December 16th, 2008 | by Jack Reichert

Often, when envisioning a person who has great leadership qualities, people imagine a strong-willed individual who is good at getting others to do what he needs them to do. While the term “leader” implies that you are able to influence others, being a good leader includes much more. One example of this complexity is how is a leader to know in what direction to lead?

President-elect Obama is coming into a leadership position during very difficult times. To name a few reasons: the world economy is in the dumps, people are losing jobs left and right, America is actively involved in multiple military fronts and people aren’t getting the health care that they need. Sadly, the list could go on. So the question is how can the future president effectively tackle so many difficult issues?

From “The Ethics of our Fathers,” there is a traditional Jewish maxim: “Who is wise? One that can learn from everyone.” I believe that this edict certainly applies to the question: “Who is a good leader?”

One of the first jobs of a politician is to appoint the people that will advise and work with him. Usually these posts come with a fair amount of power, money and prestige. Because of this many politicians use this opportunity to return favors to people who helped them reach their new appointment. What inevitably happens is that the best people for the job are not appointed.
What has impressed me most about President-elect Obama’s team has been that it is well thought out. He has been choosing experts and strong, intelligent candidates for each position that he has filled. This shows his strong leadership qualities.

I began by saying asking: “how is a leader to know in what direction to lead?” I think that part of the answer to that question has to be: by surrounding himself by experts on the issues that he needs to deal with. And this is exactly what President-elect Obama has been doing.

But the edict I quoted says: “One that can learn from everyone.”

If you visit the official website of President-elect Obama you will find multiple requests, in many different forms, to give you opinion on the issues on the table. Being a good leader is not only about listening to the people that you think are experts but also making sure to hear from as many people as possible.

How many people are in the mailroom even though they are overqualified for the job so that they can work their way up in the company? I am sure that if you listened to what that employee had to say you would find a refreshing new perspective.
How many “ingenious” inventions were only improvements on versions of the same idea that did not quite make the cut?
A first step to being a great leader is about:

• Surrounding yourself with the right people for the job.
• Understanding that everyone has a unique perspective and you should not overlook the advice of a “common man.”

President-elect Obama seems to be starting on the right foot. Let us hope that he continues in the right direction, for surrounding yourself with people with the right answers doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to identify which answer is right. Nor does it mean that you’ll listen to the right answer. Sometimes it can be a hard choice to make.

Image Credit: jmtimages

Tags: ethics, leadership qualities, obama, world economy

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 10:55 am and is filed under Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.