In Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, one can find numerous references to the American Dream and the need to explore opportunities for American children. This rhetoric ultimately shows Obama to display his charismatic leadership skills and concentrate on the audience (Obama, 2008). Hence, some of the elements of the speech (for example, a constant repetition of “there is”) serve as an instrument intended to draw attention to what Obama says. The central theme of his acceptance speech is hope, which also sends the audience back to the influence created by the 44th President of the United States. He addresses numerous beneficial gains awaiting Americans in order to make everything revolve around the “yes we can” catchphrase (Obama, 2008). The speaker knowingly utilizes his innate charisma to emphasize the importance of following the vision and preserving unity on the way to a better life and quick recovery.
Speaking of the concept of vision, charismatic leadership depends on it due to the need to articulate certain ideas and overlook the topics that do not play an essential role at the moment. Wegge et al. (2019) suggest that the credibility that a leader can gain through the interface of sharing their vision could make them look even more knowledgeable and trustworthy. For example, Obama’s rhetoric and custom linguistic strategies allowed him to appeal to the values of the majority of American citizens. This was an opportunity for the 44th President of the United States to demonstrate their motivation and positively lure others into following his ideas and values. In line with Wegge et al. (2019), vision and charismatic leadership are often intertwining because of the altering perception displayed by the audience. In other words, Obama’s charismatic leadership allowed him to develop a vision that was empowering and confidence-building.
References
Obama, B. (2008). Barack Obama speech – Election night victory. obamaspeeches.com. Web.
Wegge, J., Jungbauer, K. L., & Shemla, M. (2019). When inspiration does not fit the bill: Charismatic leadership reduces performance in a team crisis for followers high in self-direction. Journal of Management & Organization, 1-18. Web.