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The sources of power that was used by former US President Barack Obama were: First, legitimate power. This is a source of power, the premise of gaining power is that a person is granted the power of a managerial position. Barack Obama was delegated to the management position of the entire United States of America. According to Phatak (2018), legitimate power is also regarded as positional power.
In the case of Obama, he was voted into the position thus the people legitimately gave him this power. In addition, legitimate power is determined through organizational hierarchy, where junior employees are expected to report to their superiors, who will report to a person more superior to them. Through this power President Obama was the highest-level leader of the American government. Therefore, this shows that he has more responsibility and rights to manage this country.
Phatak (2018) asserts that legitimate power can be considered as a relative concept as a result of its power. It flows to an individual who is ready to take it. For example, Barack Obama as a former President and leader can exercise and use more power than he has. This can occur when a leader accepts more responsibility from people who are his seniors as they are the one who gave him the power to rule them. Besides, a leader may choose to employ less power that he or she has been legitimately given by subdividing and allocating some of his duties under his authority or command. Leaders whose sources of power are legitimate need to have lots of restraints, self-control and comprehend what is just and not.
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Secondly, another source of power that Barack Obama received was expert power. This is premised and founded on the idea that he had skills and knowledge that were valued by people who voted him into the presidency of the American Government. According to Lunenburg, F. C. (2012), expertise is based on personal knowledge which is sought after by many organizations. In the case of Obama, it can be noted that he is an intelligent and knowledgeable person. Expert power is advantageous in the sense it can be used as a stepping stone for a person to acquire legitimate power.
Like President Obama, the acceptable and good use of expert power led to his promotions and successful achievement of his declaration and goals. This legitimized his power as President among his followers. Furthermore, this source of power provides leaders with a solid power base from which they can confidently and appropriately manage their subordinates. It is more significant than enforce or reward power when it comes to effective and appropriate leadership of the people.
Through having expert power, President Obama can guide and lead his followers more openly and find easier ways to motivate them to work productively. It encourages people to do their best at all times. Finally, expert power help leaders to get attention at work. It enables them to craft and maintain high profile roles, build their individual brand, increase their influence and reputation as was the case with President Barack Obama.
In the past decade, ethical leadership has become more and more important. Many people and organizations are developing an understanding of ethical leadership. President Barack Obama can be seen an ethical leader. This is based on the fact that he follows the code of ethics and insists on doing the right thing to make sure that what he does is ethical. Secondly, Obama was upright and fair as an ethical leader. He treated others fairly and honestly. It’s worth noting that under such a leader, employees have no reason to fear being prejudiced by race, gender, or even sexual orientation.
Thirdly, he respected others. According to Opuscule (n.d.), one of the most significant features of ethical leadership is needed to respect other people wishes, opinions, and rights. An ethical leader should respect all of his or her followers by listening to each one of them carefully, valuing their inputs, being generous and compassionate and considerate to their perspectives.
Fourthly, acting in an honest manner in line with his own character and principles brings forth President Barack Obama as an ethical leader. Leaders who are ethical in their undertakings are expected to be loyal and honest (Daft, 2014). Integrity is especially important for an effective leader since followers and individuals believe in dependable and honest leaders. Ethical leaders share facts honestly regardless of them being popular or not. United States President Barack Obama is very human because he notices that not everyone has the money to buy health insurance, so this is why he fought for affordable medical care. His behavior was good for everyone and his team.
Fifthly, Obama focused on building his own team. He fostered a sense of team spirit among his subordinates and sense of community within the government and the nation as a whole (Yukl & Yukl, 2002). For instance, in order to achieve his goal of affordable health care among the entire American homesteads he had to make sincere efforts to attain this goal that was beneficial to whole the nation, not himself or his staff. Furthermore, he undertook and endorsed value oriented decision-making process. Ethical leadership fosters and propagates that all decision-making needs to be checked first to ensure that they are in tandem with the values of the organization. Decisions that pass these criteria are used (Yukl & Yukl, 2002).
Other features that can be deduced from President Barack Obama that makes and depicts him to be an ethical leader, and then he encouraged initiatives and programs that ensure that his people prosper. He rewards his followers who had done well in their area of expertise and who came up with innovative ideas. US President Barack Obama has set a good example for his followers and led the country. Ethical leadership is about talking and taking actions. As a president, people have various expectations of him and as an ethical leader; he was able to achieve most if not all of his goals. Around the world, he was loved by many people due to his charisma and love for all people.
These are the factors and things show him as an ethical leader who did things for the good of all people regardless of their background and heritage or even race. Furthermore, Barack Obama has some effective communication. First, smile is a magical tool to connect with the audience, because no one likes leaders who are often angry. In the case of Barack Obama, he often came out to meet people with a brisk gait and a relaxed smile.
Although he is responsible for a country, he walks with a sincere smile on his face (Rose, 2017). Second, body language. The body language, eye contact, gestures and intonation of the leader are all the information they want to express. A relaxed, open posture (open arms, relaxed legs) and a friendly tone will make the leader look approachable. Eye contact is also important (Rose, 2017).
Achievements as a President
Ended 2008 recession
Obama ended the declining of economic decline that started on the year 2000. He proposed a economic stimulus package, that resulted in cutting taxes. And he extends benefits for unemployed people and give budget on more public work projects
Modernized Automotive Industry
On his time as a president the government took over various brands of cars like general motors and Chrysler, saving 3 million jobs.
Received 2009 Nobel peace prize
This is because of his efforts to communicate well on other countries in results to strengthening diplomacy in terms of foreign countries and cooperation on both foreign and local side
Reformed Health Care
This benefited a lot of Americans by having 95 percent of the people in the country to have health insurance.
2010 Tax Cuts
In December 2010, Obama and Congress agreed upon additional stimulus in the form of an $858 billion tax cut.
Elevated Fuel efficiency standards on a higher position
On August 2012 Obama announce new efficiency standars on fuel in America. He has a requirements on this time that cars and other light trucks to obtain a 54.5 mpg by 2025. Which would result on making oil consumption less by 12 billion barrels, saving drivers an amount of $ 1.7 trillion. And one benefit of this as well is reducing the damage of climate change by lowering gases in greenhouses.
Won 2012 Re election for presidency
Obama won the second term to a competitor, which is planning to revoke Obama care and most voters were not favoured of that preposition. That is why Obama had a big advantage on winning this second term as a president.
Impact on Followers
Obamas election as a president elevated on how America is like for foreign people, especially on the northern part of the world like Europe. This part is where A former president of America is very unpopular due to the war that happen in Iraq back then.
Lots of americans believe in Barack Obamas ability that there would be a sharp increase on doing the right thing in terms of international affairs. And this actually happen because on his time as a president he is very popular internationally all over the world other than Russia and other muslim nations. Also on his time as a president United states of America is become more careful on dealing and engaging with other countries.
- The diversity on USA nation has become more noticeable. On the year 2013 most newborn
- Babies in the country were ethnic minorities and on that year a record of 12% newly
- Wedding couple married someone of a different race. (Dimock, 2017)
Also when Barack Obama is the President it had an impact on Social and Values, Lots of Americans considered themselves as “liberal “ or very on social aspects and issues in the country rose markedly on Obama’s time as a president in eight years. On year 2009, quarter of people in America perceives themselves as liberal on social issues, a figure in line with those people who observed in the past years. Gay marriage is an example of this change to more liberal social positions. On the year 2019, 40 percent of people in America said same sex marriage should be know as a valid thing in America This includes President Obama agreeing to this statement. And other 57 percent of Americas population does not. By 2016 the supreme court in United states made this statement legal on the whole country.
On the other ways that Obama Impacted America is on Economic Issues, on his time as a president the government focused more on dealing the issues of designing either to prevent economic issues or happenings from become worse or to make the recovery of the country from this. On most measures people in America’s opinion on economic situation in the country has improved significantly over the past eight years of Obama’s time as a president.
Barack Obama’s first year as a leader of the country on year 2009, 23 percent of people in America have a preference that they are better off financially compared to the year before. Workers in the country report of hiring and firing at their own employments that had improved more and more over the eight years of Obama’s time as a president.
Also when Obama became the president many people in believe that in terms of race relations will improve. For example like black voters. But a year before his time as a president high number of black americans died during a confrontation with police on the protest that made like from the group Black lives matter movement. (Newport, 2017)
Leadership Traits of Barack Obama
- His conviction and perserverance, he as a person has his belief that if a thing is right and if its on the right track, then that will be a way to inspire others. It will take a lot of patience but eventually it will be a reachable or attainable
- Change, During his campaign on that 8 yearsspan as a president, he always aim to achieving more by applying change in every aspect of managing, helping and running the country and on what he does for americans and other people in general.
- Taking risks when he run for presidency knowing of his race but still manage to succeed and become a president of America
- Great Communicator on his time as a president America has been more well know to other countries, like for example on what he did on dealing and stopping the war happened in Iraq.
- We not I attitude he always believe the people around him on countless of speech that he makes the word “we” is always in it for the reason of making people and also encouraging them to believe more on themselves.
References
- Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The leadership quarterly, 17(6), 595-616.
- Daft, R. L. (2014). The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.
- Lunenburg, F. C. (2012). Power and leadership: An influence process. International journal of management, business, and administration, 15(1), 1-9.
- Opuscule.(n.d.).10 Ethical Leadership Characteristics. Retrieved fromhttps://yscouts.com/10-ethical-leadership-characteristics/
- Phatak, O. (2018). The Concept of Legitimate Power in Leadership. Retrieved fromhttps://workspirited.com/legitimate-power-in-leadership on May 9, 2019.
- Yukl, G. A., & Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in organizations.
- Amadeo, K (2019), What has Obama Done? 14 Major accomplishments of Obama. Retrieved from:https://www.thebalance.com/what-has-obama-done-11-major-accomplishments-3306158
- Dimock, M (2017) How America Changed During Barack Obama’s Presidency. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/2017/01/10/how-america-changed-during-barack-obamas-presidency/
- Husain, H (2017), 6 Inspiring Leadership Traits of Barack Obama, retrieved from https://blog.taskque.com/leadership-traits-barack-obama/
- Newport, F. Dugan, A, 5 ways Americans Changed During Obama’s Presidency, retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/203123/america-changed-during-obama-years.aspx
