite aptly about the “Obama Sound”, which we all miss a little.
On the topic of leadership, Obama outlined 4 key points that most of us are familiar with. Indispensable cornerstones for modern managers:
– set a vision, develop purpose, gather people who share this mission
– encourage your people and support them to achieve their goals
– built diverse teams with regard to different perspectives
– search for sincere people challenging you
Listen to your team. “There is no hierarchy when it comes to truth.” If you hear these sentences from Obama and link them to his person, images emerge.
Equal rights. Democratic values. Peace. Dealing with truth and fake news. Climate change.
“Giving up is no option. The question is: can we do better? Not perfect, but better!” This makes the difference in moving forward. One of those typical Obama moments.
What do you think about charisma in business and politics?
#leadership #change #demokratie #management #interimmanagement #climatechange #charisma #transformation
