Obama's Key to Success...Engagement. What do you think?

[Michael Kanazawa]

Exactly one year ago, November 11, 2007, I published an article on HR.com that discussed how Barack Obama was doing a good job of truly engaging people in his campaign, but that he had a slight miss on a particular exchange on LinkedIn. In the article I suggested, ” From my work as an advisor to corporate executives it is clear that CEOs who engage their workforce move from having a group of passive followers to people who are active in driving for a cause and willing to take personal accountability for results. Isn’t that what a Presidential hopeful needs in terms of getting out the vote and eventually leading our country?”

Now that the election is over, Barack Obama’s campaign so clearly showed the power of a leader getting people engaged in their cause it is worth calling out again and sharing some key tips to leverage in our own leadership. Regardless how you voted or would have wanted to vote (for non-U.S. people in our group), in this community we should all be glad to have such a great example of what happens when you engage people effectively.

Here are a few of the things I thought Barak Obama demonstrated as a leader to engage voters. What did you pick up on?

- Don’t seek to sell people your ideas and have them “buy-in.” Rather, invite people to invest personally in a shared vision with you

- Listen well to everyone and especially closely to those who disagree with you

- Lead in service to others and share credit with everyone when the team wins

[David Zinger]

Good points Michael,
As a Canadian I was impressed how often Obama would credit his rival McCain in debates and make his point without minimizing his rival. I think he showed a lot of respect and respect fosters engagement in my mind.
David

[Terrence Seamon]

Yes, President-elect Obama demonstrated an impressive level of leadership and engagement in his campaign to win this office.

Now the true test begins. He campaigned on the need for, and the promise of, change. Can he provide the leadership and engagement as president that the US needs at this critical time?

- What will his priorities be?

- Who will he select to join his cabinet?

- What steps will he take to pursue change?

How will he lead the country? I hope that the three things you mention, Michael, continue to be visible qualities that we see in him as president.

Terry

[Michael Kanazawa]

Terry,

You are right. The next moves Obama makes will be quite telling about his leadership. It will be fascinating to watch how his engagement of the entire country plays out.

Mike

[John Inman]

Michael I do believe that engagement at all levels with all people is absolutly the key to Obama's success. He can and will transform the repution of the US government through his work. Seems like a "no brainer" to me but this last 8 years has shown that not everyone believes in engagement.

John

[Maryanna Kontaratos]

Michael, I agree!

Obama is certainly a remarkably strong advocate for engagement. Interestingly, outside the US there has been one candidate in the eyes of most followers of the election - Obama. He is an excellent listener and we all know how important listening is to driving engagement.

The overall perception abroad is that Obama is someone you can work with, he may not agree with your opinion, policy or agenda, but at least there will be some useful dialog.

[Susan Robinson]

I agree! Here are some other engagement strategies that worked in the Obama campaign:
* When people deny problems...Raise doubt.
* Highlight the discrepancy between the current situation and the goals and values of the organization/country/group.
* Identify organizational/group strengths that can be applied to succeed in change - Build confidence in the ability to change.
* Cultivate hope.
* Stay in-touch and relevant. Stick to the priorities of your audience.

Susan