Introduction
Every president of the nation is unique when it comes to the leadership styles that they are using to manage the state. They have their own level of intelligence, a sole mass approach and a diverse expression of passion to lead. Every potential leader has its own perception and ideas about the things that must do to accomplish a goal for the country where they are in. Leadership style can be an autocratic, democratic or laizzes-faire, when the need arises, for sometimes, those three styles is being used at the same time by the leader to follow the plotted plan for the population.
Richard Neustadt viewed that because of the limited authority of the elected president, the leader is compelled to use his interpersonal abilities to implement rules and influence people (Preston, 2001). His description of presidential power stresses the ultimate significance of what he called personal presidency. The definitive presidential power lies in the hand of the existing leader and his actions are certainly being scrutinized.
That is why, in the real world, the present leader of the nation can never be safe from comparing to the previous leaders when it comes to management approach. The people of the nation are the first line to be affected with how the president handles the state that is why they are very keen in evaluating the current president. Citizens also evaluating the leadership styles of the previous presidents. With that, they are seeking for the distinctions and resemblances that would play a big part to make their nation more successful.
The Americans are trying to look for the character of the privileged if they are really competent and have the capacity to bring out the bacon for their country. As we go on with the discussion, comparison between current US president Barack Obama and previous US president Abraham Lincoln will be talked about, their differences and similarities with their leadership styles, and how it affects the perception of the people to put them in power and to become a president of their state.
Discussion
Which President do you feel your leadership style most resembles?
The president that resembles most is Barack Obama because of his passion of being a democrat and being an agent for change. Barack Obama has also a huge heart for those who are unprivileged. He used to convey speeches that really play a big impact in every Americans.
According to New York Times (2009), Barack Obama has been a font of cool confidence regardless of lots of difficulty that he has since he became the president of the United States. He really wants to have transformed the current government into its development. Barack Obama is one of the greatest people who actually practice democracy. He solicited guidance from his constituents and do consolidate the actual problems and plans to arrive with the accurate resolution.
He adopted and blended the individuality and traits of his two precursors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton that able him to come up with a very rewarding insights. As a matter of fact, during an assembly, he absolutely got the votes of GOP senators and winning the support of his group. The New York Times (2009) quoted his decisions as crisp and efficient. He was observed to a good listener and at the end of the meeting; he used to sum up what he have learned.
Many Americans describe President Obama as a Catalytic leader. This is exactly the leadership style the country and the world needs for the development that is similarly related to our history. To give information about this leadership style, Catalytic Leadership is a style of leadership whereby a person in charge encourages various constituencies to move forward and work as one and where efficient solutions to troubles are fashioned by such constituencies jointly working, with everyone trade into the problem solving process. Being involved and invested in the said process, stakeholders who may crave diverse results may yet come to support a key for the reason that they are part of the course.
President Obama is exactly an alluring leader, he is simply a charismatic figure as quoted by the writer. The true power of President Barack Obama lies in what come into view to be his natural management skill and his cleverness at illustrating a variety of diverse constituencies into his decision-making practice. There are some that will not agree with the conclusion of every proposal he displays forward but everyone will at least be capable to articulate that they were consulted and had their voice heard.
President Barack Obama loves to listen to those who have something to say, he even doesn’t want to insecure citizen. Newsweek (2009) quoted that If the person who is talking to Obama has nothing to say, he will do an action on it. He will exert some effort to call on that person. According to Newsweek (2009) President Barack Obama usually thinks that this person disagrees with the issues they are discussing but according to his aides, he never gets mad easily.
As a matter of fact President Barack Obama yells only two times in four years that really counts because being patient, especially when you are in leadership field, is a very vital characteristic (Newsweek, 2009). President Barack Obama fights for the unity of his nation; he doesn’t want to be on the top but wants his countrymen to go with the right path of success. As evidence, the Newsweek (2009) quoted the word of Obama, “We’re going to rise or fall together”.
What leadership qualities enabled these presidents to become the President of the United States?
Similarities of Obama and Lincoln
Barack Obama is the current president of the United States and he shows to the whole state that he is not overwhelm with the power he has right now, a presidential power. Obama actually look up to preceding presidents of the United States especially to former president Abraham Lincoln. They have many similarities. Obama and Lincoln are both seeking the consent and sides of all concerns. They do have the characteristic of being unbiased.
They love to pay attention to newborn thoughts and even if disapproval arises, they are still in control. They were both elected during the national crisis. According to Justin Raimondo (2009), the two compared presidents are both excellent in timing and they are geniuses, they are the one who are working out for their speeches. When it comes to the issue of freedom, for Lincoln, freedom must be implemented for it is a commandment and for Obama freedom is one of the natural rights of every creature. Their view about freedom falls under one meaning, it must be granted and the life of each of them is really dedicated to politics (Raimondo, 2009).
Lincoln had nothing but the power to lead, he made a very gratifying account in the world of politics. On the other hand, Obama is somewhat in Lincoln’s path. He settled himself in the world of politics. According to the writing of Justin Raimondo (2009), Obama voted in Chicago as senator during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Their dedication brought them to the path of leadership that made them as one of the great presidents of United States.
Obama is not just a great leader for his time; he is also a good follower of his antecedent. Previous presidents play a very vital part in Obama’s administration, they’ve been Obama’s role model particularly Lincoln. Earlier President Lincoln fought during the predicament of his era and Obama, as presently seen, is fighting the crisis for the Americans. Based on the study of Justin Raimondo (2009), Lincoln eradicated hard bread, brought in the greenback, as well as placed the skeleton of the semi nationalized banking system that is presently collapse. Lincoln also set up a tariff wall behind which the “trusts” were cozy, and that economic institutions developed and increased as widespread weed, pungent their economic and political contenders (Raimondo, 2009).
Notice the great Lincoln how he raised the community interests, industries was funded including railroads that were abundant with land grants. The inflation rate in the economy attained its peak, the fortitude of the citizens when in comes to enterprise posted a big success, machineries of the government that are very advanced were introduced during his period and the success of Lincoln in the fields of banking has a very huge resemblance with Obama (Raimondo, 2009).
Raimondo (2009) stated that Obama implements centralizing and outright nationalizing the banking system even before he was elected as the president of the United States. He even made a dialogue for the bank bailout, with John McCain; the federal government offered a blank check for them to do the demands of the said project to save the collapsing walls of the central-banking structure that was made during Lincoln’s period. In this manner, it is obvious that they are both into banking, they are both after in the interests of the common good (Raimondo, 2009).
Lincoln stands as the most excellent presidential symbol of settlement and unity on a national scale while Obama, who in almost every major address starting 2004, emphasizes this subject matter, clearly wants to follow in Lincoln’s ladder as an almost liberator in chief (New York Times, 2008). Same with Lincoln who required achieving a gauge of national redemption and racial reconciliation, Obama has sought, with the famous words of Lincoln, “to bind up the nation’s wounds”
Differences of Obama and Lincoln
They have a couple of similarity but still they have the so called individualism/differences. In leadership styles, they do have the uniqueness. Obama was a community organizer, he imposes his leadership without throwing threats to people, he poses a good example to those citizens in terms of problem solving, he collaborates with his citizens when doing problem solving that is why it is proven that he is known to be a democrat and he used to practice the simple style of leadership (New York Times, 2008).
On the other hand Lincoln is a republican, he is really firm and tough in implementing laws, he stopped the discriminations tossed to black Americans and as a matter of fact, he signed the emancipation proclamation that gives permit to free black slaves.
Obama and Lincoln are both lawyers but they differ in how they acquire they knowledge that they are using during their presidency and period. Obama had a formal education in law and attended Columbia and Harvard University. In contrast, Lincoln sustained his education from doing by his self; he had no practically official school for his education. Another set of differences; Lincoln canceled the writ of habeas corpus to remain the torn merger together while Obama wants to make a civilian paramilitary force to complete the national security objectives.
Lincoln served in the Illinois state legislature and the U.S. congress as a savior of the nation against crisis for two decades and two years before becoming President whereas Obama served as state senator for seven years and two years being a U.S. senator before running for President. They did a great job in politics but differ in what they are fighting for because they do have different job descriptions. Lincoln foresaw America as a country conceived in Liberty, and believed that all men were born equal while Obama wants all men to keep on being equal.
Conclusion
Every nation is eager to have a real leader that would have a heart in making their country more successful and freeing them from any frightening situations. Mostly, leader of a state should be a good follower and a role model. Obama and Lincoln are the best example, they do have the qualities that the nation needed and they are not just leaders but heroes to be idolized in leadership. We need to have spiritual guidance in every aspect of our lives and it is very amazing that Obama and Lincoln do not even forget the true essence of prayer. The writer cited an example. The priests of the Obama cult uttered their prayers and burn incense at his altar and the Remnant appears on, puzzled and not a little frightened, hope that he will not do too much harm (Raimondo, 2009).
Identification of Obama with Lincoln is all fixed up with the subject of race and the idea that the presidency of Obama is somehow the completion of the Lincolnian dream of a land where the offspring of slaves could attain the highest office in the land. Lincoln was perhaps the most literary president in both on paper and verbal word because of what he had done during his presidency that able to made him more successful and famous (Dallek, 2008).
Obama figures to line up in that field when he was voted as the president, his first memoir, Dreams From My Father, will become the most persuasive book written by the president in contemporary times. Obama repeatedly referred to him as his own best speechwriter indicating that like Lincoln, Obama recognizes the supremacy of presidential oratory.
Every individual has a right to choose. People became good because he chose to be good. Another person grew to be better because he chose to be better. Mostly, the individual happened to the best because he chose to be best. Bottom-line, excellence is a choice.
References
Preston, Thomas. The President and His Inner Circle: Leadership Style and the Advisory Process in Foreign Affairs. New York: Publication, 2001. Web.
New York Times. Transition gives peek at Obama Leadership style. 2009. Web.
Daily Nation. Unmasking Obama leadership style. 2009. Web.
Raimondo, Justin Obama as Lincoln: Mask and Mirror. 2009. Web.
New York Times. One Difference Between Obama and Lincoln. 2008. Web.
Dallek, Matthew, 2008. Web.