Revue des sciences politiques et des affaires publiques
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Abstrait

Obama Administration Leadership

Vernon Rosado, MBA

The Obama administration has been forced to deal with a number of challenges. Some of those have been inherited challenges while others have been manufactured or produced by the government itself. From passing health care reform to finishing two different international wars, the government has been busy in the policy realm. Likewise, the government has faced domestic political challenges in the form of opposition from the Republican party. Given the nature of politics in 2014, getting things done from a legislative standpoint has never been more difficult. Some believe that the administration has shown significant leadership experience in dealing with the challenges. Those individuals acknowledge President Obama’s ability to command an audience and use political pressure to extract the result that he is seeking. Others criticize the president for weak leadership, laying at his feet blame for a host of the country’s problems, including the economy and eroding civil liberties. The administration’s leadership style is unique in many ways, but it also employs some of the leadership techniques that have been ballyhooed over the last few centuries. Specifically, Obama and his administration draw on some of the lessons from Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching. President Obama, for various reasons, has been a cautious President, trying to bring about balance in an age when peace is difficult. He has succeeded in many respects because of his ability to know when not to act rather than when to act. While his administration’s actions, thus far, have not been fully reflective of the philosophies of Lao Tzu, they have been emblematic enough that the two deserve thoughtful comparison in this context.