What Ceos Can Learn from Barack

Thanks for the great article! I look forward to reading McKee's book.

Put another way the current American generation is shallow and afraid of hard work. This is reflected in our culture were 1) people on Wall Street who produce no goods make the most money 2) all our manufacturing is done overseas 3) Our students don't like math & science they just want to market.

No wonder this "educated generation" favors a candidate big on talk, and little on action. Remember he mostly votes PRESENT, not YES or NO. If anything modern Americans need to learn is to follow the Greatest Generation from WWII and their can do spirit which made america great.

The latte drinking Obama followers are good at blaming each other and America. They lack what is most needed, the RESOLVE to ACT and GENERATE RESULTS.

The author misses the point that change is always about ACTION, and RESOLVE not flowery speeches to escape reality of a debt ridden nation, and determined enemies ready to pounce.

Rajiv,
Take your blinders off and open your mind. I too believe that America is suffering not only from a lack of leadership, but a lack of morality and good will. There's nothing wrong with the current generation either here in America or anywhere else in the world that descent leadership wouldn't turn around in a day. The problem is with the human condition: the people who want power aren't the same set of people who have the minds to improve whatever it is they are involved in. In other words, we've got to break the bond between money and leadership. You've heard the expression, "He's got more money than brains", I'm sure. Well nothing could be more true in America right now. Consider our current political leadership and the catastrophic failure of our foreign policy. Consider our financial institutions and the greed that obviously drives the entire business. You mentioned our educational system. The same holds true. We throw away the people who are inspired and promote the people with money and connections. As long as humanity continues with this insanity we'll have these problems.
I will probably never read Annie McKee's book. But it sure sounds like she's got the right idea. I don't consider it an epiphany so much as a restatement of the obvious. It would seem that the obvious is the last thing considered in decision making these days.

Bill

Rajiv,
Take your blinders off and open your mind. I too believe that America is suffering not only from a lack of leadership, but a lack of morality and good will. There's nothing wrong with the current generation either here in America or anywhere else in the world that descent leadership wouldn't turn around in a day. The problem is with the human condition: the people who want power aren't the same set of people who have the minds to improve whatever it is they are involved in. In other words, we've got to break the bond between money and leadership. You've heard the expression, "He's got more money than brains", I'm sure. Well nothing could be more true in America right now. Consider our current political leadership and the catastrophic failure of our foreign policy. Consider our financial institutions and the greed that obviously drives the entire business. You mentioned our educational system. The same holds true. We throw away the people who are inspired and promote the people with money and connections. As long as humanity continues with this insanity we'll have these problems.
I will probably never read Annie McKee's book. But it sure sounds like she's got the right idea. I don't consider it an epiphany so much as a restatement of the obvious. It would seem that the obvious is the last thing considered in decision making these days.

Bill

dear rajiv,
obama not only is educated and pragmatic, he was a college professor. he was a member of a group whose sole purpose is to motivate people to achieve their fullest potential. once we look past all the vitriol and debasing labels for his supporters -- we see a candidate who's actually asking people to do what all our good books and social mores indicate we should do: take responsibility for ourselves, our actions and our outcomes by not succumbing to negativity. what's so wrong with doing something different for a change?

Rajiv the difference between the current American generation and the previous, is that we are determined more than ever before to ensure that we don't fall into the same plight our parents embraced such as working 3 jobs and not having much to show for it except coming home tired, frustrated, angry, and fighting over money.

We are not lazy, we've been doing a lot of soul searching waiting for the light bulb moment. We follow Barack Obama because he seems to know the direction to where we've anxiously been waiting to go and he reminds us that it'll not be a free ride, that we are going to have to work for it. He tells us stuff like "Hope is not blind optimism."

We will not settle for anything less than what America has to offer.

Rajiv,
Please check your 'facts' next time.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/24/fact_check_obamas_present_votes/

THE FACTS: Obama acknowledges that over nearly eight years in the Illinois Senate, he voted "present" 129 times. That was out of roughly 4,000 votes he cast, so those "presents" amounted to about one of every 31 votes in his legislative career.

Illinois legislators often vote "present" and for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes blocs of lawmakers do it as a protest in some dispute over rules and procedures. Obama was often joined in his "present" votes by 10 or 20 other senators.

In other cases, lawmakers do it to signal objections to the details of a measure that they support in principle. They also use "present" votes as strategic moves to defeat legislation or, of course, simply to avoid taking a firm position.

People need to understand that the current administration (Bush and Cheney) used emotions in 2004 to be relected. Namely the emotions of fear (terrorists are gonna get you) and hate (anti-gay marriage rallies).

Now when someone uses emotions in a campaign but reaching out to those emotions that are positive and drive humans to achieve greatness it is seem in a more negative light than those who used negative emotions in 2004?

I would question the life affirming aspects of a person with such a view point.

Great post. I listed it as one of my top five in my weekly look at the business blogs.

http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2008/02/13/21308-a-midweek-look-at-the-business-blogs.aspx

Barack Obama is bringing to American
Politics something that has been real
scarce since JFK : Enthused Demarcation.

This is the ability to diverge from
the routine and debilitating trodden
path of Power Politics.

With Obama in the White House , America
will regain its clout and respect from
all over the rest of the World after
the antagonistic years of the Bush
Administration.

i would like to say one thing, an obama president can't run the united states with the believs not in the bible,god,and quotes from all the people that believe that this country was inspiered by the bible "in god we trust" not in somebody that doesn't respect others religons this is not someone i would ask for advise.

Umm..tony, complete sentences please.

What CEO can learn from OBAMA is what any parent who want their kids to be president can learn from OBAMA. Take debate class, take speech class and forget internships at the White House, Supreme Court or Goldman Sacks, the new place for future presidents to intern is a car dealership. Internships as a car salesman for a few semesters would do wonders for inspiring presidents.

What I have learned is people will buy anything from you as long as you present it well. Make them feel good about themselves. Make them feel hopeful about the future. Make them feel important and they will shred for you, lie for you, follow you to the end of the earth but they will love you for making them "feel."

Car salesmen are great at telling customers that the car needs them more than they need the car. Lines such as "Wouldn't this car look good with you in it? " gets a sale every time.

So if you are a CEO you need to make your employees feel important, special and that what they think matter. Again you actually don't have to give a hoot about their opinions, but feeling is important.

The article is great. Tony Mikola's comment is incoherent. Mikola needs therapy and education.

Rajiv,

I completely agree with you. Your mind is open, and that is why you see/understand the truth. The others have obviously fallen into the young/uneducated "Hope-Trap."

Are you saying that Obama does not respect the Bible? God? or any other religions? If so, he is christian in case you did not know and hopefully in the future you will seek knowledge on a view point before making a comment.

Guys,

Every one is targetting Rajiv, is it because of his name or we all really think otherwise.

I think Obama would make a great president. He is smart, bright, hardworking and hopeful. He brigdes the gap between black and white, old and young, dems and reps, boomers and the younger generation. Obama is a positive person, not a mudslinging dirty politician. He represents what America says it has always stood for -freedom, equality, hope.
Obama, Yes We Can!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you win!
Sue