Global leadership has won prominence in recent decades because of its implications on geopolitical trends like politics, environmental protection, human rights, and resource distribution, among other factors. Leaders in the global leadership realm significantly impact the lives of the millions of people they make decisions on behalf of. For instance, millions of Americans depend on their President’s decision-making regarding their taxation, foreign policy, security, taxation, and other critical issues that affect daily life. Poor leadership could have detrimental outcomes on global processes like the war on terrorism, business, and healthcare research, among other issues that countries share. One global leader with indelible footprints in worldwide leadership is President Barack Obama, the 44th president of the US. Apart from being the first African American President, President Obama had outstanding leadership skills that elevated him to the position of one of the most adored US presidents. The current evaluation focuses on President Obama’s leadership. The analysis includes a background overview of President Obama’s biography, his political journey and rise to the presidency, his strengths and weaknesses, key policies that define his reign, and the implications of his leadership on the world. The paper ends with a conclusion that summarizes the main points. The essay argues that President Obama is a unique archetype of global leadership.
Background
President Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Hawaii, in a medical center called Kapi’olani. His parents were Ann Dunhamm and Barack Obama Sr., an exchange program student from a poor village in Western Kenya (Gormley, 2015). The mother, Ann Dunham, was born in Kansas, and her parents lived close to the school where Ann met Barack Obama Sr. The two broke the long traditions by falling in love at a time when racial discrimination was at its peak. Ann’s parents were uneasy and reluctant to accept the relationship, but the two were determined to proceed with their love. Just like President Obama’s stubborn determination to break the glass ceiling in social and political spheres, the couple survived the racialized barriers to their love. The marriage did not succeed. Their relationship was no longer sustainable after Barrack Obama Sr. traveled to Massachusetts for a scholarship. In 1964, she filed for divorce (Gormley, 2015). President Obama grew up without a father from then, although this occurrence did not break his leadership traits and personality.
In his childhood, President Obama learned to overcome social challenges. As a child with an African American background, his mother taught him to be proud of his achievements and accept his unique characteristics. The mother used inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr. to guide the young Barrack. One of the controversial aspects of President Obama’s childhood was religion. He had a Muslim stepfather, which led him to join Muslim religious teachings in school, as the family lived in Indonesia. However, he was also exposed to Catholic teachings in one school and viewed the two religions as similar rather than contradictory. An outstanding character trait in his childhood was spending a lot of time at the back of the class drawing superheroes like Spiderman, something that experts today associate with his mindset set for greatness (Gormley, 2015). His education journey was rough but he managed to achieve his goals.
President Obama studied in different schools as his parents moved from one location to another. His Kindergarten school started in 1966 to 1967 at Noelani Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii. He then joined St. Francis of Assis school in Jakarta, Indonesia, for his first to third grade, and later the state elementary school for fourth grade in the same region. He finished his 12th grade at Punahou School in Hawaii and later went for college studies at Occidental College in Los Angeles between 1979 and 1981. He later proceeded to Columbia University for his Junior secondary in 1981 and Harvard Law School from 1988 to 1991 (Gormley, 2015). Their background education made him a fierce politician. He married Michelle Obama in 1991 and settled in Illinois, where he started his political career.
2.0 Political Journey
President Obama joined politics in the early 1990s, although his wife disliked politics. President Obama was determined to engage in transformative politics and started by becoming a representative for the 13th district in the Illinois Senate. 1996 he was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, marking a significant milestone in his political Journey. (Thomas, 2008). Obama ran for the Illinois Senator’s position in 2000 but lost to the incumbent, Representative Bobby Rush. He later clinched the seat in 2004 and represented the state until 2008. In the 2008 general elections, he ran for the presidency and won against his white competitors to become the 44th US president. The win was outstanding because of his spirited campaign approach and his unique status as an African American president. Thomas (2008) states that President Obama’s campaign was anchored on a sense of purpose, optimism, and a desire for change. President Obama’s “Yes We Can” slogan motivated many Americans to become the best version of themselves and go beyond sociocultural barriers like racial barriers. His presidency was an inspiration to many people who felt hopeless and oppressed, mostly the minorities.
Leadership: Style, Achievements and Challenges
Leadership Style
President Obama’s charismatic leadership approach made him famous globally, primarily because of his ability to interact with leaders and discuss issues candidly. During his campaign, President Obama portrayed high charisma, engaging his supporters in hope-building. According to Stier (2020), a charismatic leader gets people’s grace and elevation and gets a heroic stature. Such qualities make it easy for people to predict the type of leadership qualities the leader would use. Thus, President Obama acquired fame through his charismatic leadership and ability to convince his supporters that he would change the US and the world. President Obama is famous for his organized approach and open mind to controversies and challenges. As his former Chief Political Strategist, David Axelrod, acknowledges, President Obama does not shy away from challenges and appreciates people’s efforts in making him a better person. Obama appreciated his wife’s support and
Achievements
President Obama’s eldership left an indelible mark in the US and the world. Most of his policies changed how people see the world and the views that people have about leadership. One outstanding feature of his leadership was his ability to overcome the barriers he encountered in his political Journey. Racial difference is always a factor in US politics. Many people’s voting patterns largely depend on the leaders’ racial background. Thus, the primary challenge in President Obama’s political journal was winning the support of the majority of Whites and suppressing the racial discrimination surrounding his leadership (Abir & Imane, 2023). Most of his supporters considered his racial difference an inspiration to many whose demographic background disadvantaged them in sociocultural realms. This racial barrier marked one of his primary achievements in leadership, instilling hope and reducing discriminatory perceptions and stereotypes.
During President Obama’s reign as the US president, his policies focused on equity and equality. One view presented by Harper (2020) was that equality was inevitable in any society that has people in power. The rationale is that for any society to have leadership, a more powerful faction must instill its ideologies in others. Based on this view, President Obama knew that his leadership needed to reduce American society’s racial inequalities—the road to progressive leadership in his tenure involved changing policies to adjust how societies operated. For the past few decades, US politics has been defined by polarization between Democrats and Republicans, with each side selling different ideologies.
President Obama’s fight against terrorism is among the leading achievements in his portfolio. The assassination of Osama bin Laden in 2011 is an outstanding landmark in Obama’s leadership (Stier, 2020). The assassination was a milestone in the global fight against terrorism after many years of searching for the terrorism mastermind. To succeed in his war against external aggression, President Obama used foreign policies that encouraged retrenchment and accommodation. His approach involved engaging his foreign partners in designing ways of reducing the motivations for terrorism and expediting a solid position that defined the US policy and stand against terrorism. However, despite his Nobel Peace Prize in December 2009, Obama’s foreign policy did not win the favor of the Muslim countries (Stier, 2020). His efforts to reach out to Muslim countries were not as effective as expected of such an outspoken leader with an open mind.
Challenges
President Obama’s leadership was not without challenges. One challenge was his desire to achieve human rights for all people, mostly the oppressed ones. Pushing for human rights was an initiative the President stated in his campaigns and banked his political Journey on. Therefore, he was obliged to achieve it by all means. Unfortunately, the issue is critical and controversial. According to Saad (2023), dealing with human rights was a significant challenge in President Obama’s leadership because it created a lot of fuss from his critics, who believed his administration was not doing enough.
The second challenge was the health reforms. President Obama sought to introduce health reforms that would enhance equality by increasing the number of people covered by the health insurance programs. Thus, he proposed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as ObamaCare (Gormley, 2015). The Act aimed to improve the healthcare status of the majority of US residents. The program led to massive political and social opposition, logistical problems, and criticism from opponents. Although some scholars consider ObamaCare a success milestone in President Obama’s reign, the efforts created political hurdles for him, with some critics like President Trump promising to repeal it immediately after they got to office.
The other challenges affecting President Obama’s leadership include immigration policy, racial polarization, and economic recession. According to Jajanidze (2023), President Obama would struggle to balance the need for cheap labor in the American industries and regulate immigration. Racial polarization was high in many states. Racial attacks, mainly by the police on minorities, and the racialized war on drugs, which targeted African Americans, affected his presidency. The economic recession 2008 also affected President Obama’s reign as the country and its allies looked upon his leadership to guide it through the difficult times.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
A leader’s strengths enable them to win people’s support and convince the masses to see things from their perspective. One of the strengths that defined President Obama was his communication. The people in the US are keen on the communication approach leaders use, mainly when such leaders come from minority groups (Hella & Opello, 2021). President Obama’s background as an African American put him at risk of using the African American Language (AAL), which many people in the US do not use. According to Holliday et al. (2020), President Obama avoided using ALL ethnolinguistic varieties in his speech and used phrases from Mainstream US English (MUSE) (Almutairi et al., 2022). The President used informative and easy-to-understand language that many people could use. A second strength was that he was outspoken and approachable. He smiled and engaged his crowd to gain legitimacy and make people feel appreciated. Also, President Obama used his communication and engagement skills to build trust with the people, making it easier to engage with citizens even in a crisis. One of her supporters, a white woman, described him as “the most ethical, brilliant, caring president” (Harper, 2020). President Obama was also firm in decision-making, a good debater, conscientious, and reliable. Even the people who opposed him admired his character.
Weaknesses
Besides being an admirable president, Obama had weaknesses that affected his growth and leadership. President Obama’s primary weakness was maintaining a small pool of advisors and avoiding recruiting people from outside. The problem with this approach is that he lacked expertise from people with varying experience in some issues that required inputs from people outside his circle. The other weakness is that President Obama failed to connect with the people at a personal level. Although he was outspoken in public and resonated well with people in public, many critics viewed him as aloof. According to Farr (2022), Obama’s aloofness emerged more poignantly during the British Prime Minister’s visit to the White House in 2009, after which the British Prime Minister described Obama as aloof and insensitive. Although this weakness did not show in the President’s daily engagements, it affected his connection with the people around him. The other weakness was that he was cautious or deliberative. Although he was decisive and firm in his decision-making, President Obama was cautious and avoided unpremeditated decisions. His approach helped him avoid making abrupt decisions with detrimental outcomes.
Policies
Several policies define President Obama’s leadership. First, President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act on July 21, 2010 (Gangopadhyay & Yook, 2022). The policy aimed to regulate the financial sector and reduce the chances of a financial crisis or meltdown. The policy saved the US economy from common financial unethical actions and instilled discipline within the financial institutions. President Obama’s push for a stable US economy depended on this policy and similar ones that determined how the economy operated.
The other policy was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Signing the Act into law in 2009 prevented the US from a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. This policy provided economic recovery packages to support and strengthen the economy. By the time President Obama took over as the President, most of the economic sectors had been severely affected by the recession in 2008, making this policy an essential part of the country’s recovery journey. The policy became critical to President Obama’s leadership because people used it to measure his commitment to improving the country’s economy.
President Obama also portrayed a strong desire to implement clean energy policies and protect the environment. As a clean energy champion, President Obama supported the Clean Power Plan to encourage the use of renewable and clean energy instead of fossil fuels. To support the transition to clean energy, President Obama dedicated over $90 million to clean energy projects (Elkind, 2020). The progress in these efforts shows the President’s commitment to achieving sustainable development goals by 2030 and reducing the global carbon footprint associated with the US. President Obama was also charismatic about environmental protection and participated in crafting and championing international policies supporting clean and sustainable energy sources.
Repealing the policies that discriminated against homosexual people and supporting equality for all people was also part of President Obama’s leadership. He believed everyone had a right to become whatever he or she wanted, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender. Consequently, President Obama repealed the “Do Not Ask, Do Not Tell” policy that prohibited homosexual people from joining the armed forces (Letendre & Abramson, 2021). The topic of sexuality and gender is controversial and sensitive in any community. President Obama did not hesitate to change the law to make everyone comfortable and appreciated in the US communities. Although this policy led to criticism, it portrayed his commitment to creating a society that embraces everyone and has limited regulations on personal decisions.
Global Influence
President Obama’s leadership had indelible marks on the global geopolitical, conservation, human rights, consumption, and cultural ideologies, among other areas. First, becoming the first African American President inspired many people globally who believed in their aspirations regardless of their background and disadvantages. The slogan “Yes We Can” inspired people globally, beyond politics. Secondly, President Obama wanted to change the world’s perception of the US. For instance, President Obama visited Cuba, becoming the first sitting president of the US to visit Cuba since 1928 (Kribes & Toulgui, 2023). He aimed to mend decades of geopolitical issues affecting the US and many countries. His foreign policy involved a similar goal, changing the world’s perception of the US in international trade and economics. Another mark was that Obama changed the relationship between the US and the Middle East. For instance, he acknowledged the need to end the US invasion of Afghanistan. According to Kribes and Toulgui (2023), President Obama planned to withdraw the US soldiers in 2014, although the decision was impossible because Afghanistan was not stable enough. Thus, he started the strategy to withdraw entirely, which occurred in 2021. This move portrayed his changed perception of the Middle East and left a mark of peace and implied a strong desire for a world where countries were free to elect leaders and live without control from the US.
Conclusion
The analysis examines President Obama’s efforts to create a difference during his reign as the 44th US president. His biography portrays a person who grew up in a humble background, having been born in a broken marriage. His humble background, with a Kenyan father and growing up without a father, did not stop him from rising to the most powerful and inspirational President of the free world. His enthusiasm and charismatic approach to political leadership favored his Journey in politics. From the Illinois Senator to the US president, Obama is an inspiration to numerous people globally. Apart from being a strong politician, this analysis portrays President Obama as a person with an admirable character. His strengths, weaknesses, and leadership style helped him become a strong candidate, admired by people globally. Although his leadership had controversial decisions like supporting the rights of homosexual people, mending political differences with countries like Cuba, and withdrawing the US military from Afghanistan, his leadership was effective. President Obama’s focus on clean energy is evident in his policies, and his healthcare policies also portray his desire to provide more equality in the US. Unlike many leaders who use their positions to create fear and superiority, President Obama used his position to enhance unity and ethical leadership in the US.
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