Obama’s views on what shapes great leaders

Last Saturday, as I was browsing the international news channels, I stumbled on coverage of a Town Hall meeting in Central London featuring President Obama.

It took place during his visit to Great Britain, and with him were 300 diverse youth leaders. Being the man he is, and holding the office he does, as expected he did a great job.

As I tuned in he was addressing the question of how to influence policy. Before he sought electoral office, he told the young men and women in the hall, he was an activist, trying to bring about social change.

Now though he was on the other side, responsible for making things happen.

He described the job of social activists as raising the awareness of policy-makers and others, and bringing issues to the table.

“They must make noise, shine the spotlight, get crazy even, to get attention,” he explained. “But once the policy-makers have agreed to meet,” he added, “you must stop screaming and come with an achievable agenda.”

He urged them not to be over-ambitious, but rather to concentrate on what was possible at that point in time.

From his time in office he cited the recent agreement in Paris on climate change and the nuclear deal with Iran as examples of this approach where, as one might say, you don’t allow the best to be the enemy of the good.

Sure there’s more to be done down the road, but reach agreement on the best possible arrangement for now.

“This doesn’t mean you forget your principles,” he emphasised, “Hold on to your guiding star – and don’t do it out of vanity. But you have to recognise that in pluralistic societies and with democratic governments you have people who disagree and who have different perspectives. You must accept that they are not necessarily bad people.”

I loved it. Every word. And I wanted to share what he said with our own civil society activists, a good number of whom seem in search of instant utopias. It’s good to aim high; it’s important to call our leaders to account.

But I wish they would be more ‘Obamalike’ in understanding the limits of what is possible. I guess it takes sitting on the actual seat of power to realise quite how hard it is to make any progress at all – never mind in the turbulent and confrontational political environments of Kenya and America!

Mr Obama went on to reflect on how these days in America – and partly because of the current structure of the media – people spend the bulk of their time listening to those they already agree with.

“We used to have three television stations,” he explained. “We were all watching the same thing and shared the same understanding. Today though we have 500 stations, and much broader access over the Internet, so if you are a conservative you watch Fox News and if you are a liberal you see the Huffington Post or read the New York Times. There’s a massive divergence of perspective, and it makes it harder to compromise.”

Our media here isn’t anywhere nearly so polarised, but the point about being reinforced in one’s views by associating only with those who share them certainly strikes a chord.

The US president went further, telling the young people that studies showed that if you spend time only with like-minded people who never contradict you, you become more extreme in your views. So he advocated seeking out those with different views.

“It will help you to compromise,” he said and, with a light touch, “including if you get married.” Again he emphasised that this did not mean surrendering what you believe, but accepting that those who disagree have their own dignity and worth.

Mr Obama went on to talk about how he acted as a leader. His central idea is that he tries to help other people “do great things”. You can’t be an expert on everything, he stated, and you can’t be everywhere.

So you must build great teams, give them the tools and help them to overcome barriers. “Leaders who have people only do what they want eventually stumble,” he warned, recommending that they should be “predisposed to other people’s power”, so that if they do great things you succeed.

The leader’s role, according to him, is to set a course and unify the team around that general direction.

I applaud, loudly! And here’s his next thought on the qualities a leader must possess, which again I relate to absolutely: the skill of synthesising, particularly when it comes to complex issues.

You first hear the views, and then you must get to the nub of the issue, the essential problem that people are trying to resolve, helping everyone to see the problem in the same way.

“It’s more important to do the right thing than to do things right,” he said, “You must be headed in the right direction, solving what’s important to resolve.”

Towards the end of his hour with the young people Mr Obama was asked about his legacy, and not surprisingly he listed his affordable healthcare package and the Iran agreement among his prime achievements.

But change takes time, he insisted, pointing out that the campaign to abolish slavery and promote civil rights for African Americans went back to the 1700s.

So much wisdom, so straightforwardly and simply expressed, from the most powerful man in the world. I wonder how Mr Trump or Mr Cruz would have expressed themselves in front of this audience. Or, for that matter, any of our honourables.

I conclude by re-emphasising the need to listen openly to those with other views; to make noise to raise awareness but then to come to the table with a mindset of achieving practical solutions, ones that involve compromise and will probably fall short of your ideal.

And with that I hope I have adequately synthesised the nub of what the US President was trying to get across.