Obama ~ The Leadership Of "we Are One"

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Obama ~ The Leadership of We Are One

Obama The Leadership of We Are One Victoria C. DePaul

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Obama ~ The Leadership of We Are One Published by Galileo Business & Learning Consultants, LLC 482 Southbridge Street Suite 205 Auburn, MA 01501 For more information about our books, please write to us or visit our website at www.GalileoConsultants.com. Printed and bound in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission by the author or copyright holder, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages. ISBN 13: 978-0-9794508-2-2 Hardcover Edition Copyright © 2009 by Victoria C. DePaul Front cover image design by Mitchell Powell This book is available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business or sales promotional use. For information, please write to Galileo Business & Learning Consultants, LLC, 482 Southbridge St, Suite 205, Auburn, Massachusetts, 01501. Please supply quantity, how the book will be used, and the date needed. Requests can also be sent to [email protected].

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Table of Contents

Preface........................................................................................1 Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined ...................................11 Innovation ...............................................................................29 Commitment ...........................................................................55 Autonomy ...............................................................................69 Risk ...........................................................................................83 Situational Analysis .............................................................111 Empowerment ......................................................................135 Communication and Relationship .....................................161 Diversity ................................................................................177 Vision .....................................................................................195 Obama: An International Perspective . 217Error! Bookmark not defined. Epilogue.................................................................................233 About The Author ................................................................247 Acknowledgements .............................................................248 Contributors………………………………………….…….253

Preface I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington ... I’m asking you to believe in yours. Barack Obama

ON JULY 27TH, 2004 I busied myself around the house, lost in my thoughts as I completed household chores. In the background the TV droned on, tuned in to the Democratic National Convention. A man that I had never heard of caught my attention. He introduced himself as Barack. “Was that a first name or a last name?” I wondered. I ceased what I was doing, sat down, immersed in his address. There was an energy—a passion, in this young man that was very different than other politicians. He was direct, purposeful, sincere—dare I say—authentic—in his remarks. He conveyed integrity, enthusiasm and commitment. I was riveted, barely able to move. “Who is this man?” I repeatedly asked myself. It was in those moments that I knew that I was looking at a future president.

Preface

What is remarkable was that I was not alone. The next day at work, Barack Obama was the topic of conversation. I was not the only one replaying his speech on the internet. I was not the only one who believed that a distinguished leader had emerged. Others felt the same energy. I hadn’t lost my mind. The journey that we are now on, what Barack labeled, “the audacity of hope”, began for many of us on that day in Boston, on July 27th, 2004. It is now August of 2009⎯ one year from Denver, the site of the Democratic National Convention of 2008. For this convention, Barack Obama was not the keynote speaker. He did, instead, offer his acceptance speech as the Democratic Candidate for the Presidency of the United States. In Chicago, on November 4, 2008—before a crowd of more than 200,000—he delivered his first speech as President Elect. And how the world stood still on January 20th, 2009 when Barack Obama addressed the nation and the world with his first speech as President of the United States of America. This comes as no surprise to many of us who first heard his 2004 DNC keynote address. We understand that this was the inevitable next step for a man who has already claimed his place in history. In the past four years 2

Obama ~ The Leadership of We Are One

we have watched as Barack Obama has inspired and motivated millions throughout the United States and across the globe. This inspiration has been the backbone of a grassroots movement previously unseen in our political history. Citizens of all ages, religions, races, economic status and gender have claimed a piece of the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign in unprecedented numbers. As of October 31, 2008 the campaign had raised 750 million dollars with over two million donors. Barack Obama launched a successful primary campaign by mobilizing first time voters through nation-wide voter registration drives. He demanded our attention with promises of change and has restored the legacy of hope in baby boomers, long lost in the cynicism of the late 60’s and 70’s. The pages that follow describe just how Barack Obama has etched his place in American history. Here you will find essays, anecdotes and quotes on leadership, contribution and hope. Leadership experts will offer their perspectives on how Barack Obama and Joe Biden serve as sterling examples of some of the emerging leadership strategies of the 21st century. 3

Preface

Some of the words will come from Obama himself; many from ordinary citizens who have been moved from complacency to action. This book, this chronicle, indeed this story, is a historical event—not just the story of one individual— but the collective voice of a nation during a turbulent time in American history. This is not a book of facts and numbers but an attempt to document a movement of empowerment, change and personal accountability, the true essence of leadership, as you shall see. As I spoke with citizens from across the country and abroad, throughout the presidential campaign of 2008, I was moved to tears by many of the stories of hardships that people are faced with in these current times. I heard countless stories of foreclosures, health care calamities, joblessness and concerns for education and energy reform. There has been a quiet, hidden desperation in America as citizens without a voice and nowhere else to turn, retreat in despair. Household budgets have been stretched beyond the limit. Far too many of us are denied affordable healthcare. Our schools are underfunded, overcrowded and understaffed. Jobs are being lost to an overseas market and the insecurities of the

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Obama ~ The Leadership of We Are One

Middle East crisis make us wonder if world peace can ever happen. And yet as I heard story after story, I also heard the voice of hope. For the first time many Americans are hearing—and speaking—hope. For many, hope means change. Obama has mobilized a grassroots movement that spans all ages and generations. And from this hope comes passion—a passion to do more, to have more, to BE more. It is this passion that drives any organization. It is this passion that drives any individual. It is this passion that drives America. This is the catalyst of both the entrepreneurial spirit and the intrapreneurial1 spirit that is the hallmark of our success as a nation. In recent years we have seen an increase of jobs and labor moving to foreign markets. Our current government continues to feed us a daily diet of negativity based on any number of fears—terrorism, the

Intrapreneur: An individual who works as an entrepreneur within an organization, group or team. The qualities of an intrapreneur include passion, commitment, resourcefulness, creativity and initiative. Intrapreneurs are risk-takers who see problems as opportunities and assume direct responsibility for tasks and outcomes. For a more detailed examination of this phenomenon, see “Creating the Intrapreneur: The Search for Leadership Excellence” 1

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Preface

failure of our economy, lack of resources, etc. And yet for just as many and more, the challenge of the status quo has begun. Barack Obama is a leader of intrapreneurs. He has challenged us to BE and FEEL our intrapreneurial spirit. Intrapreneurship is natural to most people. At birth, we came packaged with the innate characteristics of curiosity, ambition, flexibility, creativity and tenacity—all necessary components of Intrapreneurship. We were born with passion, commitment, confidence and initiative. It is this combination of positive human energies that directed us to take our first step. Now, far from birth, in the intrapreneurial spirit, Barack Obama calls each of us to reach deep into ourSelves and call forth our innate positive energies of enthusiasm, ambition, hope and desire. In his own words: …. I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you. For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us— that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washing6

Obama ~ The Leadership of We Are One ton. Change happens because the American people demand it—because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. Senator Barack Obama • Acceptance Speech at the Democratic National Convention August 28, 2008

As you read through these pages, dominant themes will become apparent. These themes are all answers to the original questions—what makes a superior leader? What makes Barack Obama a superior leader? The leadership traits identified by voices from all across America and shared by leadership and business experts are: Understands the Energy of the Human Spirit— The Entrepreneurial/Intrapreneurial Spirit: Each of us is an energy system with a level of accountability, integrity, tenacity, honesty, and creativity. Our results in work, play, relationships, even our politics, are dependent upon the extent to which we infuse our spirit, our Selves, our passion—our Energy into all that we do. Ingenuity and Innovation: The creative ability to come up with new and innovative ideas and cherish the opportunity to implement them.

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Preface

Commitment: Once the vision is defined, resiliency is the necessary ingredient to stay focused on the end result. Autonomy: The ability to take a lead on a project, working independently if necessary, and allowing others to do the same. Risk: Is comfortable taking risks and accepts all possible outcomes understanding that falling down isn’t failure, but staying down is a show-stopper. Comfortable with risk, the Intrapreneurial Leader works to create an environment that is safe for others to take calculated risks based on analysis and sound judgment. All new thoughts, growth, and ideas can only originate within the context of risk. Situational Analysis: The ability to analyze and evaluate data independently in order to make effective and accurate decisions. From analysis comes the knowledge and confidence to devise and implement effective strategies to manage and locate available resources. Empowerment: The Intrapreneurial Leader has the ability to instill the vision in all members of the organization. Managers prioritize; supervisors direct; Intrapreneurial Leaders will call forth the positive internal 8

Obama ~ The Leadership of We Are One

energies/passions to move the organization to the fulfillment of the vision. Relational/Communication Skills: Intrapreneurial Leaders have the ability to be effective two-way communicators of ideas, instructions and enthusiasm. People are the greatest asset of any organization, group, and team of any size. People are the source of power of the organization. Success depends on a leader’s ability to communicate the vision and move people to act toward achieving established goals. Can Embrace Diversity: People are the power of any organization. Positive results come from the willingness and ability to work together and support each other. Vision: A vision begins with objectives and a plan for accomplishing them with discipline, organization and prioritization.

So as you enter this era of history, pay close attention to the words of our national and global citizens. These are the voices of hope, idealism and possibility— The American Dream. More than the words of experts, the voices recorded here are of experience—of life experience—the only experience that really matters. It is the 9

Preface

chorus of millions of voices who, for two years chanted “Yes We Can”; In November, 2008 chanted, “Yes We Did” and now in 2009 loudly proclaims, “Yes We Will”.

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Chapter 1

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga, a belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief—I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper—that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. “E pluribus Unum.” Out of many, one. Senator Barack Obama Boston, MA • July 27, 2008

SO

HOW DID A SKINNY BOY

with large ears and a funny

name find himself at this place, at this time? How did a boy who defines cultural, racial, religious and international diversity find himself poised to become leader of

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined

the most powerful country on the planet? He did it by following the principles of Intrapreneurial Leadership. To begin to understand Intrapreneurial Leadership re-read the quote at the top of this page. Intrapreneurial Leadership begins with the power that exists within each of us. It continues within the ‘synergy’ created when people are able to work together to achieve a common

The reason I think Obama is such a great leader is because of his ability to command an audience with such an air of respect and grandeur but at the same time he has such a sense of humbleness. That is a quality you don't see a lot of in politicians—if at all—these days. [It] is the act of being humble yet still having respect for yourself and others.

goal.

Synergy

is

the

alignment and collaboration

of

individuals

increase

power

to and

effectiveness to produce results that would otherwise

Kathy Wilson Bowie, MD

be

improbable.

Intrapreneurial

Leader-

ship creates an environment that results in the synergy of human energies. Intrapreneurial Leadership does not just happen by chance or the positive intent to do so. It is the result of the application of specific universal principles of human energies. Barack Obama knows this energy— this power— well. He understands how these universal principles are 12

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

at work, not only within him, but within others as well. To become an Intrapreneurial Leader you need not read another word here. You can simply observe Barack Obama in action. I have nothing new to offer. All I can promise you is documentation on what has unfolded right in front of us. Here you are presented the universal principles of human energy systems that I also have used with enormous success. Often I am asked, “But do these principles really work?” To which I can now reply, “Don’t take my word for it. Just observe what Barack Obama has accomplished.” To further define Intrapreneurial Leadership, let’s begin with leadership. Leadership is the activity or intention of directing or influencing the behaviors and thoughts of people in order to attain a goal. It is the deliberate use of power to achieve the desired results. It is critical to your success that you understand that it is not power over people that allows you to achieve your goals; it is power with people that you achieve positive results. In order to accomplish this you must understand the concept of energy.

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Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined WHAT MAKES A LEADER? Is it the amount of time they have spent in positions of power? No, it isn't. Is it that they never change their original strategy, for fear of “losing face”? No, it isn't. Are you automatically a leader because you've been in a war? No, you aren't. What makes a leader is a true understanding of the issues at hand, not only how they affect people right now and right here, but their long-term ramifications and their affect on the world, as well as the affect of any solution for these issues. What makes a leader is bringing people together is moments of crisis and uniting them for the better good. What makes a leader is having passion for always doing the right thing, regardless of the pressures to take an easier road. What makes a leader is inspiring that same passion in others.... Barack Obama is a true leader. History will find him to be one of the greatest leaders ever known. With all the hard times, hypocrites, and skepticism in the world today, the fact that Obama can still infuse that kind of faith and hope in me, and countless others, and where he can take this country—now that is a true leader. Jessica Smith Amesbury, MA

Let’s be clear. Here energy describes that inner, nonphysical source of ‘power’ that drives all of us. We consist of two distinct energy systems. Each of us is an energy system made up of two sub-energy systems, the 14

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

first of the body, the second, of mind and spirit. The first, the physical energy system, includes the five senses. While the physical energy system of the body is important, it is the second, nonphysical human energy system that is the primary power of each individual and of each group or organization. Life is about energy. Your results, your power, in life are dependent on how you use and control energy. As a leader, you must understand that your results are dependent upon your use and control of organizational energy. While energy exists in many different forms, your primary concern as a leader, is the energy of the individual, the nonphysical, human energy that exists within each of us, within the people that make up your teams. These are the

energies

thoughts, ideas,

that

passions,

motivations,

fuel

our

emotions, and

self-

If you have the heart and the determination to inspire and motivate others into action only then can you call yourself a leader. Jeremy Everett Tripoli, IA

esteem. “Energy” is classified as life energy when it cannot be produced by physical means or measured by scientific instruments. Such energies are life energies; they are produced, perceived, and used by people—life entities. You can’t go down to the local hardware store and say, 15

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined

“Give me a pound of love, a quart of intelligence, and a bag of happiness.” The forms of human energy, life energy, include will, consciousness, mental energy, emotional energy, human communications, and relationships. The sounds or the words on paper that we make to communicate are physical

energies;

but

what

we

communicate—

information, ideas, feelings, beliefs, values, desires, and needs, are nonphysical, human energies. Likewise, information, knowledge, intelligence, creativity, and intuition are also human energies. Information may be represented physically with letters on this page, or 1 and 0’s in a computer memory, but the information itself is mental energy. You operate on energy. At the end of the day you are usually tired, of low-energy, and sleep to recharge your life energy. You awaken in the morning full of energy for a new day, or charged with negative energy if you are unhappy with your life situation. You may think that is a purely physical, biological recharge, but sleeping is much more than that. It also recharges your life energies. Your mind operates with energy. Every thought, idea, datum, memory, image, or vision is an energy form, molded by your energy. 16

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Your emotions are energies. Joy, passion, love, enthusiasm, satisfaction, monotony, indifference, anger, fear, anxiety, rage, worry, guilt, resentment, hate, sorrow, loneliness, sadness, grief, desperation, and depression— all of these are energies. Pain and suffering; love and happiness are all energies. Understanding that the most important energies of all are the human life energies within the individual—mind, feelings, and your interactions with others—is critical to your power in life. These are the energies that most affect and control the individual, family, groups, and organizations. The human energies are the most powerful energies that exist. Power is the ability to produce the desired results in any area of life, and for any person or any group. As human energy is the most powerful of all energies, power in life depends on the ability to control human energies. Understanding this fundamental principle of human behavior and motivation is what allows the Intrapreneurial Leader to experience astounding personal and organizational results. Everything powerful that exists is an energy system. An energy system is any structure, physical or human, that combines and concentrates energies to create the power to produce the desired objectives. All groups 17

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined

and organizations are human energy systems. You, others, your family, your teams, and your business are all energy systems. Your understanding of life and energy systems and your understanding and application of the principles of human energy will create the power necessary to achieve your desired goals. Consider any organization or human energy system. Take a look at your family. Is there much negative energy in the form of sadness, fear, anxiety, blame, resentment or depression? If so, than more than likely you have kids in rebellion, arguments, reduced financial flow On August 4th, 2008 I had the privilege of going to a Barack Obama Speech in Lansing. I have to say, as an 18 year old college student, and in the words of an ole song: 'from a state that gets pneumonia, when America gets a cold', Barack Obama inspired me that things can get done here in Michigan and America, and that the American Dream, can be renewed once again. Derrick Chamberlain Midland, MI

or

strained

relation-

ships. It is the negative human,

nonphysical

energies

“inside”

people

that

of

cause

negative energies and poor

results

in

life.

Now, let’s go further, take

a

look

at

the

national situation. Is there much negative energy happening here? How much negative energy, in the form of sadness, fear, anxiety, or blame can you find? You do not have to operate with negative energy within you, your 18

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

family, your community, or your organizations. By understanding how it is generated, as part of the human energies of the human being, negative energy can be eliminated. Intrapreneurial Leadership begins here: understanding that positive results depend on the ability to understand the human energies of people within organizations. The results of any organization (human energy system) depend on whether people and teams are operating on positive or negative human energy. A human energy system can be a family, a neighborhood, a city, or a nation. The end results produced by any human energy system depend upon the collective energies of the people that make up the energy system. In short, the nonphysical, spiritual Self, includes three major areas of energies: 1. Mental phenomena: Your level of cause and responsibility, ideas and intuition, intelligence and creativity, beliefs and values, knowledge and memories. 2. Emotional energies: Includes all emotions and feelings, both positive and negative: joy, enthusiasm, like and dislike, interest, happiness, anger, 19

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined

worry, fear, hate, resentment, guilt, sadness, grief, depression, etc. 3. Motivations and behaviors: Includes your relationships with others; these are always energies and include such factors as principles and integrity, communication and affinity, negotiations and agreements, service and love. All

of

the

important

experiences

of

life—

intelligence, creativity, personal power, good relationships, joy, love and happiness, etc.—are your nonphysical, spiritual expression of Self. Your ability to lead, to direct change, begins with this experience of Self and your relationship and ability to understand and control these nonphysical energies. Barack Obama, in a full embrace of Intrapreneurial

Leadership,

has

A leader is someone who helps others to be better leaders at what they do through mutual learning. Barack Obama often talks of a bottom-up approach in problem solving and getting the nation back on track. It means empowering everyone to be a leader. Ted Tata Stoughton, MA

initiated and demonstrates a powerful strategy of leadership for the third millennium. While his opponents would diminish his success by explaining that it’s all ‘talk’, he’s just delivers a good 20

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

speech—there is far more to it than that. Yes, Obama is motivational with a powerful ability to inspire, but as any supervisor, manager, or parent knows, motivation and inspiration do not last for long. And yet, Obama successfully moved and grew a grassroots movement for over two years with no signs of slowing down, even as he has moved into the presidency. Enthusiasm, passion, and commitment remain high among supporters. Each month, more and more people added their support to his grassroots campaign movement—individuals ready to provide whatever resources they could. Some of his most ardent supporters are unemployed, have lost homes, have out-of-control healthcare costs, are living paycheck to paycheck—and still, they squirreled away their dollars to donate to his campaign, many continuing to provide financial support even after the election has been won. Barack Obama has catapulted himself to a place in history by his ability to first harness, and then unleash, the positive human life energies of millions, worldwide. He has transformed the internal energy systems of individuals from negative energy to positive energy. In turn, that individual energy, in synergy with others, has created a whole that is more significant, more powerful 21

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined

than any force on earth. This is the energy that fuels the nonphysical self. It is this collective energy that binds us together as a nation and as a global community. In many of his speeches, Barack Obama makes reference to the biblical dilemma, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Ultimately we will all rise together or we will all fall together. Once we understand that, the answer to this timeless question becomes clear. History will note that the hallmark of Barack Obama’s grassroots campaign was the high level of personal empowerment that participants enjoyed. This increase in personal power resulted in a high level of creativity, enthusiasm, resourcefulness and initiative. People were encouraged and invited to participate at whatever level they could. As we move throughout 2009, Barack Obama continues to provide citizens the opportunity to experience themselves as creative and empowered participants of government. In December, 2008, citizens were asked to host house parties to assist in determining which issues warrant immediate priority. Over 4,000 people hosted “Change is Coming” house parties in all 50 states. In a state of personal empowerment, individuals enjoy the experience of positive energy. From this state of empowerment, individuals become innovative thinkers. 22

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Innovation is the fundamental ingredient of intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial enterprise. Innovation is the foundation of our culture, the hallmark of the American Dream as further explained in the next chapter.

JOHN MCCAIN RECENTLY ridiculed Barack Obama for telling “Joe the Plumber”(in reality “Sam the contractor behind on paying his taxes”) that he wanted to “spread the wealth.” McCain said he wanted “Joe” to keep his wealth—actually much less than reported—to himself. McCain insisted that Obama’s tax plan would hurt Joe’s plan of buying his employer’s plumbing business when all indications are that Sam would actually benefit from Obama’s plan. Such is the continued misrepresentation that has become a hallmark of the McCain campaign. Obama’s desire to “spread the wealth” deserves more consideration. Spreading the wealth is actually what we should be doing individually and as a society, rather than hoarding wealth as John McCain and the Republicans suggest. Those who suggest McCain is uncomfortable with his own message may have merit to their position, judging by his campaign demeanor. The accuracy of this observation will become obvious following the election. Our best response now, however, is to treat the Arizona senator with compassion for the entrapped position he may have provided for himself and to address the overriding morali23

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined ty of the issue he now presents as an attack on the Obama campaign. Hoarding wealth simply flies in the face of all accepted human wisdom, no matter what the culture may be. Some strands of Jewish teaching value wealth as a sign of divine favor, but good stewardship and generosity are required of the worthy recipient. Some aspects of modern Buddhist teaching seem to reflect wealth possession and creation as a value, but classic Buddhist teaching seems to focus more on avoiding material wealth as a spiritual distraction. Still, as with Jewish teaching, stewardship and generosity are valued qualities. Personal blessings are to be shared with others in the community. Christians specifically are urged not to hoard up treasure on earth but rather to gather spiritual treasure. While Christian teaching and its Jewish antecedents may provide the most cogent admonition against John McCain's campaign position, it is certain that his call for individuals to hoard wealth contradicts the deepest strands of world moral teaching. No spiritual teaching views wealth hoarding as a value. The dragon in western culture hoards wealth but has no idea what to do with it. He imprisons the virgin but has no idea what to do but frighten her. His obsession with the goal of possession inhibits knowledge. He can only learn by releasing his self absorbed concentration on the tantalizing beauty he hoards to become a part of the larger community, no longer threatening civilization by fiery annihilation. He then becomes 24

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One the oriental dragon, a source of communal wisdom and an expression of communal wealth. The oriental dragon brings blessing, in essence spreading the wealth. The responsibility of tithing is the principle behind communal contribution through taxation. The object is to show concern for and stewardship of the community by giving back a portion of personal income to support community needs. This commitment acknowledges that religious and also civil communities sustain personal activity and well being. Contributions to supporting communities are therefore as much acts of self interest as they are of generosity. Personal philanthropy is quite a different thing. Here generosity is shown to chosen people, organizations or communities by generous benefactors. Philanthropy is implicit in Republican ideas that high financial achievers should keep their wealth to dole out to worthy causes as they choose. This is the principal of “trickle down” economics. While this attitude values personal generosity, it provides little sustenance for the larger community. Philanthropy is selective and limited in its scope by the awareness and generosity of contributors. Philanthropic individuals and organizations tend to address immediate rather than chronic conditions and overall maintenance concerns. Through the shared tithe—like contribution of general taxation governments are able to distribute resources over the broad range of concerns affecting civil and social wellbeing. 25

Intrapreneurial Leadership Defined Shared representation in governing bodies, such as congress, state legislatures, county and municipal councils provide the broad consensus needed to identify shared concerns. While no individual citizen may agree with all areas of social concern, each individual has power to express opinion through persuasion and ultimately through the ballot. This is in essence the social contract underlying our democracy. The “bottom up” economics reflected in responsible taxation reflects the idea that we will all contribute most effectively from positions of wellbeing as opposed to neediness. Starving animals or people may eat any proffered morsel but they will still die of starvation unless the overall lack of resources is addressed. While we may each offer food to an individual through personal generosity, world hunger can only be effectively addressed by our concerted action as individuals within a world community. This example simple demonstrates the difference between philanthropic contribution, no matter how laudable, and united social action. The past eight years have provided sufficient evidence of the ineffectiveness of “trickle down” economics in addressing civil and social issues. Our physical and social structures are crumbling from fiscal neglect as a result. The “bottom up” approach of sharing wealth through responsible taxation is the only means to effectively address these issues. Because hoarding is never a good idea, McCain's idea of reducing taxes and freezing spending will only cripple our economy. Paul Krug26

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One man's recent New York Times article encouraging infrastructure investment as a means of job creation and economic renewal in response to the current crisis is an example of creating and spreading wealth from the bottom up, the only way wealth creation can effectively work for the good of all. Positive response to taxation does in fact become an act of patriotism as Joe Biden recently suggested. While qualifications may be applied to provide overall fairness in tax assessment, depending upon individual circumstances, tax loopholes allowing those with means to avoid contribution are harmful to the social structure. Anyone choosing to use such loopholes to avoid the shared civic duty of contributing through tax assessment are as unpatriotic as religious observers refusing to pay for the upkeep of religious institutions are unfaithful. We all benefit from the society in which we live. In America we pride ourselves on living in the greatest nation on earth. But we will only be great as long as we unite. It is simply a matter of giving back to the society that sustains us, so that we all experience wealth together without deprivation.

Douglas Robinson Great Falls, MT

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Chapter 4

Autonomy AUTONOMY: The ability to take a lead on a project, working independently if necessary, and allowing others to do the same. In the end, that’s all most Americans are asking for. It’s not a lot. The people I’ve met during this campaign in town halls and living rooms; on farms and front porches—they know that government can’t solve all their problems, and they don’t expect it to. They’re willing to do their part—to work harder and study more and replace the remote controls and video games with books and homework. They believe in personal responsibility and self-reliance. They don’t like seeing their tax dollars wasted. Senator Barack Obama Springfield, MO • July 20, 2008

YOU

NOW KNOW THAT

as an Intrapreneurial Leader, any

organization is an energy system. Understanding it from this perspective will unlock for you new levels of power and control. Energies rarely work alone. A single kind of

Autonomy

energy working alone can produce only very limited results. Energies combine and synergize to work together in energy systems, which in turn are composed of subsystems. “Synergize” means to create synergy. Synergy is the alignment, cooperation, and synchronization of different energies to increase power, to produce results that would otherwise be impossible. Power is the result of the synergy of energies.

FOR TOO LONG, our country has been seized by fear and division which has polarized our electorate, has threatened civil discourse and discouraged constructive dialogue. I believe that Barack has a unique ability to inspire, to help us to find the best in ourselves and to begin to bridge the divide created by current destructive, self-serving partisan politics. Such integrity and leadership will be crucial as we collectively face the shared challenges and sacrifices that ill be necessary to support our beloved country, our world and the future of our children. David Loewenstein PhD Miami, Florida

Every human energy system, including a couple, a family, a work group or team, a small business, a huge corporation, a nonprofit organization, a church, a political party, a government, a society, or a nation operates on 30

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

synergy. Human energy systems intake, transport, use, transform, and output energies of many kinds and forms. Every such group is an alignment of individual energies working toward common goals and purposes. Group or organizational energy systems synergize and concentrate energies of all kinds, human and physical, to create enough power to achieve things far beyond the power of lesser energy systems or the individual. Now consider Barack Obama’s grassroots campaign organization. Is it not the perfect example of the alignment of individual energies working toward common goals and purposes? Did it not use energies of all kinds—human, technological, and financial, for example? While some of these energies are of the physical universe (technology, money, tools, etc.), the most powerful of these are the nonphysical human energies such as commitment; decision-making; persistence; ability to plan, design, communication, analysis; and the human emotional energies. All of these energies work together to create the human energy system that is who we are. The individual then, is a subsystem of a larger, more complex human energy system. Any organization then, is the collective result of the individual human energy subsets. 31

Autonomy

While there are physical actions that take place within any campaign such as phone banking, hanging posters, or canvassing—the meanings, impulses, and motivations behind them originate in the internal, nonphysical human energies. For those who question if these energies exist, note your own energy level when you have participated in a cause that you were committed to. What energies were going on inside of you? Do you see these in action in your spouse, your children, your family, and relatives? Are any of these energies affecting the teamwork and performance of groups you participate in at work? Are any of these energies affecting, positively or negatively, the performance, power, and production of organizations of which you are a part? Absolutely.

I feel very strongly that our country needs a sharp and decisive change in our government. It must represent who we are and what America is. We are diverse in our beliefs. I see in Barack a chance to have a leader who is honest, who believes in himself and this country. He is a leader who sees possibilities and has thought of solutions.

You can see that all of these energies occur not only in you, but also in others, in all groups, and in all

organizations.

You

experience, you perceive and feel, and you live daily

Maggie Walton Houston, TX

with all of these energies. 32

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

We all do, and so does every group and organization comprised of people. Are these energies important in life? Obviously, they are. They control us, and we control most of the other energy systems. Are they complex? What happens to the complexity of the organizational energy system when you have many people involved? If you consider the quantity and complexity of your own human energies (mind, thoughts, emotions, feelings, motivations, behaviors, likes, and dislikes), and that every person has more or less the same quantity and complexity, then add into the equation all the possible interactions of all the energies of all people in the organization, the overall complexity is vast. Understanding the importance of energy systems, and of understanding life and organizations in terms of energy and energy systems is critical to your success in life. The human being—the being or spirit part, not the body—is an energy system. You now know that this system is not physical energy; it is nonphysical or human energy, but no less important or any less powerful—quite the contrary. The human energy system, the individual person, is the most powerful energy system that exists. It creates all other man-made energy systems, and is the basic 33

Autonomy

“chip” or “circuit” that comprises and operates all other man-made energy systems, including organizations such as the grassroots campaign movement that delivered Barack Obama to the Oval Office. Each individual involved in that campaign is recognized as the basic power that moved that organization. Understanding that the human energy system (mind, emotions, and behaviors) is a coherent system is important. It is not just a collection of unrelated or randomly occurring energies. It is a connected group of human energy systems working toward a common purpose. America is the sum of our dreams. And what binds us together, what makes us one American family, is that we stand up and fight for each other's dreams, that we reaffirm that fundamental belief—I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper—through our politics, our policies, and in our daily lives. It's time to do that once more. It's time to reclaim the American dream. Senator Barack Obama Bettendorf, IA • November 7, 2007

With the understanding of how human energy systems operate you can now see that in an environment of negativity, the organizational climate is degraded. Amidst the negative climate you will observe an erosion of trust, performance, commitment and motivation. Leaders who 34

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

possess an intrapreneurial mindset are resilient and free of emotional reactivity. Recall the first presidential debate of the 2008 election season. Obama remained poised and confident throughout the event. His responses were direct and deliberate.

He

main-

tained eye contact and

can maintain a state of

I had the amazing joy of working a Town Hall meeting, as a volunteer at the Dunsmore Community Center near Scranton on April 1, 2008. This was a lead-up to the PA primaries. Besides canvassing and phone-banking I drove voters to the polls…we were a gloriously representative gang. Black, white, Hispanic, old, and young. All this in Millford, PA!

personal power, regard-

Catherine Sebastian Millford, PA

addressed his opponent directly, in stark contrast to

Senator

demeanor.

McCain’s The

leader

who can maintain and increase positive energy

less of the circumstances. Your experience of positive or negative internal energy is what determines your positive or negative thoughts and actions. Your negative energy (emotional) state, determines at what level ego is operating in your life. Ego is all efforts and behaviors that try to raise you up by putting others down and to create the illusion of superiority by making others inferior. Ego sees life as a teeter totter: I go up by putting you down. 35

Autonomy

Ego is the intent to compensate one’s negative self belief by projecting them onto and invalidating others (make them less); thus trying to assume a positive state of self—a state or experience of more knowledge, power or esteem. All ego is projection and polarization, a faulty attempt to compensate for low self-esteem. Obviously, ego is a negative energy behavior. It will always provoke resistance, ego, and sabotage in others as they will often react to negative energy with negative energy.

WHAT GOT ME MOTIVATED ENOUGH to donate money is Barack Obama's confidence in ordinary people. He sent a message telling us that we do matter, that our lives matter, that we're capable of determining what the government should be doing. It's not something we hear from government very often if at all. He's the first truly inclusive politician I can recall ever. When I read his website I was convinced to vote for him. Why? Because for the first time in my life a leader asked for my opinion. I believe Senator Obama to be the last hope for middle and lower economic class citizens. Deborah Noah Carmichael, CA

What we observe in Barack Obama is a man able to maintain and create a positive state of Self from within. 36

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Out of this elevated internal experience of Self, repeated character assassinations of his opponents were unnecessary. Leaders operating in negative energies such as fear, anger, anxiety or sadness will often choose to invalidate the state of Self of others in a false attempt to elevate their own lack of self-worth. Ego is always negative energy toward others, the end result being resistance, whether overt (rebellion) or covert (sabotage). This resistance makes it difficult to achieve personal and organizational goals and objectives. Ego can show itself in many situations—within the family, in the workplace, within any human energy system. Ostentation to show one’s power, wealth, or success is also a form of ego. In our society at large, many will pretend to be better than others as they show off designer clothes and accessories. Much of the advertising industry lives by selling people expensive things they don’t need so that they can try to compensate for their negative state of Self as smart, successful, and worthy as others. We even have names for it: “conspicuous consumption” and “keeping up with the Joneses.” Ego demands respect that it has not earned and so will often interpret others’ behavior as impertinence or insolence. 37

Autonomy

Ego spells the death of autonomy. First of all, in a state of negative energy you are not operating in wisdom, power or high esteem. Secondly, as a leader, if you are operating in a dictator mentality you will destroy good relations, cooperation, and support. Because of the innate desire to experience happiness, people will seek to preserve and expand their inner state of Self. Therefore, they will resist the leader’s ego, which tries to reduce their experience of the life energies of wisdom and power. They will resist openly if they can, and covertly through sabotage if they can’t. Since

ego

activates

ego, people often get into ego struggles, which often show up as a power struggle. Ego then, is all forms of intent to elevate a diminished state of Self, not by ‘polishing’ your inner Self,

For the first time in my life I feel inspired to become involved in the political process. This is due to the honesty, integrity, judgment, intelligence, and leadership abilities of the most inspiring political leader of our time, Barack Obama. Roberta Kelinson Rock Island, IL

increasing your personal excellence or achievement, but by invalidating others. Ego is all efforts to increase ‘who you are’, not be expressing more wisdom, power or esteem, but by trying to ‘steal’ these from others. 38

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Your creations of Self are subtle energies, but they are the most powerful things in your life. They begin with and determine your thoughts, beliefs, actions, and therefore all other aspects of your life. Intrapreneurial leaders, such as Barack Obama, understand that to the degree that people are in positive energy, they will happily contribute their time, energy and other resources to achieve the end result. To the degree that people are unhappy, they will express that unhappiness in the form of negative energy, injecting it into the energy system, in this case our political process. Intrapreneurial leaders are those that know that if high levels of people in your teams are expressing emotions such as hostility, anger, resentment, spite, jealousy, fear, indifference, apathy, frustration, impatience, and depression, you cannot achieve the results you desire. In other words the need to experience happiness, satisfaction and enthusiasm is the controlling energy in every person. Every thought, action and behavior, has as its intent a desire to create the internal experience of wisdom and power. This creates an experience of high self-esteem which naturally leads to happiness and satisfaction. How a person feels will determine whether they generate positive or negative energy. To eliminate negative energy, 39

Autonomy

conflicts and problems, and increase the productivity of your organization, you must understand how people feel…. and… you must be secure enough within your own energies to let them BE and fully express themselves as the creative spirits that they are. This is the hallmark of Barack Obama. He speaks to our inner Self; he speaks to our creative spirit. He calls forth the leader that resides within all of us.

A TRUE LEADER NEEDS to posses the quality to inspire the masses. Barack Obama has what it takes to do this. This is the first time in my life that I have been inspired by a politician, and given hope that things can change. I live in West Virginia; I was so ashamed of the racism here during the primary, but I kept working by talking to people and educating my neighbors. Change truly can happen. I know this because I am finally hearing people that said “no way will I vote for him” telling me yes he has my vote. I have seen my dedication to Senator Obama pay off, and I know he is change we can believe in. I have been so inspired by what Barack Obama has accomplished, sometimes moved to tears. It is a truly great day in this nation, for today Senator Obama will accept the nomination for President of The United States of America. What a glorious day, and on the forty fifth anniversary of Martin Luther King's deliverance of his I Have A Dream speech. On this night I re40

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One flect on the many people with whom I have spoken with in West Virginia. I reflect on how all some knew in March was that Obama was a man of color, and that some of these people could not understand the campaign materials. I reflect on the time I have spent explaining what Obama stands for and that change can happen. I reflect on the people whom after listening to me have decided to vote for Obama, including the ninety year old man who stated he never thought he would vote for a black man, but for the good of his country he will. For Barack Obama has given him hope that things can be better in this country with the right leadership. The United States Of America needs a leader who can inspire the people, give us hope, and make each and every one of us understand our duty to our country and what it means to be an American. We have that in Senator Obama. I am confident that not only will he bring hopes of a better America to the people; he will lead us into a new generation of politics that will not be run by special interest groups or lobbyists. I know so many are tired of this. Last but not least, you need to trust a leader and Obama is honest. I believe that he is able to reverse peoples’ distrust of government that has come about during the Bush era. Hope, change, honesty—three great traits of a leader and three great things about Barack Obama. I feel so blessed to be able for once, to vote for someone so worthy, and someone who is not named Bush or Clinton. Barack Obama is the leadership and the change we need! I am 41

Autonomy thankful I have had the opportunity to work on the biggest grass roots effort since JFK. I am truly inspired. Hope is still in my heart, as I see people in West Virginia change their minds, getting over their racial issues for the good of their country. It takes a strong honest leader to reach and change the minds of as many of these people that I have been talking to. That is proof enough for me that he is what we need. It is wonderful to be inspired by a politician that I can vote for. Before this the only two I found that were special were JFK and RFK. This is truly a great time in the history of this great nation. Stephanie Shank Elkins, WV

42

Chapter 5 Chapter 6

Situational Analysis SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: The ability to analyze and evaluate data independently in order to make effective and accurate decisions. I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead….We know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime—two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

Situational Analysis The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America—I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you—we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years—block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek—it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers—in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people. Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House—a party founded on the values of selfreliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a 44

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends... though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn—I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too. President Elect Barack Hussein Obama Chicago, IL • November 4, 2008

FROM ANALYSIS COMES THE KNOWLEDGE and confidence to devise and implement effective strategies to manage and locate resources of all kinds. Positive emotional energy is what grows organizations, while negative emotional energy is what harms the organization. A person’s experience of positive energy is what motivates them to perform well and contribute their best. Negative energy motivates people to resistance, conflicts, and sabotage. The positive energy of enthusiasm, passion, interest, commitment, determination, initiative, and resourcefulness in your teams is the energy that grows human energy systems. The negative energies of anger, fear, resentment, hate, indifference, apathy, etc., do the most harm to organizations. So what causes and controls these internal, nonphysical energies? The answer lies in the Causal Sequence: 45

Situational Analysis

Your life functions according to a Causal Sequence whether you know it or not, and whether you want it to or not. You cannot escape the Causal Sequence; it controls your existence. You can only learn how the sequence works and harness it to your benefit. Doing so will give you great power over life.

The Causal Sequence works like this:

Who I AM, My Energies (BE) determines ↓ What I FEEL (positive or negative emotion) which determines ↓ How I THINK (my positive/negative thoughts) then determines ↓ How I RELATE: How I communicate & treat others and ↓ How I ACT, BEHAVE. My ACTIONS determine ↓ My Results = My HAVE in life. 46

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Leaders are always working to achieve goals and objectives. Doing so successfully depends on positive actions, habits and behaviors. Your positive actions include how you perform your work or business activities. It includes your driving ability, your ability to use a computer, your hobbies, and anything else you do in life. Your actions in life are either positive or negative. Positive actions that leaders can take include keeping your word, being on time, listening attentively, working with quality and diligence, acting with response-ability and accountability. Negative actions include behaviors such as criticizing, belittling, arguing, blaming, laziness, ineffective communications, and complaining. As positive actions always originate in positive thoughts, your positive thoughts originate from your positive internal energies. If you wish to prove it for yourself, look at anything you do, or have ever done, from your point of view of what you were thinking at the moment of action. Compare who you thought you would be and feel if you did not do that action with who you wanted to be and how you thought you would feel by doing that action. You will find that you always acted according to what you thought would best define who you are— at that present moment. 47

Situational Analysis

As you can see, the state of your mind, positive or negative, is the seat of your actions, and therefore your results in life. You use your mind to create thoughts, ideas, hypotheses, solutions to problems, art, designs, planes, machines, etc. When these are accurate reflections of reality, of events, our mind creations are useful to create and control resources. That creation and control is power. Thus, the mind is our source of power over both the external and our internal world. But the mind creates. And, if you don’t understand it and control it, it will control you as it haphazardly creates false realities. Most people think that what is in their mind, what they think is the truth. This is very seldom true. Often, much of what we think is a distortion of reality. Many people live far too much in their head, in a world of their own making. The failure to understand the difference between facts, and these created distortions causes an infinity of problems and conflicts. An example: Barack Obama makes a statement— ”You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig”, making a reference that his opponent is trying to camouflage something. His opponent creates an interpretation and assigns a meaning to this event to others. He demands an apology based on his interpretation, his created meaning, 48

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

to the event without consideration of the originator’s intent. You can see this often in relationships, personally and professionally, where someone interprets the other’s behavior, usually negatively.

WHEN I BECAME INTERESTED in the Obama campaign I began by making phone calls, starting a blog, joining groups, and making friends, all across this nation. I went to Austin TX to work the Texas Primary. I helped to open an office in Bozeman for the primary and then a new office for our general election. I am grateful that this man, with a much more unlikely journey than I, came along at this time, with all the right qualities. He has the vision, the courage, and will turn the nation around, renew our world-wide respect, heal our economy, and create a fair healthcare system. He will end our dependency on foreign oil, and carefully end the war in Iraq. Nancy McCampbell Bozeman, MT

For example, when a person is jealous (which is always caused by negative energy such as low self-esteem or fear of loss) interpretations of even minuscule events can serve as triggers for the jealousy and the resulting fights and conflicts. Your emotions (your energies) show you—and everybody around you—who you are BEing, your current experience of Self. 49

Situational Analysis

Intrapreneurial Leaders, such as President Obama, know that the only reason anyone takes anything personally is because of their own diminished sense of Self. Here is a secret: Nothing other people do or say is ever about you. Nothing. Even when others attack with anger and venom, they are acting at the effect of their negative energy, projecting their negative Self on you (to try to escape them) and venting their own negative energy. External events never cause your experience. Nothing that anybody ever says or how they treat you has any effect on you unless you give it that power, unless you import it into your world and believe in it.

I WANT A LEADER WHO is straightforward with the American people. Barack Obama is forthcoming with us. For example, McCain was willing to impose a short term plan to ease gas prices, but his plan barely made a difference. He was willing to say whatever he thought Americans wanted to hear. Obama was very direct with everyone by informing us that it would not help anyone in the long run. It was just a quick fix for Memorial Day. I do not care for quick fixes, so I was glad when Obama spoke out. I respect the fact that Obama refuses to engage in negative campaigning. He has a message for the American people. I do not care for the “kitchen sink” type of politics. 50

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One Adrianna Riley-Roach Wheatley Heights, NY

That is what we see in Barack Obama. In his elevated sense of Self. He does not import into his world the low self-esteem and emotional garbage of others. He does not need assurance of self-worth from outside sources and can remain impervious to the detractions of others. Barack Obama is at Cause in generating positive energy, and is able to hold his experience of Self in the face of all counter-opinions. A key component of Intrapreneurial Leadership includes the ability to vary actions and responses until you achieve the desired result, as opposed to repeating over and over an ingrained habit of behavioral rut. Intrapreneurial Leaders such as Barack Obama understand that sometimes you will take a hit. Tough decisions have to be made that will bring out both the positive and negative energies of people. Superior leadership understands how to deal with both. Intrapreneurial leaders will learn and evaluate the current environment and will act accordingly (with deliberation and immediacy) in response to the new situation.

51

Situational Analysis

Often that change in direction will result in an apparent contradiction of a prior course of action. In many instances Obama has been accused of ‘flip-flops’, an apparent reversal of opinion or action to a previous stance. What we are really observing is a leader who is able to analyze and work with a new set of conditions and has the confidence and wisdom to react proactively to the new situation. In the absence of wisdom and the experience of positive internal energies, people will often strike out at what they perceive to be the obstacle that prevents them from obtaining the desired results. Consider the proliferation of negative campaign activity that happens during political seasons. Just think what our political campaigns would be like if political television advertising was banned! The majority of ‘attack ads’ are termed negative because, instead of offering proactive strategies and solutions, the focus is on usually distorted information meant to ‘smear’ the opponent. The tone and frequency of these ads generally increase in intensity as Election Day approaches. Why do some candidates resort so readily to this type of campaigning? For these reasons:

52

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

•

A candidate has no viable platform or offers nothing substantially different from another candidate and therefore seeks distraction from his or her own weakness.

•

A candidate, operating in the negative energy of low Cause, feels his or her candidacy is threatened. Nothing like a nice drop in the polls to see the attack ads jump right to the networks—through television certainly isn’t the only medium used for such tactics.

•

It works. Simply put, Like Energy attracts Like Energy. When a segment of the population is entrenched in negative energy, they will resonate to a negative energy message. One of the most blatant examples of negative cam-

paigning was Senator McCain’s and Governor Sarah Palin’s distortion on Barack Obama’s plans to increase taxes. For weeks, the Republican Party bombarded the airwaves with the claim that Obama will raise taxes, carefully neglecting that only 5% will be affected. This deliberate distortion created fear, anxiety and mistrust. (Sarah Palin continues her divisive tactics to create and generate negative energy with her inflammatory interjec53

Situational Analysis

tion of “death panels” into the healthcare reform debate. While the actual wording concerns end-of-life counseling, Palin deliberately equates this counseling with euthanasia and infanticide.) While the media asked surrogates of the McCain campaign to explain the deliberate distortion, even those responses were distorted and vague. The danger of this strategy is that when people learn the reality of the situation, the tides of mistrust and fear often change, creating a backlash. Take a look at these two simplified examples of how the Causal Sequence works:

Negative Causal Sequence: BE: I am not strong enough to beat my opponent. FEEL: I feel worried and fearful. THINK: I could lose. I must do anything possible to beat my opponent. DO: Negative attack ads, distort the truth, rash decisions, character attacks on the opponent, erratic behavior. HAVE: Minimal success based on negative energy, mistrust, internal conflicts. Campaign loss.

54

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Positive Causal Sequence: BE: I can win. FEEL: I feel confident, in-charge, passionate, enthusiastic. THINK: Change is needed for the 21st century. DO: Build a strategy based on facts and important issues; consistent and reliable temperament. HAVE: Strong, proactive, empowered and passionate supporter base. Campaign success.

In April 2008, in response to a negative ad in support of his campaign John McCain stated, “…I'm making it very clear, as I have a couple of times in the past, that there's no place for that kind of campaigning, and the American people don't want it.” By October 2008 he had either forgotten the claim or abandoned this tactic. What happened in a just a few months to create this change? You are looking at the impact of a negative Causal Sequence. Negative campaigning will have a greater impact on persons of low self-esteem, low levels of responseability and low power. Negative campaigning feeds the negative energies of people by arousing the negative energy of fear—fear that the opponent is different than 55

Situational Analysis

you, fear that the opponent will somehow bring you harm, fear that you will not be safe, fear that the opponent cannot be trusted and the list goes on. It is especially effective with populations that have lowered educational levels, which isn’t all that surprising. Higher education generally indicates a higher level of wisdom, accountability and power. This demographic can analyze data, make informed decisions and is capable of seeing through smear tactics.

A FEW YEARS AGO I was getting ready for work and I happened to turn the TV on. I saw a young senator from Illinois speak. He was speaking about the war in Iraq …What he was saying is what I had been saying for some time. I am a veteran and support my fellow service men and women, but this war is a no go. To my surprise, someone in government agreed and was trying to do something about it. This past year I saw that same senator announce he was running for president. I didn't know if he was ready for such a task until I began watching the debates and reading his plans. He isn't saying “his goals” but instead “our goals.” This is our country and Obama is fine being our voice. That is what a president is. He is our voice. We want someone in office who will stand up for the working people of the country, not just the elite and the rich. Change is a gift and a freedom that we have in this beautiful country. We must change as a society, but changing doesn't mean you throw away the true meaning of what this country was founded on. Change is not 56

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One something to be feared. Change is to be embraced and Obama has shown me that he is indeed the right person to help lead us in the right direction. John W. King Buckeye, AZ

In the same way that negative energy attracts negative energy, the same holds true for positive energy. Both energies are operating within us. We all operate at some chronic energy level and that can be either positive or negative. Some may label these as the pessimists and the optimists—some will see that the glass as half full, some will see that it as half empty. Your long-term effectiveness as a leader depends on which type of energy you attract— and that attraction depends on whether or not your own chronic energy state is positive or negative. When human negative energies are activated, people will be in rebellion, have negative attitudes, experience anxiety and conflicts will be plentiful. Barack Obama attracted millions of grassroots supporters before and after the election, because of his message of positive change. As a leader, Barack Obama speaks to the positive energies that drive us. These are the energies of enthusiasm, collaboration, satisfaction, hope, self-motivation, resilience, flexibility and passion. That 57

Situational Analysis

does not mean that you will never see negative campaigning from both sides of a campaign. There are times when leaders must absolutely correct misinformation, distortions and untruths. By creating mistrust and confusion in the minds of people, negative campaigning will produce results, however there are other distortions of the mind that produce negative effects as well. Intrapreneurial Leaders understand the mind creations of stories and histories. These mind creations work like this: An event occurs. The facts are usually simple and direct. However, some people take the event and spin a long story around it. Usually they are both the innocent victim and the hero/heroine, making the other person the bad guy, the wrong or stupid one. You will find the best examples of “Stories and Histories” in your own life. Who delights in telling you long stories about something that happened in the past—sometimes years ago? They will also tell the story in present tense, present verb time, and blow-by-blow. Furthermore, they will tell you the same story over and over again, at intervals of days or weeks or months, as if you had never heard it before. The same thing happens in organizations. Turn on the TV and you will see it in many of our political leaders. Many enterprises go out 58

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

of business as they glorify days gone by when they were “the best game in town.” While the leadership and ranks basks in the stories of days long gone, the rest of the world moves on. Some people become adept at basing their entire reputation and career on a single event. If the event had a particular emotional aspect it can become a crutch that can always be dragged out of the closet to parade in front of the world in the absence of a present positive experience of Self. To all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world—our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down—we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security—we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright—tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. For that is the true genius of America—that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to 59

Situational Analysis make their voice heard in this election except for one thing— Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons—because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. Tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America—the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can. We have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves—if our children should live to see the next century… what change will they see? ….This is our chance to answer that call. This is 60

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One our moment. This is our time—to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth—that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can. President Elect Barack Hussein Obama Chicago, Il • November 4, 2008

As you can now see, production and profit are not the prime purpose of any human energy system, business or individual. Not only are they secondary purposes but they are the by-products of how well you fulfill the primary purpose of increasing the positive human energy of people in your organizations, families and communities. The ultimate motivation of every person is the experience to fully express themselves in positive energy as creator and contributor. This is the only way to achieve real and lasting happiness. Many people have money and material things such as success and power as their highest goals only because they do not understand the nature of Life, the nature of themselves as non-physical, spiritual beings. As organizations begin to understand and implement Intrapreneurial 61

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Leadership principles, energy levels in teams and workplaces will increase resulting in the successful attainment of organizational objectives.

To Senator Obama: I watched that first debate from the University of Mississippi. I want you to know that I was enormously proud of you no matter what the pundits or spin doctors may say. I want to explain why I was proud: • You refrained from any personal attacks. • You acknowledged when Senator McCain was right. • You clearly stated when he was wrong, and why he was wrong. • You set forth your own views with clarity. • You refused to talk down to the American people. Whatever happens on Nov. 4, I will never regret having worked hard for you as a grassroots volunteer. You have always conducted yourself with the utmost dignity and grace. You have displayed integrity and authenticity. You have run a positive campaign. And I know you are committed to bringing the political parties together in Washington and people from all walks of life around the country. If you win, you will help to transform this nation at home, and will restore our standing among nations. I say help, because you have always stressed that change comes from the

62

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One bottom up, and that the campaign is not, ultimately, about you; rather, it is about the American people. Contrary to the lie that has been promulgated, to the effect that you are presumptuous, I feel that you have your ego under control. You have always made clear that you are not a perfect person or candidate. I appreciate that enormously. I feel confident that you will win the presidency. I have been happy to spend hundreds of hours as a grassroots volunteer. Through this effort, I have met many wonderful people of all races and from all walks of life. Participation in this campaign has re-energized me. I know you will be OK, should you win or should you lose. So will I. One of the great things you have imparted to me is the desire to remain engaged in the effort to change this country for the better—for the rest of my life. What we see here is more than a campaign; it is a movement for fundamental change in the way we treat one another in this society, whether we act out of greed and malice or demonstrate real concern for our fellow citizens, including the poor, the disabled and the disempowered—and forcefully act on that concern. I have seen many candidates come and go. You are the most impressive one since JFK, by far. I participated in the civil rights movement in the South during the 1960s. You have helped to make the spirit of that movement live again. I have worked with the poor and disabled for many years as a teacher, counselor and advocate. You have helped to restore my sense of commitment to such work. Finally, your example of hard 63

Situational Analysis work, dedication to the task and commitment to your role as father and husband has inspired me to persevere in my own attempt to manifest those character traits. Thank you, Barack Obama, for the person you are. Your personal traits are as important as the contribution you make as a politician. Patrick Frank Grassroots Volunteer Kingstree, SC

BARACK OBAMA HAS THE JUDGMENT and temperament of a leader. He will bring about the change we so desperately need. I like his decision making process; he surrounds himself with people who will challenge him (both democrats and republicans), carefully listens to their viewpoints, and weighs all sides before making a decision. As president, Barack Obama will reach across party lines and bring sound solutions to the problems of the economy, the war, health care and education reform. He will restore America's standing in the world community. I have watched Obama for many months now. I am impressed by his honesty, intellect, integrity and calm yet strong demeanor. That is the kind of person I want as my president. Whatever your party affiliation, a vote for Obama is a vote for change. Chris Campbell San Diego, CA

I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO SEE who Senator Obama would choose as Vice President and was not disappointed. I don't have much 64

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One to add to Senator Biden's speech today; he basically said it all: courage, wisdom and pragmatism is what a leader needs. The fact that the Senator chooses his team so wisely is tantamount to a leader. The responsibility of power which the position of President entails should not go into frivolous hands. Ultimately, the defining and ultimate decisions will be the leader's. I have nothing but good feelings about Senator Obama's sound judgment, open mind and willingness to question himself. Simone Suter Geneva, Switzerland

WHAT MAKES OBAMA a strong leader? I would have to point to the way he ran his campaign. Obama put together a true team that worked together to get him elected. Although his senior team members have been around longer than he has, none has shown themselves to be ego driven, or in need of the spotlight. They have worked together to build a movement from the bottom up, and it has worked. Unlike Senator Obama's competitor Senator McCain, the Obama campaign has never gone broke or even come close to it. If Obama runs our country half as well as he is running his campaign, then we have eight historic years to look forward to that we can all be proud of!!! Karen Whittle Kirkland, WA

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Chapter 7

Empowerment EMPOWERMENT: As leader, the ability to instill the vision in all members of the organization. Managers prioritize; supervisors direct; successful leaders will call forth the positive internal energies/passions to move the organization to the fulfillment of the vision. We meet at a time when much of Wall Street is holding its collective breath. Here at the NASDAQ and all across America, the tickers are being watched with heightened anxiety and considerable uncertainty. There is much anticipation about tomorrow's meeting of the Fed, and with each new day, there is hope that the headlines will bring better news than the last. It is a hope shared by millions of Americans, men and women, who have experienced this kind of anxiety and uncertainty long before it arrived on Wall Street…. Americans and many others were already struggling before the problems on Wall Street arose. Now they are looking at their homes and wondering if their greatest source of wealth will still have the same value in another year, or even another month. So we know there is a need right now to restore confidence in our markets. We know there is a need to renew public trust in our

Empowerment markets… But…..this is another moment that requires, in FDR's words, a re-appraisal of our values as a nation. I believe that America's free market has been the engine of America's great progress. It's created a prosperity that is the envy of the world. It's led to a standard of living unmatched in history. And it has provided great rewards to the innovators and risktakers who have made America a beacon for science, and technology, and discovery. But I also know that in this country, our grand experiment has only worked because we have guided the market's invisible hand with a higher principle. It's the idea that we are all in this together. From CEOs to shareholders, from financiers to factory workers, we all have a stake in each other's success because the more Americans prosper, the more America prospers.. ….We have not come this far because we practice survival of the fittest. America is America because we believe in creating a framework in which all can succeed. Our free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it. And so from time to time, we have put in place certain rules of the road to make competition fair, and open, and honest. We have done this not to stifle prosperity or liberty, but to foster those things and ensure that they are shared and spread as widely as possible. In recent years, we have seen a dangerous erosion of the rules and principles that have allowed our market to work and our economy to thrive. Instead of thinking about what's good for America or what's good for business, a mentality has crept into certain corners of Washington and the business world that says, “what's good for me is good enough.” In our government, we see campaign contributions and lobbyists used to cut corners and win favors that stack the deck against businesses and consumers who play by the rules. Massive tax cuts are shoved outside the budget window and accounting shenanigans are 68

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One used to hide the full cost of this war. In the business world, it's a mentality that sees conflicts of interest as opportunities for profit. The quick kill is prized without regard to long-term consequences for the financial system and the economy. And while this may benefit the few who push the envelope as far as it will go, it's doesn't benefit America and it doesn't benefit the market. Just because it makes money doesn't mean it's good for business. It's bad for business when boards allow their executives to set the price of their stock options to guarantee that they'll get rich regardless of how they perform. It's bad for the bottom line when CEOs receive massive severance packages after letting down shareholders, firing workers and dumping their pensions….It's bad for competition when you have an Administration that's willing to approve merger after merger with barely any scrutiny. Such an approach stifles innovation….Americans or most businesses. And we will not tolerate “what's good for me is good enough” any longer—because the only thing that's good enough is what's best for America. I am also asking you to join me in doing something else today. I am asking you to remind yourselves that in this country, we rise or fall as one people. And I am asking you to join me in ushering in a new era of mutual responsibility in America. Senator Barack Obama September, 17, 2007 • New York, NY

EVERY ONE OF US is the creator of our experience—all of it. Whether we believe that or not, whether we accept it or not is irrelevant. We are at Cause for everything that shows up in life, even our emotions. We may or may not 69

Empowerment

be responsible for the events and situations that we encounter, but we are always at Cause for how we respond. In any situation, you are either Cause (creator) or Effect (victim).Cause is the ability to produce the desired results. It is your ability to manifest and create what you want in life—your vision, and the vision of the organization. Leaders who act at Cause, are those who take response-ability for their internal experience of Self. Response-ability, you will recall, is your ability to respond to any given situation.

It is time that we elect someone who is intelligent and dedicated to the people of this country instead of special interests. Barack Obama is the right person at this critical time to lead a new generation of Americans into a better future. We cannot allow our fears and prejudices to detract us from working for the change this country sorely needs.

This is the origin of personal

power.

As

creator of your experience, you are no longer the victim of events as you move to ever increasing Cause in life. The basic problem

Joe Smith Lowell, MA

of negative energy in life,

whether internally, within the family, or the nation, is that most people think that they are Effect. They believe that external events cause their experience, including their emotions. When operating in a condition of no power, no control, of being affected by some external cause or agent, 70

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individuals descend into a state of “victim.” Clearly we see in Barack Obama from his personal story, that he is not a victim of life's circumstances or the expectations of others. Many leaders stand in the way of their own success in this regard. Intrapreneurship is natural to most people. Intrapreneurs (the entrepreneurs at work within any organization) are born with the innate characteristics of sovereignty, curiosity, ambition and creativity. These are the organizations that are led by persons who are ahead of events, who can foresee consequences and events and take action in time to prevent undesired outcomes to create the ones they want. Failure to understand the impact of human negative energy assures a cycle of inefficiency, lack of cooperation and reduced responseability. Intrapreneurial leaders and organizations are defined by high levels of proactivity, creativity, dynamic activity, optimism, initiative, accountability, and empowerment. Leaders and organizations at effect are characterized by procrastination, blame, complaints, conformity, reactivity, pessimism, irresponsibility, dependence, and mediocrity. Leaders at effect of circumstances operate behind events and fail to see things coming or fail to take 71

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action in time to prevent the undesired outcomes. These organizations will have low levels of response-ability and ingenuity and will fall back on past strategies, regardless of effectiveness. Here you will find frequent distortions, low morale, high degrees of error, and conflicts at all levels.

...IT'S ONLY BECAUSE of Senator Obama that my husband has his VA benefits back, and I'm not even in the same state as him. He made a phone call on my husband's behalf and a month later my husband had his NSC benefits back—he's a Vietnam Veteran. We also lost our house this past year, and didn't get in on the deal from Congress, but once Obama is our President I believe I will have a house again and the American Dream . I have gone from a Precinct Captain in my community to being City Organizer for Nation for Change for Clearlake, CA to being elected to District 2, City of Clearlake, Lake County Democratic Committee. One man has started all this in my life—that man is Senator Barack Obama, our next President of the United States. Michele Hopkins Clearlake, CA

Leaders at the effect of circumstances will also find the standard behaviors of the victim mentality. Instead of taking action, there will be complaints about the 'bad' 72

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things (and people) that happen to them to anyone who will listen. Victims will assign cause to others for the unwanted events of their own life. They will make others 'bad' and wrong for anything that they see as undesirable in their lives and in their results. The victim, often by his own actions, will often irritate and provoke others, be that provocation deliberate or unconscious. Easily and constantly provoked, the victim is emotionally reactive, easily triggered and activated by others. The victim is an expert at pointing blame to circumstances and others for their own failed performance. Organizations where most of the participants operate in victim mentality will possess low initiative and originality. Some strategies for victims include a state of waiting and hoping that things will get better. A common technique of victims is to try to get others to take action to remedy the things they don't like; they will use violations of integrity such as lying or cheating to manipulate people and situations to get what they want. Victims will also wave the flag of incapacity and helplessness to attract and justify getting energy from others to help them through. Where they can, victims will claim duty, obligation, and debt to get energy from 73

Empowerment

others. They will make statements such as, “Look at what I have done for you, how much I sacrificed. You owe me!”

BARACK OBAMA BELIEVES in us (the people) and our ability to bring about positive change. This is shown in the line, “We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek.” Obama's background as a community organizer shows us that we, individually, can lead and organize for positive important results. Most positive change starts from the bottom and then flows up. Look at the causes for the American Revolution and the American civil rights movement, etc. Thomas Brooks Houston, TX

As you can see, you will get very low positive Cause and lots of negative energy or negative Cause from victims. Victims possess very little power, except in generating negative energy that not only damages group energy systems but ruins their personal lives as well. Look around at the groups of which you are a member. Look at your spouse, family, departments, community, your business—are there any victims running around? Now pick up a newspaper, turn on the radio, tune in to the TV news. Are there any victims running around Washington? 74

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One OUR COUNTRY HAS FALLEN into the pitfall of dualism: “Us versus Them,” “My Way or No Way.” Or, as Prez Dubya Bush has said over and over again, in trying to browbeat sovereign nations and peoples worldwide, “You're either with us or against us.” This 'logic' leads toward brinksmanship—saber-rattling— and the threat of worldwide conflagration. Barack Obama has been sent to us to heal that dualistic divide. He embodies within himself the unity of “opposites”: he is black AND white; he is national and international—USA citizen, and the son of an African immigrant father…. he is father and husband—and fighter for responsible fatherhood. He is a tough-childhood pragmatist, a fighter for lofty ideals, and for the environment. We must not squander this incarnate and precious gift of a Healer, a Teacher, and Leader—all in ONE. Here in Minnesota, the indigenous/Native people from the Lakota/Dakota and related tribal communities have a prayerful saying in their own language which I believe expresses this UNITY best: “Mitakuye Oyasin”—All My Relatives—meaning what the Obama's stand for—“WE ARE ALL RELATED. UNITY IS OUR SPIRITUAL DESTINY.” Alice Winfree Bowron St. Louis Park, MN

Intrapreneurial Leadership demands accountability. Response-ability, therefore, is the ability and the duty to respond for our actions, including the restoration of any damage that we cause. Accountability is justice; it is the equalization of energy, the restoration of energy loss due to failed actions and behaviors. Accountability has two sides. The first is the positive side: positive results are 75

Empowerment

rewarded. The second side is the negative side: whoever produces negative results is response-able (at Cause) for restoring the energy lost or damaged. Without such accountability, without the restoration of energy, response-ability does not exist. The violation of this fundamental principle of accountability destroys any system, organization or government. However, accountability is not punishment; and the restoration of energy should not be confused with punishment. Punishment is negative energy designed to make bad-and-wrong-to hurt, to Cause pain to the perceived offender, either as vengeance or so that the behavior is not repeated.

BARACK OBAMA EMBODIES the spirit of positive and productive compromise; he has an understanding, rare among politicians, that we must truly work together as a nation to accomplish our shared goals in the new millennium. Obama understands that the more that we—the people—do for our nation and our communities, the better our nation will be and the stronger our communities will become. Senator Obama inspires us to stand up and take steps to improve our world for ourselves, our children, and all future generations. Matt Murchison Tampa, FL

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Restoration is the production of positive energy by the response-able subject to restore or correct damage done. In this instance we have accountability, a key ingredient in empowerment. The current economic crisis in the United States is an example of an energy system doomed to collapse as a result of a lack of accountability. Wisdom and accountability are reciprocal factors. Wisdom is the ability to predict the consequences of your actions. To be response-able, to operate in positive Cause, requires the ability to foresee the consequences of actions—which is wisdom. On the other side, accountability develops wisdom. When you must respond for the consequences of your actions, you are maximally motivated to learn to predict and control those results in order to maximize positive results and the rewards, and to reduce damages. To do so makes you a wiser and therefore more powerful person. To the degree that leaders ignore response-ability and accountability, their teams, acting in negative energy, will lack wisdom (the ability to foresee the consequences of actions), discipline and personal power. Accountability is a great teacher of wisdom and a great trainer and motivator of discipline. Without accountability, responseability does not exist. Without response-ability, any 77

Empowerment

energy system will collapse. Where there is no responseability there is no Cause or personal power. Below, Obama's speech to NASDAQ in September 2007 continues. Make careful note of the verbiage. You will find numerous examples of accountability, innovation and the need for a 21st century mindset in our economy, foreign relationships, technology and education. Right now there are millions of hardworking Americans who have been struggling to get by for quite some time. They have watched their wages stagnate and their health costs rise and their pensions disappear. Some have seen jobs shipped overseas and others have found new ones that pay much less. Some tell their children they won't be able to afford college this year, others send their youngest to a school that is crumbling around them. I meet these Americans every single day … They understand that revolutions in technology and communication have torn borders and opened up new markets and new opportunities. They know we can't go back to yesterday or wall off our economy from everyone else. Their problem is not that our world is flat. It's that our playing field isn't level. It's that opportunity is no longer equal. And that's something we cannot accept anymore…..And if we are honest, I think we must admit that those who have benefited from the new global marketplace … have not always concerned themselves with the losers in this new economy. There has been a tendency, during the boom times, to consider the casualties of a changing economy to be inevitable, and to justify outsized paydays or lower tax rates on Wall Street earnings as part of the natural order of things. …..It may be 78

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One true, as some have argued, that larger forces are at work here—that technological advance and globalization have triggered a fundamental change in the economy. It is true as well that we cannot simply look backwards for solutions—to try to fence off the world beyond our borders…… we are going to have to adapt our institutions to a new world as we always have. And in doing so, we have to remind ourselves that we rise and fall as one nation that a country in which only a few prosper is antithetical to our ideals and our democracy….. And so, in the coming weeks, I will be laying out a 21st century economic agenda for America. It's an agenda that will level the playing field for more Americans to ensure that America can compete and thrive in a global economy. It will focus on three broad areas. First part of my agenda—a plan to modernize and simplify our tax code so that it provides greater opportunity and more relief to more Americans. For far too long, our tax code has been so riddled with special-interest loopholes and giveaways that it's shifted the tax burden to small businesses and middle-class Americans. At a time when most Americans are facing stagnant wages and rising costs, that's not fair and it doesn't benefit our economy. My plan will give a break to middle-class Americans, seniors, and the homeowners who are feeling today's anxiety and uncertainty, because I believe that we all have a stake in restoring their confidence and investing in their prosperity. The second part of my agenda will be to ensure America's competitive edge in the 21st century. This starts with providing every American with a world-class education from cradle to adulthood. We know that in this economy, countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow. …We can't allow ourselves to fall behind. That means investing in early child education…… Tony Blair once said that “Talent is 79

Empowerment the 21st century wealth,” and I believe we all have a stake in nurturing that talent if we hope to prosper in this century. Ensuring our competitive edge also means investing more in the science and technology that has fueled so much of our nation's economic growth. And one place where that investment would make an enormous difference to the future of this country is in a renewable energy policy that ends our addiction on foreign oil. We know this addiction isn't sustainable for our security. Finally, the third part of my agenda will be to modernize and strengthen America's safety net for working Americans. …..I also realize that there are some who will say that achieving all of this is far too difficult. That it is too hard to build consensus. That we are too divided and self-interested to think about the responsibilities we have to each other and to our country. That the times are simply too tough. But then I am reminded that we have been in tougher times and we have faced far more difficult challenges. And each time we have emerged stronger, more united, and more prosperous than the last. It is faith in the American ideal that carries us through, as well as the belief that was voiced by Franklin Roosevelt all those years ago this week: “Failure is not an American habit; and in the strength of great hope we must all shoulder our common load.” That is the strength and the hope we seek both today—and in all the days and months to come.” Senator Barack Obama New York, NY • September 17, 2007

Intrapreneurial Leadership recognizes that intrapreneurship is a counterpart of ingenuity. Creativity is 80

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

limited when organizational control impinges on another's ability to act. The success of Obama's grassroots campaign is its ability to pass the baton to the state, local and individual levels. The 2008 Obama campaign invited individuals to take response-ability for the outcome of the election and therefore their future. How to do that lay within each individual.

OBAMA'S ENERGY, PROFESSIONALISM, insight and in-depth view of the United States and the world is inspiring. I have 3 bi-racial grandchildren who live with us ages 13, 9 and 7. They are the light of our lives. Obama, just by his running for president, has inspired these children to walk taller, study harder, speak clearer and be more thoughtful. My 13 year-old granddaughter said, “By the Grace of God goes Obama, by the Grace of God goes America.” Amen. Julie Paulsen Iowa

The result—millions of people of all backgrounds, with a variety of talents have emerged—all working toward the same end. This massive grassroots organization included musicians, artists, politicians, teachers, retirees, students, union workers and far too many to list here. Everyone understood that by their individual 81

Empowerment

contribution, whether it was time, finances or other resources, they were empowered to use their talents and creativity to get the job done. Self-esteem is your subconscious evaluation, your estimation, and your good opinion of yourself. Your selfesteem depends on whether that evaluation is positive or negative. The most powerful factor in your evaluation of Self is your perception of

life, as capable of reaching

My observation is that Barack Obama is a leader who empowers people. He encourages them to take action and bring the change they want. He invited people to get involved—and they did in record numbers—even my “apolitical” son volunteered for the campaign and registered and voted for the first time!

your goals. As response-

Nancy Eaton Tampa, FL

your

personal

power.

Your personal power is your ability to act as Cause; it is your perception of yourSelf as able and competent to handle

ability is Cause, the ability to respond, to be powerful, is an essential factor in selfesteem. An intrapreneurial mind-set cannot exist in the absence of response-ability. Denial of response-ability creates a person as victim; victim is a position of low power and therefore of very poor self-esteem. Leaders, such as Obama, who understand the dynamics of human energy systems, will see morale, moti82

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

vation, commitment, accountability and personal satisfaction soar. Obama has succeeded in establishing a culture of ingenuity, unlocking new levels of power and control, of ultimately increasing individual participation and productivity. These are the ingredients of any successful and powerful grassroots organization. These are the critical success factors for our country. This is the framework for successful and powerful leadership for the third millennium. Barack Obama understands that personal empowerment originates and thrives in positive energy. He understands that there is a difference between inspiration and motivation. Inspiration awakens people. Motivation moves people. Barack Obama knows that personal empowerment (necessary for happiness) is the ultimate motivation of all our efforts and behaviors. Understand-

When Obama said “Turn off the TV and the video games and read to your kids”, I knew that Barack Obama gets it. That's when I decided to get involved in his campaign. Pamela Smith Thornton, CO

ing this difference is what moves ordinary people from complacency to positive action. In accord with the Causal Sequence of Life, positive action, originating in positive energy, is what yields positive results. This was the key to the Obama grassroots 83

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campaign movement. This is how his campaign was able to amass millions of financial donors, raising unprecedented campaign donations, in just months. What is it that Barack Obama knows, that has escaped other political and business leaders? Simple. Negative energy in any organization will eventually sabotage your success. Negative energy will destroy the vital, intrapreneurial spirit of the people you seek to lead. Barack Obama doesn't call forth volunteers. He calls forth the leader that resides in all of us. He demands personal accountability—and gets it.

IT WAS THE 31ST OF AUGUST in 1962 that 18 of us traveled 26 miles to the country courthouse in Indianola to try to register to try to become first-class citizens. We was met in Indianola by Mississippi men, Highway Patrolmen and they only allowed two of us in to take the literacy test at the time. After we had taken this test and started back to Ruleville, we was held up by the City Police and the State Highway Patrolmen and carried back to Indianola where the bus driver …..On the 10th of September 1962, 16 bullets was fired into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tucker for me. That same night two girls were shot in Ruleville, Mississippi. Also Mr. Joe McDonald's house was shot in. And in June the 9th, 1963, I had attended a voter registration workshop, was return84

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One ing back to Mississippi. Ten of us was traveling by the Continental Trailways bus. When we got to Winona, Mississippi, which is in Montgomery County, four of the people got off to use the washroom, and two of the people—to use the restaurant—two of the people wanted to use the washroom. The four people that had gone in to use the restaurant was ordered out. During this time I was on the bus. But when I looked through the window and saw they had rushed out I got off of the bus to see what had happened, and one of the ladies said, “It was a State Highway Patrolman and a Chief of Police ordered us out.” I got back on the bus and one of the persons had used the washroom got back on the bus, too. As soon as I was seated on the bus, I saw when they began to get the four people in a highway patrolman's car, I stepped off of the bus to see what was happening and somebody screamed from the car that the four workers was in and said, “Get that one there,” and when I went to get in the car, when the man told me I was under arrest, he kicked me. I was carried to the county jail, and put in the booking room. They left some of the people in the booking room and began to place us in cells. ..And it wasn't too long before three white men came to my cell.. .and he said, “We are going to make you wish you was dead.” I was carried out of that cell into another cell where they had two Negro prisoners. The State Highway Patrolmen ordered the first Negro to take the blackjack. The first Negro 85

Empowerment prisoner ordered me, by orders from the State Highway Patrolman for me, to lay down on a bunk bed on my face, and I laid on my face. The first Negro began to beat, and I was beat by the first Negro until he was exhausted, and I was holding my hands behind me at that time on my left side because I suffered from polio when I was six years old….. The second Negro began to beat and I began to work my feet, and the State Highway Patrolman ordered the first Negro who had beat me to sit upon my feet to keep me from working my feet. I began to scream and one white man got up and began to beat me my head and told me to hush…… I was in jail when Medgar Evers was murdered. All of this is on account of us wanting to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America, is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings, in America? Thank you. Fannie Lou Hamer Democratic National Convention • July 1964

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Obama: The Leadership of We Are One SENATOR OBAMA HAS A TREMENDOUS amount of innate leadership talent and charisma. He is a brilliant and well-educated man. The trait I would single out as key is his determination to empower the electorate. He challenges us to become more and through the campaign has provided an education and the tools for all of us to become community organizers. The past years have been demoralizing. We've watched our country be stolen from us by the powerful; election fraud, the Bush Administration, corporate media, and special interests. They have sold us out and left us believing that nothing we can do makes a difference. We've seen our moral standing and leadership role in the world diminish. Our country is in debt to China and tied to the Middle East because we won't put the money into developing alternative energies. Senator Obama has reminded us that we make up this nation and that yes, we can challenge our government. We can become our government. This is exceptional leadership in action. Jessica Meltzer Berlin, MA

THERE ARE MANY REASONS why I believe Barack Obama is a great leader. His honesty, tenacity and hopeful nature are but a few... However the most compelling reason for me is his desire to empower others. I have been working on political campaigns since I was 12 and I haven't seen the like. Obama's campaign setup a community organizer training program during the pri87

Empowerment maries. I took part in this program. I have never felt more effective politically. As a GenX cynic, I never thought I would have “hope” for a politician. He has already left a great legacy— regardless of the results of this election—with the army of politically aware people he has left behind. He has reawakened something in me and many others. I feel proud of my country, for the first time in a long time. Go Obama! Sarah L. Gerhardt Portland, OR

I FIRST KNEW OF BARACK Obama when he gave the keynote address at the 2004 Convention. He appealed to both parties with his message of universal themes. We are not just the groups that define us, we are definitively Americans first. This was the message that cut across all of the divisions…. We all have had a sense of being beat down, betrayed, and of wishing that a person like us could rise above it all and become President. For African Americans, perhaps it was only Dr. Martin Luther King that last brought that authenticity and hope that the world could really change. For most of us, there have been so few politicians that could both stir us and communicate the American dream. Barack has come further than many politicians because of this coming part way to the ideal.

Glenn Williams Lincoln, NE

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I WAS A REPUBLICAN my entire adult life until I was visiting my father in Nebraska during the caucus. What I saw there told me that I had not only made the right decision to support Sen. Obama but to totally change my party affiliation. Most Nebraskans don't really come out in the primaries. The state is what they call a “fly over” as most candidates just fly over on their way somewhere else. The Obamas came; they talked, they listened, and they responded. What I saw was this—major roads that had to shut down because of people trying to get to caucus locations. I saw people OUTSIDE in freezing temperatures in February because there was no room indoors. I saw news coverage all day long just astounded with the number of people that were trying to make their voices heard. The reasons I'm voting for Senator Obama are numerous but “Change” in my life right now—that is a powerful word. Deb Montanez Jacksonville, FL

I BELIEVE IN BARACK OBAMA'S leadership style and methods of delivery because of the HOPE he generates with a very positive and inclusive message. Obama challenges people to be better and do more as citizens of America, to do more for each other and our communities and to get involved and stay engaged with our government. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, he DARES “We the People” to unite and work together in order to 89

Empowerment affect change. The Obama campaign is proof of what a unifying leadership style can create. For me, Barack Obama's most powerful and inspiring statement has been—“We are the ONES we've been waiting for!” This short statement was enough to get me up on my feet and involved in a historical journey for positive change to my country's way of governing. Barack Obama and the campaign have already created this list of positive changes in America: Grass roots participation bringing in over 1 million new voters; One of the many things I like about Barack Obama is that he pushes us out of our comfort zones. All of my life I have sat on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it. But, one day earlier this year that changed. As I watched his speech in which he said, “We are the change we seek”, words can not express how much that moved me. After that I got on the Obama website and found a group in my area. I sent a mass email telling everybody that “I am fired up and ready to go!” We had a meeting a week later at Starbuck's. At that moment I realized that I could make a difference and ever since that day I have worked to merge the local groups together, worked on numerous voter registration drives, along with other activities. This was never me, this has never been me—to be the catalyst for something. I owe it all to Barack Obama's ability to inspire me to believe I could. I did make a difference. We all can make a difference. We just need the leadership that will tell us “Yes We Can!” LaShawn Pant Pensacola, FL

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AFTER HEARING SENATOR OBAMA speak at the Town Hall Meeting, everyone walked away with the sense that here was a once in a lifetime leader. His confidence, dignity and charm won the audience from the start. I had the honor of introducing him that day. He met with me for a few minutes just before we started. I almost fainted, but he immediately put me at ease. He spoke as if we were old friends. I have every confidence that here is the next great leader of America! And, I will do what I can to see that he is elected. I am Lutheran and believe that God wants us to help our fellow man and all creatures great and small. I firmly believe that this is the year for change for our country. We must change the way our government works and become a good neighbor to the world community again. The person to bring that about is Senator Obama. I am proud to have had a small part in his campaign!

Denise Cyr Medford, OR

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Chapter 9

Diversity ABLE

TO

EMBRACE DIVERSITY: The Intrapreneurial

Leader understands that diversity is not to be feared but to be celebrated. While our common purposes far outnumber our differences, it is through those differences that we can expand our consciousness and celebrate our common humanity. In many ways, Miami stands as a symbol of hope for what's possible in the Americas. Miami's promise of liberty and opportunity has drawn generations of immigrants to these shores, sometimes with nothing more than the clothes on their back. It was a similar hope that drew my own father across an ocean, in search of the same promise that our dreams need not be deferred because of who we are, what we look like, or where we come from. Here, in Miami, that promise can join people together. We take common pride in a vibrant and diverse democracy, and a hard-earned prosperity. We find common pleasure in the crack of the bat, in the rhythms of our music, and the ease of voices shifting from Spanish or Creole or Portuguese to English. These bonds are built on a foundation of shared his-

Diversity tory in our hemisphere. Colonized by empires, we share stories of liberation. Confronted by our own imperfections, we are joined in a desire to build a more perfect union. Senator Barack Obama Miami, FL • May 23, 2008

So, let us not be blind to our differences—But let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal. John F. Kennedy

ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES Census Bureau, Latino, Asian and African-American populations will more than triple by the middle of this century. Combined, ‘persons of color’ will then outnumber whites. We are a diverse nation. We are a diverse global community. And yet, the 2008 presidential election showed us that racial prejudice remains a critical issue throughout the United States as the question had been raised—is the United States ready for a black president? Prejudice is the attempt to escape the feeling of inferiority (negative energy) by projecting and polarizing others to the inferior position so that Self

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will assume the superior position. Prejudice occurs when ego is projected to an entire group or class of persons. Polarization, a creation of the mind, is the division of anything into two groups, one of which is the in-crowd, the “good” guys, and the other is the out-crowd, the “bad” guys. According to the good guys, the bad guys should not Be or Think as they are or Do. Polarization is a unique human creation, one of the delusions of the uncontrolled mind. Polarization occurs when a person creates (thereby interpreting and distorting reality) that other people are inferior, less-than, bad, or wrong. Globally this separation is usually based on superficial and insignificant differences such as race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, economic status, gender, politics, or religion. By polarizing people on such insignificant things, and often on things over which the outcrowd has no control (such as gender, nationality, sexual orientation, or race), the in-crowd gets to declare itself superior and more deserving, without having to compete on ability and merit.

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Diversity BARACK OBAMA REMINDS US that we are citizens first of this great United States of America. His motto “I'm asking you to believe not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington, I'm asking you to believe in yours.” is a reminder of what this nation was founded on—that We The People have basic rights and we have generated a social contract between our people and our government, not just in 2008, but in 1787 when the United States Constitution was adopted. What seems to be revolutionary in political mottoes is in fact a return to the best of the past, but with a diversity of the present and future added to it. The draw of Barack Obama is his sense of decency, that there are certain areas that we will not go in opposition of the other party. It is this appeal to our better angels that helps us to see Obama in the role of every person. What surprises me is when I write something in a weblog matches what Obama believes in. We come from different backgrounds and life experiences. To the extent that Obama matches my own experience, only aids my idealism that we are as one. What Barack Obama has provided me in this election is the ability to no longer hide my political views. When you are born and raised in a region where being a Democrat is not necessarily a reason to go shout from the hilltops, you try to see other political views and find common ground . What Barack Obama promises is a day where party labels may not be as important. In the meantime, it has become cool to be a Democrat as the party as

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Obama: The Leadership of We Are One a whole has experienced a resurgence across the nation because of and also apart from Barack Obama. Glenn Williams Lincoln, NE

Prejudice and bigotry are just another of the many forms of projection, polarization, and ego. A person of lowered self-esteem, a negative energy state, will try to compensate for his decreased sense of Self by invalidating, polarizing and treating others with negative energy. Intolerance is based in the delusional justification to invalidate another for inconsequential or uncontrollable characteristics. Organizations that embrace diversity are those that strive to reduce and eliminate the use of such negative energy by exposing ego as the effort to compensate feelings of inferiority. Polarization even occurs within families. Examine feuds within families and more often than not you will find family members “taking sides,” often on issues of little significance. Polarization is sadly prevalent throughout the history of humankind. Look at our nation and look at the world. Polarization particularly ignores that we are all nonphysical, spiritual life entities, with the same desires, needs and ambitions. We can see that polarization exists in every corner of the world. 97

Diversity

Humanity is polarized in nations, races, politics, religions, cultures—name a difference and you can find polarization. Recall that people are the basic chip, the basic generator of energy and therefore the power of any organization. The Intrapreneurial Leader understands that polarization, prejudice, bigotry, and all forms of harassment only serve to denigrate the integrity, and therefore the power of the organization. I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation….Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, “We hold these truths to he self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will he counted—or at least, most of the time. It's not enough for just 98

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga. A belief that we are connected as one people. …There are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America—there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? ….. I'm not talking about blind optimism here No, I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead. I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a 99

Diversity road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. I believe that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us. America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy I do, the same urgency I do, the same passion I do, the same hopefulness I do—if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November…. and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come. Thank you and God bless you.” Senator Barack Obama Boston, MA • July 27, 2008

By now you understand that life is about how we express ourselves as nonphysical, human energy—as spirit. These nonphysical energies are not independent, and are in fact, interdependent. To be powerful, to produce successful results, many forms of energies must align and cooperate in an energy system. As each of us is an individual energy system, consisting of positive and negative human energies, we combine to form larger and more complex energy systems such as families, businesses or communities. A nation is an energy system, as is the entire planet. Working in synergy, the synchronization of human 100

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energies creates an energy system where the power of the entire system is far beyond that of any individual element. Any system operating in negative energy or lacking critical elements cannot operate successfully. The energy climate of any organization is the net combination of all the human mental, emotional, and behavioral energies, both positive and negative. The energy climate is felt as the overall morale, motivation, enthusiasm and individual fulfillment in the organization.

BARACK OBAMA IS A GREAT leader because he can relate to the American people and their issues. He understands many of the situations that many people are going through in this rough economy as he has been here too. Barack Obama's presidency is not about black and white. It is not about race, color, or culture. It is about America and its future. Anita Stroud San Jose, CA

Intrapreneurial Leaders know that results are the product of how well you fulfill the primary purpose of increasing the positive human energies of people in organizations and communities. Barack Obama stands as an example of a leader who understands the human life energies, the energy of the spirit that underlies “Who We 101

Diversity

Are.” Obama speaks to our nonphysical, spiritual life energies of wisdom, power and esteem. He speaks to people of all ages, professions, ethnicity, sexual orientation, culture and any other demographic you can name. Because Obama has embraced these leadership principles he has experienced a phenomenal leap in motivation and energy in his grassroots movement and will continue to do so as he assumes the presidency of the United States. It is reported that Robert F. Kennedy once predicted that race relations were progressing so rapidly that within 40 years the county would see a black president. While there is some doubt about the actual date of such a prediction, we do know that in 1968, the statement had found its way into the press. Many still question whether or not the United States is ready for a black president. Based on the positive result of the 2008 presidential

election,

the

majority of Americans have crossed that threshold. We are

As I canvassed for him in the poor section of our county my school children were running up to me hugging me. Little did they know that I was campaigning for a man that would give hope to their lives! Lynn Morris Rivesville, WV

a diverse nation. We co-exist in a diverse global community of religions, cultures, nationalities, histories and ethnicities. The 102

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United States has always been a world leader in freedom and democracy. To remain so demands a complete and celebratory embrace of the diversity of our country. This ideal can only be realized in the application of these Intrapreneurial Leadership principles.

AS BEING A SWEDISH CITIZEN I support Obama, for the best of USA but above all for the best of the world. He is a true worldleader. Not only Americans, but people in Europe, Asia and Africa are also fascinated by him. He touches the soul of people, speaks to what is best in us, asks us to look for something greater in life, to look beyond our personal self. This message and this leadership is what so many people are so eagerly waiting for. He unites the world by uniting us around the values of compassion, truth and justice. Torgny Jansson Gothenburg, Sweden

OBAMA: The Triumph of Unity in Diversity The USA is a country that typifies the world at large, simply because it is the microcosm of the real world. Obama is the triumph of the beauty and glory of the term “unity in diversity” and furthermore, “strength in diversity.” Owing to the honesty, dexterity, and the absolute desire and commitment to a positive change in the way politics is being run here in the USA, Senator Obama has displayed that, he is capable of leading us to the 103

Diversity Promised Land; one which is flowing with justice and peace, love and happiness, honesty, and respect for mankind. Moreover, most frankly and on a very positive note, Obama is viewed as a unifier, rather than a divider. He has miniaturized the existence of discriminatory factors such as racism. Suffice it to note that many of Senator Obama's supporters are essentially the majority of the American people and minorities too. The exemplary display of maturity and calmness in the face of unhealthy and deceptive propaganda by special interests and lobbyists, has further endeared him to the generality of the American people. In Obama, diversity has a new meaning;

Different Individuals Values Each other Regardless of Skin, Intelligence, Talents and Years! This is the time for a change that we can believe in. Let us not allow this unique opportunity to pass us by. Obama's promises are the peoples gain and honest desire and aspiration. Peter Odeh Baltimore City, MD

I WAS TOO YOUNG TO WALK with Martin Luther King in Selma, Alabama. But while watching the Democratic National Con104

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One vention I couldn't help but feel that I had finally joined with those pioneers of civil rights. I have become one with them. I think many others feel that way too. Senator's Obama's election to office would be, for me, as important as of the fall of the Soviet Union and something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. Gary Gagne Charlotte, NC

I'M A 25 YEAR OLD VETERAN of Operation Iraqi freedom…... I am going to college with the help of my Veterans benefits from the GI bill. I have never had a passion about politics as I have for the cause of Senator Obama and the vision he has created here in America and around the world. I am so committed to ensuring Obama gets elected that I have not even cared about my local elections in my own hometown. Freedom is not free, for all that has come before him and now all that will follow. Obama has opened the gates for all of us to follow. Preston Bostick Quincy, FL

SENATOR OBAMA REPRESENTS this country because he can relate to all races and walks of life. He does not favor rich people or poor people. He does what is just. Obama is a shining example of how the system despite its flaws does work if you work within it. He rose from humble beginnings and did not let race stop him. He relates well with all Americans and shares our core spiritual and family values. Obama inspires all to go for 105

Diversity their highest dream of success. Yet he does so without resorting to negative attacks. We need a leader who is diplomatic because the world needs more level headed leaders, not ones who act out of fear. He is strong and brave. Obama does not let negative attacks deter him. His policies show that he has this country's best interests in mind and will stand up for what is right for us all. Karen Walton Fort Lee, NJ

I AM ORIGINALLY FROM MOBILE, AL. I am here in Florida with my kids and grands to help as much as possible because the economy is too much for my kids to maintain with school age kids and all the expenses. I am attending Troy State University to gain a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice/Business Adm. I am proof that you are never too old to get an education. The country needs a change with family values, and family structures reiterated. The Barack/Biden families can bring this. Obama has inspired many young people to become a part of the voting arena. He has caused some of the elderly to want to return and vote again, feeling that they are blessed to witness such an event. The night that Barack gave his acceptance speech on the 40th anniversary of the never to be forgotten “I Have A Dream” speech by Dr. MLK, that night, it was the Dream. He brought people from all over the United States, no 106

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One matter the age, color, religion, gender, financial status—they were there—all 85,000 of them . As they looked on, some with watery eyes, holding on to those beside them and became one, I know Dr. King looked down and smiled! That was the Dream! Darlene Gay-Allen Fort Walton Beach, FL

IT IS MY BELIEF THAT one of the greatest strengths America has going for it is ethnic and cultural diversity. I believe this because I believe that with time and exposure to the way different cultures live their lives and strive for freedom, our universals, the way we are the same, are more widely recognized. This gives us more tolerance for those who are at first seen as different from us allowing our various strengths to be put to work in society. Long lasting peace comes to people who feel included in society. As societies grow and merge, it is important that we find ways to agree rather than try to exclude fringe groups. One reason I am supporting Obama is because I believe he can help bridge the racial divide in our country. Beyond that I believe he can help restore confidence among Americans that will be necessary to re-ignite our market and help us compete better globally. But more than that, he understands that competing globally does not mean pushing other countries around or down. Obama will have a robust foreign policy that recognizes the legitimacy of our world neighbors. It is not us against them. 107

Diversity We are in it together. I believe in education—what our young are taught is of utmost importance. To get back on track, education in America should teach skills and knowledge that help us compete in a global marketplace. Among these principle skills are theoretical and applied Sciences, Mathematics, English, Languages, Music and Arts. We should be flexible and seek out the best methods to help our children learn. Public education should be available equally to ALL children and young people! There is no excuse for inferior schools! Diversity is strength. Education is necessary for a viable future. Jeff Powell Kent, WA

I AM A MULTIRACIAL AMERICAN woman (First Nations, Irish, and Italian) married to a Nigerian-born man, with four beautiful, spirited children. I work in hospital administrative management in the area of trauma. I am currently in the process of completing my Masters in Healthcare Administration. I do not follow any particular faith or church, but believe in a higher power, as well as participate in occasional traditional indigenous religious ceremonies. I believe a true leader trusts those he or she leads to be the best that they can be, without the need for an autocratic micromanaging authority style….. A true leader understands he or she cannot succeed alone. My family and I look forward to the possibility of Senator Obama leading us into a better way of life. What inspires me so much about him is the fact that he knows he cannot do it alone, and that he has asked 108

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One us to step up and be the change we want to see. His message of change and hope resonates with me in a time where we have moved away from such ideals in the past eight years. He truly represents inclusiveness of all Americans regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, religion, etc. and as such in my mind represents a true leader for all American citizens. Tetana Oguara Seattle, WA

I long for a president who will inspire, uplift, excite and motivate me; with a fresh perceptive, intellectual curiosity, unwavering integrity, a sense of humor, kind heart, spiritual soul and peaceful nature; an orator and a leader; a humanitarian and a philosopher; a poet and a teacher; a sage man and healer; a person who has strength of character and the passions of his convictions; a person of principle, veracity and courage; someone who makes me believe again - actually believe for the FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT life - in the promise, dignity and spirit of America. That man is Barack Obama. Saudia Lawrence San Francisco, CA

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Epilogue If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference. It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled— Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America. President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama Chicago, IL • November 4, 2008

Epilogue

THE

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES OF

“WE ARE ONE”, docu-

mented in this book are not new. As you move back into history you will find many leaders who employed these very same leadership strategies. One such leader who personified these leadership characteristics emerged from our own political landscape. You can see these very principles at work in the administration of John F. Kennedy. Since his noted arrival on the Washington scene at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Barack Obama has been likened to John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. There are those who will dismiss this comparison, noting that the likeness comes from the fact that all of these men knew how to deliver a great inspirational speech. Those of us fortunate enough to have been alive to witness the power of these men, however, know that there is something more. Many are unable to describe it, but understand it nonetheless. While inspiration can provide an emotional lift, it never lasts longs. No, there is something more. What these men did was to provide a framework of personal accountability and empowerment, designed to make changes in the way we feel, think, treat and react towards each other, our government, and our world. 112

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Intrapreneurial Leaders understand the true meaning behind, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” This doesn’t mean that we take on everyone’s problems but it does mean that we provide each member of any human energy system the means to be individually empowered. As a collective whole, any human organizational system, operating in positive energy, will show compassion, empathy, and concern for all its members. Its leaders will understand that successful outcomes are the results of people working together toward common goals. We can see this in action in Barack Obama as he and his staff struggle to find bipartisan solutions to the current healthcare crisis. The common objective is healthcare reform⎯ providing quality healthcare for the 50 million Americans without healthcare and also providing affordable healthcare for all. Clearly, the issue has been derailed as some politicians and factions have decided to distort the original objective in an effort to pursue their own agenda. Observe the intense negative emotion at many of the town hall meetings across the country in the summer of 2009. Much of this negative energy is fueled by distortions and deliberate sabotage⎯ with the end result of a loss of focus, conflict, and ineffective communications. 113

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The Intrapreneurial Leader understands that human energy systems, in synergy, operate within the paradigm of “We Are One”. People working in the positive energies of respect, compassion and decency will work together to achieve common goals. This leadership style recognizes that the combined positive energies of each individual contributes to the success and well-being of the entire system⎯ which could be your business or your community. In the following words by Ted Kennedy in the last days of his life, note the theme of “We Are One” in his passion to create healthcare reform. “This is the cause of my life. It is a key reason that I defied my illness last summer to speak at the Democratic convention in Denver—to support Barack Obama, but also to make sure, as I said, "that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American…will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not just a privilege." For four decades I have carried this cause—from the floor of the United States Senate to every part of this country. It has never been merely a question of policy; it goes to the heart of my belief in a just society...it's always been deeply personal, because the importance of health care has been a recurrent lesson throughout most of my 77 years.” Senator Ted Kennedy Newsweek • July 27, 2009

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It is the understanding of leadership as a model of “We Are One” that draws the

comparison of Barack

Obama to many of the greatest of leaders of the last 40 years. It is a new strategy of leadership—Intrapreneurial Leadership—the fundamental ability to communicate to our nonphysical, spiritual, life energies. In doing so, Obama, as do all effective and powerful leaders, speaks to the Godness and the goodness that resides in all of us. These leaders have called forth the leader that resides in all of us. As a human energy system, as a collective, we are of one Energy; we are either primarily of positive energy or we are primarily of negative energy; we either rise together, or we fall together. We are One. These leaders have issued both the invitation and the invocation for all of us to reach to our inner selves, where our true power in life resides. They have succeeded in communicating far more than mere words. What we have heard, and now hear from Barack Obama is an ideal that we can BE better, that we ARE better, that we can DO better, that we can HAVE better. It is from these core ideals that peace and prosperity will come. As business and political leaders center themselves on these principles, you will see a quantum leap in motivation and energy of individuals that will result in nota115

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ble increases in the quantity and quality of organizational and national results. In the global market and information sphere of today, competitive advantages from purely physical advances are fleeting. Information, technologies, and products travel too fast. The next frontier of competition is not physical science and technology; it will be the harnessing of human energy. The next challenge of business is human energy development—the only true power of any organization. Leaders such as Barack Obama—those who understand Intrapreneurial Leadership principles will create the desired results. Leaders that understand and are able to unleash human energy, to foster intrapreneurship, will ride the wave of the future into the third millennium.

Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You Inauguration Speech Delivered by John F. Kennedy January 20, 1961 VICE PRESIDENT JOHNSON, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, reverend clergy, fellow citizens, we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn 116

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago. The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge—and more. To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. 117

Epilogue To those new States whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom—and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. To those peoples in the huts and villages across the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required—not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge—to convert our good words into good deeds—in a new alliance for progress—to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house. To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war 118

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support—to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective—to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak—and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course—both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war. So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms—and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations. Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science 119

Epilogue instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce. Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah—to “undo the heavy burdens—and to let the oppressed go free.” And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe. Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are—but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation”—a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? 120

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility—I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY in the air within my community and a marked shift that is taking place within my own spirit. Raised a conservative evangelical republican, even my parents have shifted. Almost 70 years old, these two wealthy whites 121

Epilogue living in the suburbs attend an almost all black church in the city. I don't consider myself either a democrat or a republican because the labels simply cannot contain what my heart knows. This country needs a leader who is larger than him/herself. We need a leader who is humbled at the chanting of his name, knowing that of himself, he is not the answer. We need a leader who has questioned himself, his heritage, his spirituality, his politics, his motives, his family, his existence. I want a thinker. After his appearance at Rick Warren's Church the press called him “nuanced—I called him a thinker. They called his answers the answers of a college professor while calling John McCain's answers were “definite”, “sure” and “solid.” I want a thinker for my president—who thinks about cause and effect, and one who changes his mind given more information. I want a leader who does not spout off about the weaknesses, strengths, or latest gossip of his opposition, but one who forges ahead and focuses on his mission. I want a leader who will help small business figure out how I can pay for health insurance for all of my employees. I want more for them, and I want more for me—and yes, that means profit—it is what we're in business for. I want a president with a background in working with communities, one who supports grass roots organizations, even when they feel like no one is hearing them. Many thought the world wouldn't hear him. The world is listening to this man 122

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One because the world sees itself in this man. I need a leader who believes in the basic goodness of human beings first. I want a leader larger than him or herself. I want as a leader a man who listens, has a diverse team around him, and sometimes screws up, always feeling humbled after—knowing his humanity, yet looking to divinity for assistance. I want a leader who is willing to admit mistakes—his own and a nation's. I want an America willing to believe that a powerful person is patriotic when he can see the mistakes his country has made—and care enough to confront them, and to turn them around. I want an America that does not demand perfection from its president. We need a leader who can shed needed light on a path—and then we'll walk down the path and we'll work together, and we'll give a little of our own comfort to help a brother—and Mr. President, we promise not to try and make you into the Messiah. We commit ourselves to the journey, and we won't sit back and see what you're going to do. This is our country, and we want it back. You understand this because you were a part of that in Chicago. You know the power of church basements, and you know the danger of lethargy among a people. What I love about Obama is that he already knows that he cannot change the state of this economy, war, or health care alone. A leader is a humble servant. I want a humble servant who believes in something larger than himself. I want Barack Obama. Cheryl Saluga Boardman, OH

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About The Author VICTORIA C. DEPAUL, M.S., Business Consultant, Life Coach, Facilitator, Author http://www.GalileoConsultants.com Victoria DePaul founded Galileo Business & Learning Consultants in 2007 after many years in human resource management. As a retired corporate executive, Ms. DePaul has gained extensive experience in the development of human potential holding positions as supervisor, manager, leader and corporate trainer. She has inspired many with her personal challenge with weight loss, appearing on the Today Show, CNN, The NBC Nightly News, 20/20 as well as several national and international publications. Through seminars, consulting and speaking engagements she continues to motivate and move people toward peak-performance in all areas of life. Her personal development and self-mastery style is based on her personal, management and business leadership success and is documented in “Creating the Intra-

About The Author

preneur: The Search for Leadership Excellence”. Here readers learn that organizations are energy systems where the basic unit of power of any energy system, whether it be a business, a family, a neighborhood, or a global community is the individual. The power of this new business methodology is its recognition that every person is a Life Energy, Spirit entity, an energy system itself consisting of Wisdom, Power, and Value. This Life Energy can manifest itself as either positive or negative. Organizations can control the positive or negative outflow of energy once they understand how to harness the true quantum, spiritual energies of its members. When businesses, organizations and communities begin to understand the ultimate motivation of all persons – the experience of more and more Life Essence Energy, they can be the catalyst for positive, permanent change in people, their families and communities- local, national and global. At the core of “Creating the Intrapreneur” is the knowledge that all that exists is Energy – Human Quantum Energy, the Energy of Life itself. Based in personal experience and application, the concepts that Victoria introduces are more than theory— they are the proven steps to organizational transformation. For much of her career, Victoria struggled with how 126

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to motivate people to higher levels of performance. What she found was that the primary motivation of each of us is the desire to be happy, whether at work or at play. Further, she discovered what true happiness is- the full experience of our creative, spirit Self. In order to achieve excellent results, all that was necessary was to empower others to express their unique creativity. In other words, she learned to provide the vision, guidance and tools and then got out of the way. The natural result was a motivated and innovative workforce, leading to increased production results, high levels of morale and accountability.

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Acknowledgements DR. DAVID G. GLIDDON serves as faculty in the School of Business at Colorado Technical University and the CTU Institute for Advanced Studies. He is Subject Matter Expert for the MBA Leadership program at South University. He is the founder of ISOIL, the International Society of Innovation Leadership. He received his Ph. D. in Workforce Education and Development with a specialization in Training and Human Resources from Penn State University. He received his MS. in Human Resource Administration with a specialization in Human Resource Development from the University of Scranton and his BS. in Psychology with a specialization in Business and a Minor in Philosophy from Penn State University.

Dr. Gliddon received the International Society of Performance Improvement's 2009 First Place Distinguished Dissertation Award, a 2008 Obama Organizing Fellowship, the 2005 Colorado Technical University Faculty Service Award, serves as Chair of the Colorado Technical

Acknowledgements

University Library Committee, and is an Eagle Scout. He has provided executive consulting to clients achieving a multitude of successes in state-wide strategic curriculum development projects in Pennsylvania; nation-wide compensation, EEO, and employee relations projects; and global performance management, staffing, training, and HRIS project implementations.

Dr. Gliddon is currently authoring the book Innovation Leadership and has written numerous articles on the topic. The initial press release on innovation leadership is listed as suggested reading by the US Department of Treasury. Dr. Gliddon authored the chapter Leading Democracy for Letters to President Obama, Performance Management Systems for the ISPI Handbook for the Selection and Implementation of Human Performance Interventions, and two chapters for the Praeger Handbook of Human Resource Management and Workplace Policy.

JOHN R. WILSON earned his M.S. in Technical Communi-

cation at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. His journey from childhood fundamen130

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talism and racism to Unity and the "one nation" of Barack Obama traveled through the maze of Christianity. It appears that historical followers of the "Christ" were not all alike, but differed widely in belief and practice. Americans must respect differences and pursue common dreams and goals in charting a new direction for our country.

MELISSA DEPUTY is a Public Speaker, Author, and the founder of Deputy Speaks and A Woman’s Best. Melissa is available for speaking engagements and consulting services on time management, customer service, marketing and sales, abuse and recovery, living your ideal life, and self esteem. Visit her website at www.DeputySpeaks.com. TYLER O’DAY, a resident of West Boylston, MA, is a ninth grader at the West Boylston Junior – Senior High School. Even at his young age he is active in school, local, state, and national politics; he describes his political views as ranging from liberal to socialist. He enjoys sports, especially football, and vacationing with family on Cape Cod.

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Special Thanks….. IN THESE PAGES YOU HAVE BEEN introduced to a new paradigm of organizations, how life works, and the internal mechanisms of human energy. This book is an application study of my interpretation of the works of Thomas Michael Powell, a modern-day philosopher. At the heart of these teachings is the codification of the universal laws of Wisdom, Power, and Esteem. From my personal mentorship with Thomas I have learned that life is a polarity; true personal power comes from understanding that all of experience is both positive and negative. Our inability to effectively manage our internal negative energies is the only cause of unhappiness in life. Not only have I learned how these universal laws work in determining the outcomes of our individual lives, but they are the determinants for success or failure in all human organizations. Thomas has given me unlimited access to his books and course materials to aid in completing this project and so many others. Once again, I extend profound gratitude and appreciation to Thomas Michael Powell for his contribution to this book, my life, and to humanity.

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Contributors Abarquez-Delacruz, Prosy Abdulraheem, Abubakar Beauleri, Rick Betts, Sheri Bostick, Preston Bowron, Alice Winfree Brooks, Raymond Brooks, Thomas Burwick, Louis Campbell, Chris Carter-Brooks, Emma Chamberlain, Derrick Christiansen, Charles Claire Cronin, Allan Crowell, Mickie Cyr, Denise Deputy, Melissa Dorff, Raissa Duncan, Jacob Eaton, Nancy Everett, Jeremy Fiore, Lee Fitzharris, Stephanie Frank, Patrick Gagne, Gary Gay-Allen, Darlene Gerhardt, Sarah L Giacomuzzi, David J Gliddon PhD, David Goodwin, Rolanda Gray, Gloretha Greene, Rene

Los Angeles, CA Nigeria Indiana, PA Beltsville, MD Quincy, FL St. Louis Park, MN Birmingham, AL Houston, TX Worcester, MA San Diego, CA Leeds, AL Midland, MI Rockville, MD Paris, France Santa Barbara, CA Elk Grove, CA Medford, OR Flemington, NJ New York, NY Ocala, FL Tampa, FL Tripoli, IA Worcester, MA Austin, TX Kingstree, SC Charlotte, NC Ft. Walton Beach, FL Portland, OR Palm Springs, CA Colorado Lawrenceville, GA Port Saint Lucie, FL Atlanta, GA 133

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Hoffine, Dalton Hopkins, Michele Jansson, Torgny Jones, Robert Joslin, Rachel Keane, Martin Kelinson, Roberta King, John W. King, Okela Lanahan, Anthony Lawrence, Saudia Lillge, Eugene Loewenstein PhD, David Manns, Ron Marlowe, Christina Martin, George McCampbell, Nancy McLaughlin Jr., Richard Meltzer, Jessica Miller, Mary Beth Montanez, Debra Moore-Bruno, Korkie Morris, Lynn Murchison, Matt Noah, Deborah Norman, Betty O'Day, Tyler Odeh, Peter Oguara, Tetana Orie, Ada Ozanne, John Pant, LaShawn Pao, Al Paulsen, Julie Powell, Jeff

Winston-Salem, NC Clearlake, CA Gothenburg, Sweden Westminster, SC Browns Mills, NJ Voorhees, NJ Rock Island, IL Buckeye, AZ Brooklyn, NY Park Ridge, IL San Francisco, CA Appleton, WI Miami, FL Rockford, IL Summerland, CA Wilmette, IL Bozeman, MT Warrington, PA Berlin, MA Northville, MI Jacksonville, FL Courtland Manor, NY Rivesville, WV Tampa, FL Carmichael, CA Chicago, Il West Boylston, MA Baltimore, MD Seattle, WA Cockeysville, MD Carmel, CA Pensacola, FL San Francisco, CA Woodbury, IA Kent, WA 134

Obama: The Leadership of We Are One

Rapalje, Tryntje Reid, Tim Riley-Roach, Andrianna Roberts, Lloyd Robinson, Douglas Saluga, Cheryl Sciscoe, Verna Sebastian, Catherine Shank, Stephanie Smith, Jessica Smith, Joe Smith, Pamela Spillman, Denise Steinbach, Bernhard Stroud, Anita Suter, Simone Tarpai, William Tata, Ted Timmons, Wynona B. Turner, Marla Wallace, Angelique Walton, Karen Walton, Maggie Wenger, Allen White, Bridget Whittle, Karen Williams Esq., Dr. E. Faye Williams, Glenn Wilson, John R. Wilson, Kathy

San Francisco, CA Hanover, PA Wheatley Heights,NY Dexter, ME Great Falls, MT Boardman, OH Bellingham, WA Millford, PA Elkins, WV Amesbury, MA Lowell, MA Thornton, CO Boardman, OH Charlottesville, VA San Jose, CA Geneva, Switzerland Riverside, CA Stoughton, MA Rio Vista, CA Las Vegas, NV Haverford, PA Fort Lee, NJ Houston, TX Mountain Home, ID Baytown, TX Kirkland, WA Washington, DC Lincoln, NE Raleigh, NC Bowie, MD

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