CEOs should learn from Obama - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

ChinoCoug · 01-12-2008, 12:32 AM

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7fe4cd92-b...nclick_check=1

YOhio · 01-12-2008, 01:55 AM

Can you post the text or summarize? I don't want to register.

ChinoCoug · 01-12-2008, 02:21 AM

Barack Obama, the 46-year-old Illinois senator, is now in a hard fight with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. But he has already achieved something with his soaring rhetoric and his promise of change in Washington: the admiration of Americans, Bill Clinton excepted.

Among them are business leaders who must themselves convince shareholders, managers and employees that their companies can and should change. Mr Obama, of all the presidential candidates, is the one from whom chief executives can draw the clearest lessons about leadership.

On paper, if there is any candidate whom business leaders should be following, it is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and co-founder of Bain Capital, the private equity group. The square-jawed Mr Romney campaigns as a “can-do” guy whose business expertise will help him to shake up Washington.

But Mr Romney has undermined himself by blatantly flip-flopping on issues and speaking with the synthetic charm of a game-show host. Mike Huckabee, a fellow Republican, hit home with his jibe that the voters want a candidate “who reminds them of the guy they work with rather than the guy who laid them off”.

Then there is Mr Obama. Hardly any business leader can hope to match his skill as a speaker. He has displayed perfect pitch in his oratory, including his rejoinder to Mrs Clinton’s barb about “raising false hopes” during his concession speech in New Hampshire: “In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.”

But Mr Obama has other qualities from which chief executives can learn.

The first is thoughtfulness. The Clintons have laid into him for lacking experience. But he compensates, as Peter Wehner, a former Bush administration official, wrote on the Commentary magazine blog, by “radiating a sense of good judgment”.

Mr Obama gives the impression of having thought deeply about issues and of saying what he really thinks rather than something convenient. That also matters in business, where many chief executives behave as Mr Romney has by spouting nostrums and flipping among strategies rather than sticking to well-considered decisions.

Many employees are like voters – they are disillusioned from having been caught up in too many flawed “change” programmes. They see executives arrive, restructure quickly according to the latest consultant’s advice, fail to achieve much and move on. They have a human yearning to be led by someone they trust.

His second quality is selflessness. Until she was brought up short by Iowa’s voters, Mrs Clinton had been acting like many business leaders – insisting to her audiences that she was the best person to lead them and reeling off lists of her achievements. She broadcast an unattractive blend of ambition and egomania.

Mr Obama is ambitious but he also possesses empathy. He shows every sign of listening to others – even those who disagree with him – and placing a high value not on telling them what to do but on persuading them to join a common cause.

That was evident in his victory speech in Iowa. Halfway through, he paused and said: “I know you didn’t do this for me.” It was a rhetorical trick but it was typical of his practice of turning the focus to his listeners’ experiences as much as his own.

Maybe it was corny and, from the mouth of a lesser speaker, would have rung false. But it is surprising how many CEOs do not bother to make an effort. Behind the rhetoric of teamwork, many are blatantly more interested in their own ambitions than their impact on others.

One chief executive who displays selflessness is Rick Wagoner of General Motors. The fact that he treated GM’s unions with respect, even when there were reasons to rail at both, helped him to push through changes to health benefits under pressure last year.

Mr Obama’s third attribute is that he is a wonderful storyteller. This sounds like a second-degree talent, something it might be nice to have but is not essential. But it has helped him to overcome the obvious weakness of his candidacy – lack of experience – by reframing it as a narrative about the US.

While more wooden candidates – step forward, Mr Romney – have exploited their status as Washington ingenues by rattling off the usual schtick about being strangers to backroom deals, Mr Obama talks about himself embodying a rare, but quintessentially American, moment when the social fabric shifts and a newcomer emerges.

Unlike oratorical perfect pitch, narrative is a craft that can be learned. It is also a very important one for business leaders. Many CEOs stand or fall by their ability to frame a story, not only for investors or analysts about how they are turning a company around but for employees to engage them in making it happen.

In Iowa, and to a lesser extent in New Hampshire, Mr Obama showed that even voters who are disposed to be suspicious of political leaders can be rallied by a leader who makes them feel they are part of a noble cause that is bigger than any individual.

That can also work in business if a leader is skilful enough. Nobody is likely to regard the task of making a company more profitable as morally equivalent to breaking down racial barriers. But most people are eager to do something more than earn money and fill in time at work.

Many chief executives do raise false hopes – that their companies can outsmart the competition and achieve something laudable. Mostly, they fail and they disappoint those working with them. But there is always room for someone who transcends the ordinary. It is true in politics and it is true in business as well.

myboynoah · 01-12-2008, 03:29 AM

Wow, they drank the Obama koolaid.

I'm always wary of foreigners telling Americans who their political leaders should be and how they should act. They fear Romney.

il Padrino Ute · 01-12-2008, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Wow, they drank the Obama koolaid.

I'm always wary of foreigners telling Americans who their political leaders should be and how they should act. They fear Romney.

They certainly did.

CEO's got to where they are precisely because they didn't listen to people like Obama.

Insensitive PAP · 01-12-2008, 04:08 AM

That's a great strategy. Hire the guy who tells you what you want to hear, rather than the guy who actually tells you the right thing to do.

01-12-2008, 12:32 AM	#1
ChinoCoug Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NOVA Posts: 3,005	CEOs should learn from Obama http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7fe4cd92-b...nclick_check=1 __________________ 太初有道

01-12-2008, 02:21 AM	#3
ChinoCoug Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NOVA Posts: 3,005	Barack Obama, the 46-year-old Illinois senator, is now in a hard fight with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. But he has already achieved something with his soaring rhetoric and his promise of change in Washington: the admiration of Americans, Bill Clinton excepted. Among them are business leaders who must themselves convince shareholders, managers and employees that their companies can and should change. Mr Obama, of all the presidential candidates, is the one from whom chief executives can draw the clearest lessons about leadership. On paper, if there is any candidate whom business leaders should be following, it is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and co-founder of Bain Capital, the private equity group. The square-jawed Mr Romney campaigns as a “can-do” guy whose business expertise will help him to shake up Washington. But Mr Romney has undermined himself by blatantly flip-flopping on issues and speaking with the synthetic charm of a game-show host. Mike Huckabee, a fellow Republican, hit home with his jibe that the voters want a candidate “who reminds them of the guy they work with rather than the guy who laid them off”. Then there is Mr Obama. Hardly any business leader can hope to match his skill as a speaker. He has displayed perfect pitch in his oratory, including his rejoinder to Mrs Clinton’s barb about “raising false hopes” during his concession speech in New Hampshire: “In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.” But Mr Obama has other qualities from which chief executives can learn. The first is thoughtfulness. The Clintons have laid into him for lacking experience. But he compensates, as Peter Wehner, a former Bush administration official, wrote on the Commentary magazine blog, by “radiating a sense of good judgment”. Mr Obama gives the impression of having thought deeply about issues and of saying what he really thinks rather than something convenient. That also matters in business, where many chief executives behave as Mr Romney has by spouting nostrums and flipping among strategies rather than sticking to well-considered decisions. Many employees are like voters – they are disillusioned from having been caught up in too many flawed “change” programmes. They see executives arrive, restructure quickly according to the latest consultant’s advice, fail to achieve much and move on. They have a human yearning to be led by someone they trust. His second quality is selflessness. Until she was brought up short by Iowa’s voters, Mrs Clinton had been acting like many business leaders – insisting to her audiences that she was the best person to lead them and reeling off lists of her achievements. She broadcast an unattractive blend of ambition and egomania. Mr Obama is ambitious but he also possesses empathy. He shows every sign of listening to others – even those who disagree with him – and placing a high value not on telling them what to do but on persuading them to join a common cause. That was evident in his victory speech in Iowa. Halfway through, he paused and said: “I know you didn’t do this for me.” It was a rhetorical trick but it was typical of his practice of turning the focus to his listeners’ experiences as much as his own. Maybe it was corny and, from the mouth of a lesser speaker, would have rung false. But it is surprising how many CEOs do not bother to make an effort. Behind the rhetoric of teamwork, many are blatantly more interested in their own ambitions than their impact on others. One chief executive who displays selflessness is Rick Wagoner of General Motors. The fact that he treated GM’s unions with respect, even when there were reasons to rail at both, helped him to push through changes to health benefits under pressure last year. Mr Obama’s third attribute is that he is a wonderful storyteller. This sounds like a second-degree talent, something it might be nice to have but is not essential. But it has helped him to overcome the obvious weakness of his candidacy – lack of experience – by reframing it as a narrative about the US. While more wooden candidates – step forward, Mr Romney – have exploited their status as Washington ingenues by rattling off the usual schtick about being strangers to backroom deals, Mr Obama talks about himself embodying a rare, but quintessentially American, moment when the social fabric shifts and a newcomer emerges. Unlike oratorical perfect pitch, narrative is a craft that can be learned. It is also a very important one for business leaders. Many CEOs stand or fall by their ability to frame a story, not only for investors or analysts about how they are turning a company around but for employees to engage them in making it happen. In Iowa, and to a lesser extent in New Hampshire, Mr Obama showed that even voters who are disposed to be suspicious of political leaders can be rallied by a leader who makes them feel they are part of a noble cause that is bigger than any individual. That can also work in business if a leader is skilful enough. Nobody is likely to regard the task of making a company more profitable as morally equivalent to breaking down racial barriers. But most people are eager to do something more than earn money and fill in time at work. Many chief executives do raise false hopes – that their companies can outsmart the competition and achieve something laudable. Mostly, they fail and they disappoint those working with them. But there is always room for someone who transcends the ordinary. It is true in politics and it is true in business as well. __________________ 太初有道

01-12-2008, 03:29 AM	#4
myboynoah Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Memphis freakin' Tennessee!!!!! Posts: 4,530	Wow, they drank the Obama koolaid. I'm always wary of foreigners telling Americans who their political leaders should be and how they should act. They fear Romney. __________________ Give 'em Hell, Cougars!!! Religion rises inevitably from our apprehension of our own death. To give meaning to meaninglessness is the endless quest of all religion. When death becomes the center of our consciousness, then religion authentically begins. Of all religions that I know, the one that most vehemently and persuasively defies and denies the reality of death is the original Mormonism of the Prophet, Seer and Revelator, Joseph Smith.

01-12-2008, 01:55 AM	#2
YOhio AKA SeattleNewt Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 7,055	Can you post the text or summarize? I don't want to register.

01-12-2008, 04:08 AM	#6
Insensitive PAP Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 293	That's a great strategy. Hire the guy who tells you what you want to hear, rather than the guy who actually tells you the right thing to do.