Critical Analysis of President Barrack Obama Leadership Approaches and Impact. (Essay Sample)

Critical Analysis of President Barrack Obama Leadership Approaches and Impact. Name Institutional affiliation Course Instructor Date Critical Analysis of President Barrack Obama Leadership Approaches and Impact. Introduction Leadership is a very dynamic component that has a significant influence on human life. Leadership is influencing an individual or group to achieve specific goals. An individual must have certain traits, skills, and behaviors to be an effective leader. Leadership traits describe how individuals express themselves when allowed to lead others (Benmira & Agboola, 2021). According to the grand man theory, people are born with leadership traits, and only great people are privileged to have these traits (Northouse, 2021). However, these traits manifest differently in each performance, and therefore, they are used to differentiate one leader from the other. This argument was conversely to the argument presented in the trait approach. The researcher in the trait approaches criticized the grand leading theory claim that traits differentiate one leader from others by arguing that no consistent set of traits distinguishes one leader from others (Northouse, 2021). The trait approaches argue that leadership traits are just the same. Understanding how these traits manifest in leaders requires an individual to analyse leadership approaches and traits of well-known prominent leaders comprehensively. I find Barrack Obama among the most influential and distinguished leaders in the world, with a wide range of leadership traits that have contributed to their success in their history of leadership. Barack Obama is well-recognized as the 44th president of the United States. He has remained an inspirational leader due to his ability to incorporate unique leadership styles characterized by vision, empathy, and resilience throughout his leadership period. The essay is structured to analyze Barrack Obama's leadership approaches and impact with insight from various leadership theories. Visionary leadership A given team's success depends on the leadership in position. According to Sunarto et al. (2021), leaders with sight and the capacity to make the future are significant assets. This is because they can see far and plan effectively to reach there. Visionary leaders constructively impact the team's outcome (Karwan et al., 2021). They are always ready to go miles to bring change to the people. They focus more on creativity and innovation because they believe that the world is changing, so the future will demand more new ideas and concepts. One of the most unique features of Obama's leadership is his visionary approach to leadership. Obama was a visionary leader who began a campaign advocating for a more inclusive and progressive America. Obama was determined to tackle the most pressing issues, such as climate change, health, and economic inequality, with the main aim of improving the future of America (Stier, 2020). His vision was welcomed by the young in society because it gave them hope for the future. Being a visionary and futuristic leader enhanced his ability to develop strategies that impacted the future lifestyle of people in the United States. Despite opposition from the public, Barack remained very firm and determined, and his effort bore some fruit. Since visionary leaders work with long-term goals, Obama was not exceptional because most of the issues he paid much attention to were long-term goals that needed to be achieved after some years. Indeed, after some years in leadership, he achieved some of his prime goals, like combating climate change. For instance, he led the Clean Power Plan, which reduced the carbon dioxide emission rate in the atmosphere, enabling sustainable environmental development (Pateriya et al., 2023). In healthcare, he expanded the health services to many people, including the marginalized groups in the United States, which has helped improve the healthcare system in the country. According to Pateriya et al. (2023), they came up with the Affordable Care Act, which is well known as the Obama Act. It enabled everyone to access quality healthcare services in the country, improving their living standards. Transformational leadership Transformational leadership is one of the most current and popular approaches to leadership and has attracted much attention. According to Northouse (2018), transformational leadership is among the new leadership paradigms that have enhanced effectiveness in leadership. This is because transformational leaders play a significant role in precipitating changes. According to Saad (2021), transformational leaders are gifted with skills to motivate the team to perform in a way that creates change. It is, therefore, the most effective leadership approach, especially in the current generation, where the system of government, education, and social structures, among others, is going through rapid changes. Transformational leadership involves exceptional power of influence that motivates people to achieve specific goals. Transformational leaders are always connected with their values, ethics, emotions, and long-term goals. Hay (2006) states that transformational leadership must be built on a moral foundation. This implies that leaders must be guided by ethical principles when interacting with and representing the various needs of their followers. They significantly initiate changes and transition to the followers, the entire organization, and the culture. According to Ladkin and Patrick (2022), transformational leaders focus on organizational changes, vision, and charisma. The great joy is to leave positive changes during their leadership. Transformational leaders inspire the team to emulate changes by acting as role models (Bakker et al., 2023). They take the front position in directing people toward stimulating changes. Transformational leaders inspire leaders and followers, raising each other's achievement, morale, and motivation in difficult situations. There must be cohesion and collaboration between a transformational leader and the followers for effective outcomes. Obama's leadership was also more transformational because his main goal was mobilizing people toward a common purpose. He emphasizes the importance of public participation in government and leadership issues throughout his leadership. Hay (2006) states that transformational leaders must motivate their followers to commit to the vision. They have skills in encouraging followers to engage in activities to bring change. Obama encouraged social media to cooperate with the voters and encouraged them to participate in political matters in the country. According to Tutar (2022), one of the critical slogans that have remained influential in the United States is Barrack Obama's slogan, "Yes, we can". This slogan has inspired most citizens in the United States to believe that everything is possible through teamwork and collaboration. The slogan has made most of them believe in the power of cohesion and the leadership strategies employed by those in power. His commitment to civil rights and social responsibility also signifies his uniqueness in leadership (Pateriya et al., 2023). He was a leader for all people, as he treated everyone equally. He fought for the rights of the LGBTQ community to the extent that the court came to legalize same-sex marriage. This was a relief for this group of people as they had suffered from discrimination and segregation in the United States for a very long time. Emotional intelligence Intelligence is an essential feature of leadership. According to Northouse (2018), intelligence refers to positivity in leadership. A successful leader must possess a high degree of intelligence. A solid ability to reason well, perceive things in the right ways, and communicate in an organized and considerate manner means an individual is a good leader. Emotional intelligence is another crucial feature that reflects Barack Obama's leadership style. According to Hai et al. (2021), transformational leaders must inspire and empathize with their followers. They need to be concerned about how the team members feel about how their leaders lead and treat them. Obama connected with people by listening to their experiences and empathizing with their struggles. He could remarkably calm down even when the pressure was high and listen to people. This earned him the name "No Drama Obama," reflecting his ability to maintain grace under fire (Pateriya et al., 2023). During his presidency, he faced many challenges, such as financial crisis and terrorism, and navigated them with a steady hand and cool head. Obama is also recognized for his thoughtful approach to decision-making. He had to rely on evidence and advice from others when making decisions. He gave the public their opinions and suggestions regarding different issues in governance and used these ideas and perspectives to make an informed decision. Obama demonstrates a high level of resilience through his leadership as the president of the United States. His emotional intelligence was also seen in his effort to address racism issues in the United States. Being the first African American president, some of his agendas were to promote diversity and inclusivity. According to Yukl & Gardner (2020), a transformational leader can reduce conflict because they have a great capacity to grasp the needs and thoughts of their followers. Leaders are always in a position to understand better what their followers are experiencing and, hence find a better solution to help them. Obama made a significant effort to address the issue of racism because he was empathetic to the discrimination and segregation that some of the minor groups had gone through for a very long time (Genovese et al., 2024). He, therefore, faces much pressure to address systematic racism and inequality. He promoted dialogue and understanding across racial lines. Decision maki...