A Promised Land by Barack Obama
“I didn’t share these feelings with anyone on my team; they were frazzled enough as it was. Suck it up, I told myself. Tighten your lace. Cut your rations. Keep moving.”
3 Main Messages:
Surround yourself with experts; listen to them respect them, acknowledge, praise and thank them
As a leader, you are the target of blame for all that you have inherited as well as for situations forced on you
He was always focused on helping the vulnerable and allowing everyone the opportunity for a better life
An ex-colleague of mine was once presented with a leaving gift of a poster saying “It is more important to be trusted than to be liked.” Good leaders are often not liked so I was keen to read a book written by Barack Obama, a leader who I consider to be incredibly likeable.
A Promised Land is literally and metaphorically heavy and it consequently took me 10 months to read, completing it (coincidentally) on Barack Obama’s 60th birthday. With every page turned I found increased respect and love for this man. As well as documenting a significant piece of history and a behind the scenes look into the trials and tribulations of his presidency, there are many lessons in leadership that can be drawn from this book.
1 Focused and accepting
As a leader we rarely have the luxury of a blank canvas. We inherit systems, personnel and policies which we have not chosen and we are faced with problems and complications not of our own making. Yet as leaders we have to change what we can and accept what we cannot and get on with doing our best in the time we have. This often means prioritising issues and addressing situations inherited from or dictated by others. It can be incredibly frustrating but that is the nature of the role. Throughout, it is vital to remain grounded and not to lose sight of your vision, purpose and core values.
2 Coping with pressure
Obama talks of having “no choice but to continually multitask” while fighting terrorism, rebuilding the economy, recovering from natural disasters and chairing international summits all at the same time. In educational or business leadership the stakes are not as high, but there are times when it feels like you are being attacked from all angles. Obama referenced walks in the garden, time with family, playing sport, and card games with friends as vital oases in the most challenging of circumstances. His advice is to not be consumed by any single issue; to delegate and carefully monitor situations while continuing attending to other pressing matters.
3 Teamwork
Of course this is only possible if you have people to delegate to. Leadership is too big for one person. No-one can possibly be an expert on everything and so one of the biggest lessons I took from A Promised Land was the function of the leader. Obama surrounds himself with experts in each field. They are carefully selected so that they may take a stance different to his own. He names and praises each of these people highly, clearly respecting and liking each of them. He listens to their views, suggestions and potential solutions then steps back, reflects and makes a decision. There are a few points to learn here: the importance of appointing well-informed and talented staff; delegating fully and trusting them; respecting and listening to them and then taking time to make considered decisions. Everyone is part of the final decision and will hopefully support you even when they don’t fully agree.
4 Strength in numbers
Obama was a team builder, looking to create bipartisan agreements and international unity in order to improve conditions for all. He understood that the role of leaders is to fight for those who are most vulnerable and that we need collaboration in order to support the whole community. This is the same in leadership of all shapes and sizes, where building bridges and working towards a shared purpose can maximise results. It’s important to turn potential foes into productive friends. For example we may consider local competitors as a threat, but would be better considering them as the impetus to raise standards which could either result in partnership or in a healthy rivalry that creates a reputation for high standards in your area, benefitting you both as well as the community you serve.
There are many more takeaways from this book. I learned a great deal about both American and international history and politics, I laughed at his quips and I cried at the stories of the less lucky who he encountered.
More importantly for me, however, were the lessons I learned in leadership. Obama writes with honesty, humility and humour. I trust and like him enormously and equally. Like the poster said, it may be more important to be trusted than to be liked, But for truly outstanding leadership, you need both.
