Amber Pondo

November 15, 2018

Dr. Portwood

Ted Talk: Leadership, Michelle Obama, and Personal Growth

Leaders can be patient, brave, flexible, and responsible. Someone that is a great leader can

impact the lives of others in a positive way. There are many strategies an individual can do to be an

effective leader. Strategies such as being consistent, inspiring, and having a positive attitude will help

transition others in obtaining certain leadership styles. Everyone can mold into a unique leader with a

specific leadership style that is noticeable in many aspects throughout his or her life. These styles consist

of being a situational leader, transactional leader, charismatic leader, laissez-faire leader,

transformational leader, and many more. These specific leadership styles are determined by actions,

personalities, and situations an individual is put in. In a research study survey, it was able to show that

82% of employees felt that a good leader makes a positive difference, and 91% enjoy going to work each

day. Also, 74% feel that he or she is empowered to be a leader at work when working for a good leader

(Barna Group, 2015). This is important when focusing on why individuals should focus on becoming a

leader for his or her self. Realizing that certain individuals stand out with leadership qualities more than

others is beneficial while focusing on becoming a leader and practicing on gaining your own leadership

style. One individual that should be recognized as an important leader is Michelle Obama.

Born as Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, growing up in Chicago on the South Side, living in a small

one bedroom, one bathroom with her mother, father, and brother, shaped Ms. Obama’s thoughts and

actions. This created a promising and prosperous future for her. With her mother being a homemaker

and her father being a worker in the city’s water purification plant, it inspired her to value a strong work

ethic with the career she was soon to pursue. Her mother being the disciplinarian and father being the

“motivator and philosopher-in-chief”, felt it was their duty to provide strength, wisdom, and a measure
of insulation (Beard,2015). Ms. Obama looked to her great aunt, Robbie Shields for guidance. She

cultured Aunt Robbie’s headstrong ways and to be a strong woman of color. She skipped a grade in

elementary school. During her high school years, she went to a magnet school which was two hours to

and from her home. She was the salutatorian in junior high, a class officer, and on the honor society. In

1985, Ms. Obama graduated from Princeton University, with a focus in Sociology and African American

studies. Ms. Obama was fully aware of her “skin color”, which created barriers throughout her

experience at Princeton. Being shunned from being roommates with Caucasians and making friends

were the most challenging barriers she experienced. She attended Harvard Law School and graduated

with a law degree in 1988. She then was able to return to Chicago working as a junior associate at Sidley

& Austin, specializing in intellectual property law (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). At this

time, Ms. Obama was more interested in seeking a public-service-oriented career, so she became an

assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. The following year, she became a community organizer and

announced her marriage with Barack Obama. During the years 1992-1993, Ms. Obama was the assistant

commissioner for Chicago Department of Planning and Development. She founded the Chicago branch

of Public Allies, which is a leadership- training program for young adults in 1993. In 1996, Ms. Obama

became the associate dean of student services at the University of Chicago to help organize community

outreach programs. When Mr. Obama announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential

nomination, she took a notable role in his campaign. She left her position at the University to devote all

her time and effort to campaigning and caring for his and her two daughters.

Ms. Obama is an amazing woman and leader. She has impacted millions of lives. Ms. Obama’s

words of wisdom and strong leadership style has given her the ability to show what a great leader

consists of and how to achieve those certain leadership traits. Even though Ms. Obama expresses many

great leadership styles, the leadership style that Ms. Obama should be well known for is her Charismatic

leadership persona. A charismatic leader can inspire and motivate his or her followers to perform at high
levels and be committed to the organization or cause (Riggio ,2012). Ms. Obama has been able to reach

many people with her public-service-oriented career path. Her charismatic leadership style has proven

to many people that this is a way to be a successful person. Having a charismatic leadership style makes

her a leader I can admire because of the accomplishments she has achieved. One does not have to be

born a charismatic leader. An individual can adapt and learn to be more influential, persuasive and

inspiring. Ms. Obama is persuasive because she is an effective listener. Being an effective listener gives

her the ability to sense what people adhere to most. Knowing an individual’s interests and objectives

helps a charismatic leader adapt to his or her needs or goals in life. An important aspect of a charismatic

leader is being able to obtain more than just a social smile. Ms. Obama can show a genuine side by

showing a true smile. While entering any room, Ms. Obama’s presence gives off an accepting manner

which is important when showing a role of a charismatic leader.

Strengths that Ms. Obama has are unique and parallel to the type of leadership style she

expresses to individuals throughout the world. It is important to point out that Ms. Obama’s strong suit

is being able to connect with individuals of a different ethnicity or background. She has faced many

racial barriers throughout her life, making it difficult to be successful in specific areas she was interested

in. With racial conflict and biasness being a huge challenge, it provided her with motivation and strength

to overcome this for herself, so that others are positively impacted. Being able to connect with others is

helpful so that a leader can reach a wider population of people to help impact his or her lives

significantly. Another strength that Ms. Obama has that makes her a stand out as a charismatic leader is

her ability to influence individuals. Influencing others can be a very challenging task when trying to

change habits or traits. People tend to think that his or her way is the best way or that he or she cannot

change. That is where Ms. Obama has shown her expertise in influencing millions. She has been

extremely successful in creating obese campaigns to focus on individual’s health so that he or she can

live a longer and healthier life. With her persistence and influential strategies on nutritional value, and
hard work and determination, she has influenced a variety of age groups to change his or her eating

habits for a positive outcome and better future.

I am fully aware that I practice many of Ms. Obama’s leadership qualities. Being able to

recognize who I am as an individual and feel the strength, power, and courage a leader should feel

makes me more confident in every situation. Ms. Obama has given me confirmation that I indeed have a

“charismatic leadership style”. During Mr. Obama’s campaign, Ms. Obama was able to project her

speeches and interviews with openness as she humanized Mr. Obama by talking about his faults. This

example correlates directly to the type of leadership style I have because of my ability to be open with

other individuals. I can connect with other people so that he or she can relate with my personal

experiences and to emphasize the fact that no one is perfect. Another example of how Ms. Obama’s

charismatic leadership style best suits how I fulfill the role of a leader is taking the initiative to create a

leadership-training program for young adults. I certainly did not create a program at a University, but I

was able to take the time and effort at my place of employment to create the most thorough and

efficient way to train other employees. I used my charismatic skills to be patient and relatable, so

individuals could perform at his or her best when doing the specific job, I was training them for.

Succeeding at a high-level performance has led me to a higher position in my workplace, as a corporate

trainer. Having the specific type of charismatic traits, I possess as a leader, and comparing it to how Ms.

Obama successfully practices a charismatic leadership style gives me confirmation that I am on the right

track to living out my full potential for being the best leader possible.

Having charismatic traits is not challenging because with knowledge and practice everyone can

express these traits, but to show a charismatic style of leadership takes effort. Ms. Obama has so many

accomplishments while practicing this charismatic leadership style, to prove to every individual that this

style of leadership should be practiced throughout everyday life to be a successful human being. To

become a charismatic leader, one must have the ability to communicate with others, not just
articulately, but deeply and emotionally. To obtain this persona, and individual should engage

individuals personally and make a commitment to positively change millions of lives. Ms. Obama is

someone that every individual can look to that exemplifies a great charismatic leader. Working on

becoming more personable with one another and showing one’s true self will help individuals reach his

or her full potential in becoming a charismatic leader. As students, it is our goal to try to perfect the

style of leadership that best suits our personalities and lives. Becoming a charismatic leader can benefit

everyone so that no one goes unnoticed throughout his or her life. A charismatic leadership style gives

an individual the ability to adapt to any situation in a workplace or event. It is important to see that

progressing in life with a charismatic leadership style can give he or she the ability to relate with others

more naturally. Knowing that I personally have experienced many accomplishments due to having a

charismatic leadership style, I ensure every individual that one can accomplish anything he or she sets

her mind to with the practice and knowledge of charismatic leadership traits.
Resources

D, I. (2018). 9 common leadership styles: Which type of leader are you? Retrieved from
https://tec.com.au/resource/9-common-leadership-styles-which-type-of-leader-are-you/

Barna Group. (2015, February 18). The Different Impact of Good and Bad Leadership. Retrieved
from https://www.barna.com/research/the-different-impact-of-good-and-bad-leadership/

Beard, D. (2015, March 26). Before Barack Obama: The young Michelle Obama. Retrieved from
https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-25/barack-obama-young-michelle-obama

Britannica, T. E. (2018, November 13). Michelle Obama. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelle-Obama

First Lady Michelle Obama. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/first-lady-michelle-obama

New York Media LLC. (2009, March 23). Michelle's Life. Retrieved from
http://nymag.com/news/politics/55360/

Riggio, R. E., PH.D. (2012, October 7). What Is Charisma and Charismatic Leadership? Retrieved
from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201210/what-is-
charisma-and-charismatic-leadership

St. Thomas University. (2014, November 25). What is Charismatic Leadership? Leading Through
Personal Conviction. Retrieved from https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/what-is-
charismatic-leadership.aspx