100 Days of President Obama and 51% of the country likes him and his policy. Another 30% like him but do not share all his policies. Currently, Mr. Obama is riding the wave of popularity that he and his administration is leveraging into political capital. Cool, calm and composed under pressure has been his trademark demeanor. This is precisely the serene and intellectual leadership our country has lacked. Some (the off the cliff far-right and ideologues on the far-left) see his non-confrontational political style as weakness. Quite the opposite, as the following article best describes...
19 April 2009 :: J.E. Robertson
Lead by example. It’s a simple idea, and one that tends to be fully realized only by those who are most able. You lead by demonstrating the best qualities, because you are able to — 1. because you have them; 2. because you are in a position to do so; 3. because you are confident both of your ability to embody these qualities and of the qualities themselves, their virtue and their efficacy.
Soft power works, because one is able to use the social force of virtue —rooted in actual qualities and demonstrable value to those concerned— and because one shows proof of being closer to shared goals than the other party, leading the other party to follow one’s lead.
Obama has demonstrated an incredible ability for a victorious politician: forgiveness. His magnanimity is, whether he intends it to be or not, an exceedingly valuable asset to him, not just in terms of public image, but because he wields power through it, and that leverage is not missed by those he is negotiating with. Imagine the awe his show of mercy to Joe Lieberman must inspire in the vigilant eyes of the fallen leaders of the Republican party’s aspirational one-party government.
For the complete story click the link soft-power.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment