President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Angela Melvin - Essay Example

THREE LEADERS ANALYSIS For this paper, we will be discussing three leaders that are admirable based on their characters and actions. i. President Barack Obama ii. Bill Gates iii. Angela Melvin For a leader to be admirable, they need to have at least six of the main dominant traits which include, perseverance, conviction, good communication skills, empathy, able to plan for the future and charisma1. We will discuss how each of these leaders has portrayed these traits through their actions and words and reasons for being admirable leaders. Barrack Obama Obama is a political leader who has from time to time shown conviction and perseverance. A good example is during his 2008 presidential campaigns where his slogan was, “Change we can Believe in”2. He fulfilled this stand through numerous policies and a clear stand onto resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. This was not easy especially considering that the conflict had existed for ages and many international leaders had given up of a possible solution. Coming from black origin, Obama needed conviction and persistence to run for the presidency and win. Through his speeches, one can easily point out the quality of communication in them. Obama is also a charismatic leader who can engage the crowd to connect with his message3. This was clear when he made his “Yes we can” speech. At one time Obama cried when making a speech on gun violence a clear portrayal of his empathy. When analyzing the policies that Obama made during his presidency, e.g. Obama care, he was looking at ensuring that there is a brighter future for the United States4. These are some of the reasons as to why one would admire Barrack Obama as a leader. Through his leadership as the president of the United States, Barrack Obama has brought a lot of change not only to the American citizens but across the globe. One of the changes that Obama brought to the country is the fact that he improved the economy of the United States. Obama became the president when the country was deep into the 2008 financial crisis. This crisis was not only affecting the country but the world at large. Through his policies to a bailout, some of the affected institutions the country was able to recover back to normalcy. His leadership has also enabled people from humble backgrounds to have the faith that they can do it. Against all odds, Obama made it to the presidency of the united states for two terms which is a good thing for the less fortunate in the society5. Obama has been able to express his strengths and values through the numerous speeches and books he has written. Having been brought up by a single mother and lived in Indonesia during his early days, the odds were stuck against his success. However, Obama was able to rise from this and become one of the best presidents the united States has ever had. His key strength is his charisma and communication capabilities6. When making his speeches, he can communicate with his listeners and have their full attention. His messages are simple, and he often uses examples to expound his message. A good example is when he addressed the African union, he equated women rights to having a football team that only allows half of its players into the field7. His key values are integrity and equality. This can be seen in his numerous projects where he has sirt to have the inclusion of every member of the society. The Affordable care Act nicknamed Obamacare was meant to make the cost of insurance accessible to all8. Obama has been able to carryout successful campaigns through fostering team work through his ranks both as the senate and presidential candidates. He does this by ensuring that members of his team are proud of what they do and motivated. Bill Gates Probably one of the wealthiest individuals, Bill Gates has shown that one can make it in life if they are persistent and have the conviction that they can do it. A Harvard University dropout, Bill gates co-owned a failed business before eventually succeeding in the technology industry through his company Microsoft Inc. having failed in school and business, Bill gates did not give up, he still went ahead to start a new business which eventually succeeded. This shows his conviction and perseverance. Bill Gates has given numerous speeches especially during product launches and Annual General Meetings9. He can connect with the crowd and receives applauds from time to time due to his charismatic qualities. Through his Melinda and Gates Foundation, Bill Gates can give back to the society by improving the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable thereby showing his empathetic side. Melinda and Gates Foundation has improved lives, especially in Africa through the promotion of energy and agriculture. To make it in the technology industry which is very dynamic a company needs a future-looking leader like Bill Gates. By helping provide energy for the poor countries, Melinda and Gates's foundation is indirectly funding the growth of these societies in the future. Through having the energy, these societies can have industries which will create employment thereby growing the economy of these regions in the long run. Bill Gates has a strength of perseverance and future projection. Through his company, Bill Gates has been able to determine the path that technology takes by defining its future. His company has remained one of the best globally, despite competition from other tech giants like Google and Apple. The company has always been innovative to remain relevant. Bill Gates has values such as integrity and hard work. Through his foundation, bill Gates has been able to raise funds to help the poor and vulnerable. He has been able to get donations from people because they trust him. A good example is the $ 3.17 B contribution by Warren Buffet where a huge chunk of this money went to Melinda and Gates Foundation10. Bill Gates can also be said to be a genius in mobilization. He can get donations from leaders and the wealthy across the community. Through his charisma and integrity, Bill Gates can attract people into his team with similar characters. He ensures that everyone on his team has to have certain capabilities to be allowed in. This has ensured success in his business and foundation. Microsoft inc, which is headed by Bill gates has changed the way the world operates. Through the manufacture of hardware and software, Microsoft has made it easy for everybody to access technology. The world is now more connected and easy to operate after the innovation by Bill Gates. Business is now easy to conduct across nations through technology courtesy of Bill Gates. The Melinda and Gates foundation have also changed the way people look at the vulnerable in the society. People are now helping the poor, more so the wealthy in the society. Lives have been changed in Africa and other parts of the world where Melinda and Gates foundation has footprints. Angela Melvin Angela Melvin is a leader in the Not for-profit sector. Through persistence and conviction, she has been able to run a successful Not for profit business11Angela Melvin lost her mother while ten years of age. Despite her grief and loss, she made it in college to study journalism. After twenty years she started Valerie's house, which was motivated by the loss of her mother, Valarie Melvin. Her foundation helps young children recover from the grief of losing their parents and loved ones. By working with children who have lost their loved ones, Angela Melvin is portraying her empathetic side. To be able to deal with children especially those griefing you need to have quality communication and charismatic characteristics. One can say that Angela Melvin has these characters due to the success of her foundation. Angela Melvin's conviction and perseverance are displayed when she overcame her grief and achieved her dreams of becoming a journalist. She helps children who are the future of a generation thereby showing her future-oriented skills. Through her foundation, Angela Melvin has been able to change the lives of many children. She helps children recover from the loss of their parents thereby moving on with their lives to become the best they can be. This problem is one that has not been dealt with by many foundations, and she is helping the society in this way. She did not let the loss of her mother bring her down but rather catapulted her to greater heights. Before starting her foundation, she worked with other non-profits which include, Wendt center for grief and loss as a member of the board and Big brothers big sisters as a board member and county community director in Lee12. To be able to run her foundation smoothly, Angela Melvin has had to come up with a team of volunteers to assist her work. Through this network she was able to make the team. She faced different strategies that she uses to build her team at Valerie's House. Conclusion In conclusion, Barack Obama former US president, Bill Gates the founder of Microsoft and the co-founder of Melinda and Bill Gates foundation and Angela Melvin, the founder of Valarie’s House are some of the leaders who are admirable. Some of the qualities that make these leaders admirable are their perseverance and urge to keep moving even when things seem to be against them; the three leaders also have displayed good attributes that inspired the people around them both old and young. However, what stands out is the footprints these leaders are leaving in the world. Barack Obama has a legacy that will be forever be printed in the American history, on the other hand, Bill Gates through his business and philanthropic activities have dramatically touched lives across the globe. The impact Valarie's house though small has dramatically enabled children to keep pursuing their dreams even when they lose someone close to them. Bibliography Barnes, Seth. 2017. Bill Gates Advice to Graduates: Help the Poor. 20 April. Accessed October 24, 2017. http://www.sethbarnes.com/?filename=bill-gates-advice-to-graduates-help-the-poor. Buffett, Warren. "My philanthropic pledge." Retrieved June 3 (2010): 2011. Dolan, Elizabeth M., and Manouchehr Mitch Mokhtari. "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): Pros and cons." (2013): 1-2. Felsenthal, Julia . 2016. President Obama’s Brilliant DNC Speech Makes the Case for Empathy. 28 July. Accessed october 24, 2017. Germain, Marie‐Line." Performance Improvement 51, no. 5 (2012): 32-39. Mendell, David. Obama: From promise to power. HarperCollins, 2017. Olive, David. An American Story: The Speeches of Barack Obama-A Primer. ECW Press, 2010. Spring, Joel. Political Agendas For Education: From change we can believe in to putting America first. Routledge, 2010. What it takes to be a great leader. Directed by Ted Talk. Performed by Roselinde Torres: 2014 Read More