Five Lessons for Managers from Obama's Campaign

The Obama victory was no accident, and business managers should study its organization and execution for valuable tips for success

By Liz Ryan

The day after Barack Obama's historic victory, talk show hosts of a right-leaning nature were already promoting the idea that his election was nothing more than a vote against George W. Bush, that any Democrat might have won, and that Obama's electoral landslide was really not much of an accomplishment at all. Plenty of pundits and observers would disagree, and I'm one of them.

Barack Obama's Presidential campaign was noted from the start for its well-oiled fundraising and volunteer-cultivation machinery, as evidenced by the jokes circulating on the Internet now. (One features a faux script for an Obama volunteer calling undecided voters, during which the volunteer offers to drive a voter to the polls and even to the grocery store, inquires about the health of the family cat, and generally bends over backward to attend to the potentially Democratic voter's needs.)

Refuting the conventional wisdom that Republicans are disciplined at running campaigns while the Democrats are passionate and scatterbrained, Obama's organization—led by campaign manager David Plouffe—built and sustained an impressive level of coordination, communication with supporters, and thoughtful media relations that observers say has set a new standard for campaign leadership in the 21st century.

What leadership lessons can managers take away from the Obama campaign experience? Here are our top five picks:

1. Don't skimp on infrastructure.

The technical, logistical, and on-the-ground organizational structure of the Obama campaign enabled the broad-scale "civilian" donation efforts, virtual-phone-bank program, and other just-in-time human and financial contributions that continued right up through poll-closing time on Election Day. Managers who focus on a robust, flexible business infrastructure built on sturdy mechanical and technical platforms and supported by clear, logical processes don't end up having to waste time patching holes and fighting fires. Whatever kind of team you're leading, investing time and energy in the right infrastructure for your business is a mission-critical proposition.

2. Keep the mission top-of-mind.

Daily crises can make it easy for a leader to take his or her eye off the ball. The Obama campaign stuck fast to its mission of spreading the message of change, even when tempting opportunities to veer off-topic presented themselves (the temptation of slamming John McCain's choice of running mate, for example). It paid off well for the campaign to stick to its game plan, ignoring critics' exhortations to get tough, respond point-by-point to Senator McCain's attack ads, or otherwise charge off course to score a point or two.

3. Fight the right battles.

The economic crisis threw an enormous monkey wrench into the campaign process in September, and it's clear that Obama's decision to stick to his campaign efforts throughout a week of tumult in Washington was the right one. John McCain's would-be-white-knight posturing backfired, making him look ineffectual—and worse, irrelevant. Single-handedly solving the nation's economic woes isn't a Presidential candidate's assignment, and Senator McCain made that reality clear.

4. Make every person count.

Organizational leaders proclaim—but don't often enough build into their management practices—the notion that every person on the team is important. The Obama campaign's emphasis on small donors and small acts of volunteerism won the day for the Democrats. In this election cycle, Americans for the first time opened their e-mail in-boxes to see what looked like personal messages from the candidate. That seemingly personal connection and easy access to concrete action (via Donate Now and Volunteer Now buttons) made it simple for people to act on their beliefs.

5. Keep your cool.

Throughout the long campaign, observers alternately referred to Obama as a fiery orator and a cool (some said too cool) history/policy geek. In the end, cool prevailed as Obama's opponent seemed to become more biting and curmudgeonly at each public appearance, raising questions about his leadership capabilities in a crisis. Given the nature of some of the slurs repeated about Obama—"He pals around with terrorists," "He's a Muslim" or "He doesn't view America the way you and I do"—angry responses would have been understandable, albeit unwise. Could you let an onslaught of personal remarks slide? If the game is won, the personal slurs amount to little or nothing.

Of course, Obama the President will face different leadership challenges than Obama the candidate. But the principles that helped him win the White House will certainly help him once he occupies it—and they can be employed by any leader.

Liz Ryan is an expert on the new-millennium workplace and a former Fortune 500 HR executive.