Cooperative Leadership: The White House Has a Blog!

Just in case you missed President Obama’s inaugural address, here it is!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PuHGKnboNY&eurl=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/&feature=player_embedded]

Wow, the White House has a Blog!  Our new President reaches out to all of us through various means of communication as he has embraced social networking in a big way in addition to traditional media.

I particularly enjoyed the commentary of President Obama’s speech by Lee Iacocca, former president and CEO of Chrysler, in today’s Wall Street Journal.  I still like getting the printed version of the WSJ, even though I’m on-line most of my waking hours!

“President Obama got it right in his inauguration speech. He did the one thing that I believe is the most important: he asked everyone to join the team in service to the country.  He is smart enough to know that the presidency in not a one-man show. It’s a team effort, and in this case, the team is millions strong. A true leader has the humility to understand that when he’s at the top, he’s standing on the shoulders of the people. We all have our work cut out for us.”

President Obama’s attitude embodies cooperative leadership, which stresses that through cooperation, reaching out and listening, we are effective both as self-leaders and leaders of others.

President Obama inherits a wounded America, and he is determined to bring us back, if we help!  Many people are out of work, have no healthcare benefits, our education system needs reform, and our collective cash flow has declined.  However, I hold great hope for this new administration due to its grassroots-level support in communities across American which continues even past the campaigning season. Yes we can.  And he is surrounding himself with such a talented staff!  Witness the approval of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State!

In closing, a colleague shared this poem which talks to me, especially in tough times:

Your Goal

Ships sail East, and ships sail West,
While the selfsame breezes blow,

It’s the set of the sails, and not the gales,
That determine the way they go.

Like the winds of the sea,
Are the ways of fate,

As we journey along through life,

It’s the set of the soul,
That determines the goal,
And not the calm nor the strife.

Author Unknown

Share Button

Leave a Comment