Establishing Himself as a Worthy Leader

Barack Obama's transformational leadership skills played a crucial role in his success as President of the USA. His charismatic leadership style, ability to create an optimistic and inspiring vision, and use of technology to drive his point across were key factors in his ability to manage change and bring about sustainable development. His transformational leadership skills helped him remain a people's president throughout his career, earning him admiration and support from his followers.

Running head: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Leadership development
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Barack Obama: Leadership style.....................................................................................................2
Transformational leadership theory.................................................................................................4
Criticism of Obama’s transformational leadership style.................................................................5
Charismatic leadership theory.........................................................................................................6
Followers and organizational change..............................................................................................6
Change management........................................................................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Barack Hussein Obama born on 4th August 1961 was the 44th President from 2009 to
2017 of the United States and American politician. He became the first African American to
become the president and served in United States Senate. He is a true leader involved in helping
community and possesses qualities of an effective leader. With his perseverance and conviction,
during his eight years of tenure, he brought a change in the running of the country and was an
inspiring leader. Therefore, the following report deals with the analysis of leadership style of the
chosen leader, Barack Obama, leadership theories, organizational change and change
management.
Barack Obama: Leadership style
Barack Obama is the first African American to become the President of United States and
set a history to change from Caucasian to Black president bringing about transformation. This
rhetoric transformation was possible due to his transformational leadership acted as catalyst for
this huge change. He made a change that pushed the America’s tolerance limits for
transformation. He broke the racial barrier and became the first black president of United States.
His political career started in 1996 in Illinios State Senate and, 2nd November 2004, he won the
Senate seat in U.S. and on 5th January 2005, he became the fifth African American to be
popularly elected in the U.S. Senate. Finally, on 10th February, 2007 he became the President of
the United States (Greenstein 2009).
The transformational leadership style of Obama played an effective role that unified and
contributed to his presidential election. He has the ability to inspire people who would follow the
leader’s vision that results in the betterment of an individual as well as common people. He

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exhibited transformational leadership style where he stimulated, motivated and inspired people to
work towards a common vision. He believed that his vision would work for the greater good for
the people, community and the country as a whole. This leadership style is of great influence in
any organization, movement, business, and politics that aid in making people unified towards a
common goal though behaviour change. This leadership style is distinct from other styles as it is
extended beyond behaviours traits and characteristics. It is about intellect, inspiration and
individualized consideration. Obama proposed this inspiration through communication where his
intellect reflected through his interaction with people with establishment of common vision. His
communication skills reflected charisma and therefore, it is foundation of the transformational
leadership style (Green and Roberts 2012).
According to Nanjundeswaraswamy and Swamy (2014) transformational leaders need to
develop and possess skills that are beyond basic administrative capabilities and management like
direction, planning and delegation. However, to become a transformation leader, the
development of effective communication is important which the primary skill for this leadership
style is.
The evidence-based approach to transformational leadership is through communication as
they have the ability to articulate well and this is the reason Obama became a successful
transformational leader (Gliem and Janack 2008). He inspired many people during his
presidency and spearheaded change. He transformed many organizations, followers, societies
and institutions. His campaign and election both acted beyond symbolic across the globe and
showed right results at right time. Like transformational leaders, he also had high aspirations and
stimulated innovation. During his tenure, he intellectually stimulated people both supporters and
adversaries with his vision. He delivered well on the important dimensions of transformational

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leadership style through striving for change. He articulated a compelling vision, listening,
stimulation of productive dialogue, attending to the needs of his followers, negotiation,
rewarding and punishment as appropriate (Quader 2011).
Intellectual stimulation is the essential component of transformational leadership to bring
about successful change. Obama hinged more on ideas involving emotions and had the potential
to stir others’ emotions (Pepper 2010). He had demonstrated ultimate transformational and
charismatic leadership qualities and brought miraculous changes in the country. His leadership
helped people to see opportunities where others saw problems and obstacles. He had the
confidence to take risks and left no space for any doubts. He always stayed calm and had faith in
this work. During his tenure, he created a culture of openness, determination and integrity that
permeated through throughout his tenure. He conveyed powerful messages that demonstrated
his transformational leadership style. His message conveyed personal empowerment and
possibility so that people achieve their goals and work towards the progress of the country by
taking the responsibility of taking productivity, performance and profit to a new level. Obama
was also a charismatic leader. He words have inspired millions of people and many uninvolved
Americans got into the political arena and showed what they can believe in. His greatest strength
was not only to inspire people, but also to make them informed and transformed. Therefore, in
this way he made transformation inspiration and information to bring into action (Bligh and
Kohles 2009).
Transformational leadership theory
Transformational leadership theory is defined as an approach where leaders bring about
change in the individuals as well as in the social systems. This theory explains that there should

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be positive and valuable change among the followers sharing a common goal. In its authentic
form, transformational leaders enhance morale, motivation and performance of the followers. In
this way, leaders are able to connect the sense of identity of followers with self-mission and
inspiring them and in becoming a role model. This is the reason Obama became a transformation
leader who has vision aligned with the needs of the followers. These types of leaders have high
expectations and clear goals that were inspiring and far-sighted. His worked with the people and
motivated them to create followers who are aspiring to work beyond their capabilities. They have
a charismatic appeal and work with people who are devoted to bring about a positive change. He
had a consistent vision and mission and guided his followers by giving them a sense of risk
taking and challenge. These types of leaders are innovative and creative in nature and stimulate it
into people so that they are able to find opportunities instead of viewing problems. This made
him a transformational leader where she inspired millions of people and drove the country
towards meticulous change. Transformational leaders have effective communication skills and
similarly, Obama developed a common vision and communicated this to followers convincingly
by fostering trust and inspiring them to take action (Avolio and Yammarino 2013).
Criticism of Obama’s transformational leadership style
Although this leadership style is effective, it has some pitfalls. Transformational leaders
greatly accept risks for driving innovation that might turn out to be detrimental and disruptive.
Obama tried to bring about change in the healthcare by addressing its problems. However, many
observers criticized that he should have not delegated the healthcare to the congressional leaders
rather should have joined directly at the personal level. He did not involve in the complex
matters that greatly demanded his personal involvement. Although transformation leadership
style stir emotions and stimulate intellect in others, Obama failed to do that in the case of

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healthcare sector where he failed to capitalize his communication skills. The overall impact of
his leadership style showed that he was not a completely transformational leader and failed to
deploy complex issues personally and strategically (Foss 2017).
Charismatic leadership theory
Transformational leadership share multiple similarities with charismatic leadership style.
Charismatic leadership is defined by the persuasiveness and charm of the leader. They are driven
by commitment and convictions to the cause. Leaders are good orators or skilled communicators
who are verbally very eloquent, but try to communicate with others on a personal level. They are
known to show expertise and devotion with clear vision in politics or business with a highly
engaging audience. Obama is also a skilled communicator and exhibited charismatic rhetoric
aspiring millions of people. His communication and connectivity with people of the country
exhibited strategies of motivational, inspirational, charismatic and visionary leader promoting
shared values, goals in order to improve the lives of people through change and innovation
(Northouse 2015).
Followers and organizational change
Barack Obama was successful in bringing about a season of change when he came to
power and established an organization changes to almost every sector. It has to be in a manner
that will be the most acceptable by the recipients, the normal public. Needless to say, it could not
have been an easy pursuit to enforce organizational change of that magnitude and do not have
reluctance and rebellion against compliance in the path, however he could overcome it fluidly
with his shrewd political knowledge and charismatic leadership skills (Newsom 2010).

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Every organization has a unique characteristic culture and when the organizational
change threatens the very culture of the organization, the challenges are inevitable. It has to be
understood that Barack Obama made history when he became the very first ‘black’ president of
the United States of America, which had been a revolutionary change in itself for the nation who
had only seen leadership from a conventional ‘white’ point of view. Hence, Obama had to
overcome a few extra hurdles to remove the orthodox racial misconceptions from the political
world and establish himself as a worthy leader; he could do it so beautifully because of his
exceptional transformational leadership skills (Northouse 2015).
However Obama had motivational and inspirational leadership skills up his sleeves since
the very beginning of his career. The former president of USA worked as a community organizer
in the 1980s and word has it that his understanding of organizing and managing a community
perfectly reflected in his leadership style as he attempted to organize and manage the USA.
Many of the critics have always discussed about charismatic leadership theory when discussing
Obama, however the transformational leadership aspects of his working style cannot be
overlooked (Daft 2014).
According to the stage theory of organizational change, there are definite and specific
stages or step through which any particular organizational change is brought about and in order
to establish sustainable change management a leader must focus into smoothing out each of those
steps. The theory of transformational leadership speaks of creating an optimistic and inspiration
vision about the outcome of the change, Barack Obama could do it effortlessly with his supreme
farsightedness and expertise in leadership and political management (Quader 2011). President
Obama had the thirst for power like any other political leader, but what could have set him apart
is that he used that desire to generate a vision of a unified nation. It works together towards the

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betterment of the society. He adapted all modern technologies he could to drive his point across
and never lost sight of his vision, neither let any of his followers would do, which is what
enabled him to overcome any hurdle that he encountered along his path for success.
Change management
Bringing an organizational change requires a myriad of different skills; successful change
management is on the top of that list for any motivational political leader. As president Obama
attempted to break all the conventional political stereotypes in his career one brick at a time,
change management skills have been a vital strength in his armour. One of the key attributes of
Obama that has been appreciated throughout his career is his shrewd farsightedness. He
interpreted very early in his career that with the unified vision of a transformed America he had
with equality and innovation at the focal point, he had to invest any and all resources he might
had. Hence, he anchored the need for change in the young generation to his benefit and utilized
any technology he could get his hands on to drive across his vision to the entire nation (Edwards
III 2012). Everyone strives for change, and with dire need of equality and justice that America
had been in, Obama and his transformational vision received a magnanimous response from the
citizen. Communication is considered to be one of the greatest foundations on which the theory
of change management is established. President Obama utilized his charismatic communication
skills to motivate the entire nation to see his vision and feel his desire for absolute transformation
in every sector. The development and growth in both technological, societal and economic
aspects that USA saw in his time bears the conspicuous proof of the phenomenal success Obama
attained for is leadership and change management strategies (Johansen 2012).

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Conclusion
There are a myriad of different leadership styles and different political leaders took the
aid of different leadership styles. In case of Barack Obama, the key to his success had been his
transformational and charismatic leadership skills. He had an insatiable thirst for power and a
vision to morph USA into a nation that has exceptional technological and societal developments
all the while having equality and justice as core strengths. Obama never let the power and
position influence his ideals and principles and he never underestimated the abilities of his
citizen to facilitate change. These leadership qualities helped him remain a people’s president
throughout his career giving him an enviable support from his followers glorifying him as one of
the exceptional leaders for the coming generation to look up to.

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References
Avolio, B.J. and Yammarino, F.J. eds., 2013. Introduction to, and overview of, transformational
and charismatic leadership. In Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead
10th Anniversary Edition (pp. xxvii-xxxiii). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Bligh, M.C. and Kohles, J.C., 2009. The enduring allure of charisma: How Barack Obama won
the historic 2008 presidential election. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(3), pp.483-492.
Daft, R.L., 2014. The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.
Edwards III, G.C., 2012. Overreach: Leadership in the Obama presidency. Princeton University
Press.
Foss, S.K., 2017. Rhetorical criticism: Exploration and practice. Waveland Press.
Gliem, D.E. and Janack, J.A., 2008. A portrait of a transformational leader: An analysis of text
and image on BarackObama. com. American Communication Journal, 10(3), pp.33-64.
Green, D.D. and Roberts, G.E., 2012. Transformational leadership in a postmodern world: The
presidential election of Barack Obama. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 11(1), p.9.
Greenstein, F.I., 2009. The presidential difference: Leadership style from FDR to Barack
Obama. Princeton University Press.
Johansen, R., 2012. Leaders make the future: Ten new leadership skills for an uncertain world.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

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Nanjundeswaraswamy, T.S. and Swamy, D.R., 2014. Leadership styles. Advances in
management, 7(2), p.57.
Newsom, T., 2010. Developing African-American leaders in today's schools: Gifted leadership,
the unfamiliar dimension in gifted education. Black History Bulletin, 73(1), p.18.
Northouse, P.G., 2015. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Pepper, K., 2010. Effective principals skillfully balance leadership styles to facilitate student
success: A focus for the reauthorization of ESEA. Planning and Changing, 41(1/2), p.42.
Quader, M.S., 2011. Perception of leadership styles and trust across cultures and gender: A
comparative study on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. South Asian Journal of
Management, 18(2), p.30.