Barack Obama: Ambassador Leadership Style Research Paper

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Introduction

The concept of leadership and development has become significant in contemporary organizations. It is a long-term practice that organizations can only exist when there is a person responsible for leading the company. This role is usually completed when the leader can deliver the values of the organisation that they are elected to present. For leaders to accomplish this role, they must acquire skills that will enable them to serve the company well. A leader is seen as a person who can identify individual managerial skills that can be applied to achieve strategic ambitions besides handling personal development to achieve the organization’s ambitions. Proper leadership skills are important for any institution to ensure the promotion of aspects such as motivation and satisfaction in the organization. This paper provides an overview of President Barack Obama’s ambassador leadership style. It also compares this style with bureaucratic leadership.

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President Barack Obama and Ambassador Leadership

This assignment focuses on the successful leadership of President Barack Obama. The American figure adopts an ambassador leadership style that has brought about a significant change in the United States. The history and current experiences of the leaders determine the approaches to the management of contemporary institutions (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). The ambassador leadership style requires one to be knowledgeable about various aspects in areas such as health, politics, education, communication, sports, and business among others. According to Sandling (2015), leadership looks more into the person’s capability. It is a function of knowing oneself and having that vision through proper communication, taking appropriate action when required, building trust with colleagues, and being able to win the confidence of individual work (Bennis & Thomas, 2006).

How the Ambassador Style compares to Bureaucratic Leadership

The preferred style in this essay is bureaucratic leadership. The ambassador leadership style encourages consensus (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). Leaders such as President Barack Obama who follow the ambassador leadership style are endowed with significant power. Although they allow subordinate leaders to exercise substantial freedom, their extent depends on set rules. However, they can conduct work according to their own rules as long as they are appropriate (Northouse, 2015). The staff also determines their own goals and solves work problems among themselves. In this leadership, there are standard procedures for performing tasks. The advantage of this leadership is that the staff gains a lot of experience as they become more educated about the job (Kouzes & Posner, 2012).

On the other hand, the bureaucratic leadership style is governed by defined standards and rules that are set by the institution. The bureaucratic leadership style emphasizes protection and truthfulness (Rath & Conchie, 2009). The approach to leadership is suitable for situations that involve risks. For instance, it can be used in hands on activities such as construction work. Leaders are required to understand the standard operating procedures of the institutional laws that govern a particular country (Glanz, 2002). Some safety procedures must be also set to ensure that everything is performed appropriately. Managers are given as much power and decision-making authority as possible. The powers in the organization are retained by the manager (Northouse, 2015). In such cases, the top leaders do not consult the staff. In this kind of leadership, the staff is also bound to obey and follow orders from the leader without asking questions (Rath & Conchie, 2009). The bureaucratic leadership style is good when new leaders are selected as they still do not know a lot about how the institution operates. However, it is not advisable to use this kind of leadership on people who have held headship positions for many years as it is bound to bring the rebellion to the leadership (Sandling, 2015).

According to Northouse (2015), the ambassador leadership style is more participative where leaders involve one or more of their staff during the decision-making process (Glanz, 2002). They discuss with their subordinates what needs to be done and the resources that are needed in meeting the organization’s objectives. However, decision making will always remain with the leaders themselves (Bennis & Thomas, 2006). Bureaucratic leadership is important in increasing the motivation of people. When it is used properly in organizations, it will motivate staff to be more productive. It also enables a leader to produce a high quantity and quality of work since everybody in the organization is involved (Rath & Conchie, 2009). One is always called upon to develop plans that will assist staff in evaluating their performance. Bureaucratic leadership permits junior leaders to contribute to the set goals. It also encourages promotions and recognizes achievements (Rath & Conchie, 2009).

In conclusion, all leadership styles have relevance in different areas of application. An upright leader such as President Barack Obama ensures that his leadership style drives the country towards the realization of its short-term and long-term goals. As a result, bureaucratic leadership can be an appropriate approach to encourage the other leaders to work towards the accomplishment of the national goals.

Reference List

Bennis, W., & Thomas, R. (2006). Leading for a Lifetime: How Defining Moments Shape Leaders of Today and Tomorrow. Harvard: Harvard Business Review Press.

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Glanz, J. (2002). Finding Your Leadership Style: A Guide for Educators. Alexandria, United States: ASCD.

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass.

Northouse, P. (2015). Leadership: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE Publications.

Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2009). Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow. New York, NY: Gallup Press.

Sandling, J. (2015). Leading with Style: The Comprehensive Guide to Leadership Styles. New York, NY: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "Barack Obama: Ambassador Leadership Style." April 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/barack-obama-ambassador-leadership-style/.

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IvyPanda. "Barack Obama: Ambassador Leadership Style." April 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/barack-obama-ambassador-leadership-style/.

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