Michelle Obama is helping men, women and children of all ages, races and socioeconomic classes to take part in change. She believes that through conversation and setting examples, change can happen. These two factors are part of the process that Michelle feels are the most important. She is practicing these two factors in building change regarding children’s health in the “Let’s Move” campaign that fights against childhood obesity.
Another example is her recent mentoring program. Katherine Skiba (2009) described this original program that reaches high school girls from the Washington D.C. area. Students in their sophomore or junior year are mentored by Michelle and other female staff of the White House (p.1). Students have the opportunity to visit the White House, take college prep courses, travel with Michelle and communicate with other women in leadership roles. Through this mentoring program she is sharing her knowledge and encouraging others to do the same with the youth of our country.
Michelle has built relationships with a variety of people whom share her vision and beliefs. As a leader she is encouraging others to build relationships and mentor. She believes our countries’ greatest resource is our people. Michelle holds a passion in everything she does and the issues she supports share in her own morals. Before being in the White House, she shared in the struggle of being a mom with children and a working husband. She is trying to encourage others in a way that is not blaming others, but sharing knowledge and resources with others. As a leader she believes in paying forward. She told the girls in the mentoring program that there is also responsibility that comes with the great opportunity that they have. Michelle Obama stated “We have some expectations from you as well, that when you get to this position, you do the same for someone else. And if we keep building in that way, holding one another up, there’s no telling what we can do” (Nia-Malika Henderson, 2009, p. 2). With Michelle’s ability to build relationships and knowledge while standing behind her morals and values, all while creating change in a smooth, gradual and accepting way, and by “holding one another up” (using her own words), there’s no telling what Michelle Obama can do as a leader.
Henderson, Nia-Malika. (November 2009). Michelle Launches Mentoring Program. Retrieved 05:30, February 24, 2010 from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29042.html
Skiba, Katherine. (November 2009). Michelle Obama to Mentor Washing Girls. Retrieved 05:55, February 24, 2010 from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tc-nw-obama-mentor-110209nov02,0,4496760.story
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Qualities of a Leader
When reflecting on the articles, interviews and speeches given by and about Michelle Obama, it is made apparent the leadership qualities that she demonstrates. I feel Michelle displays all of the “Five Practices and Ten Commitments of Exemplary Leadership” as designed by James M Kouzes and Barry Posner (2003). The five practices are listed as: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart. I believe she held these five practices and demonstrated them throughout her life as she grew to become a leader. In speeches and essays, Michelle states her personal values and acts on visions and causes that share her voice. Her recent initiation of the “Let’s Move” campaign that helps to fight against childhood obesity is just one example of how she is looking for ways to collaborate and strengthen others. She is able to “Challenge the Process” and “Enable Others to Act” who are on the Task Force working toward the end to childhood obesity. While she is focusing on a solution she is also strengthening the youth of tomorrow.
I feel Michelle’s primary behavior characteristic would be Controller and secondary behavior characteristic would be Promoter. As a Controller, Michelle is persistently thorough, uses time well and is strong-willed. Although there are many roles that Michelle fulfills, she still manages to have time for family, while making decisions and advocating on a worldwide stage. By being a controller, she was ambitious toward excelling at and completing her education in Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
In Michelle’s secondary behavior characteristic, Promoter, she is goal oriented, makes decisions deliberately and is non-threatening. I feel she is a person who has not only set goals for herself but for her husband, daughters, and her country. When her husband decided with her to begin the Presidency Campaign, they were setting goals for themselves of how much time on the road, what needed to be accomplished during the campaign and what interviews and invitations to accept. All of these decisions were deliberate and serious and carried out as such, by each of them.
I feel a turning point in Michelle’s life was during the Inauguration of Presidency for her husband, Barack Obama. This life changing event made the whole country and the world an audience, there at every moment, to recognize the leadership qualities that she has. Michelle did not all of a sudden gain these qualities; they were with her before the Inauguration and before the Presidency Campaign. The difference is that since the Inauguration, the turning point, these qualities became recognized on a grander scale. This became an advantage because now Michelle has an opportunity to bring about change, not only to a small community but to a whole country and the world.
Obama, Barack. (February 2010). Presidential Memorandum – Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Retrieved 06:35, February 16, 2010 from The White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-establishing-a-task-force-childhood-obesity
Tedaldi, Anita. (August 2008). Michelle Obama On the Campaign, Her Career and Raising Kids In the Public Eye. Retrieved 06:05, February 16, 2010 from http://www.babble.com/Michelle-Obama-on-the-campaign-her-career-and-raising-kids-in-the-public-eye/
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:30, February 16, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama
I feel Michelle’s primary behavior characteristic would be Controller and secondary behavior characteristic would be Promoter. As a Controller, Michelle is persistently thorough, uses time well and is strong-willed. Although there are many roles that Michelle fulfills, she still manages to have time for family, while making decisions and advocating on a worldwide stage. By being a controller, she was ambitious toward excelling at and completing her education in Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
In Michelle’s secondary behavior characteristic, Promoter, she is goal oriented, makes decisions deliberately and is non-threatening. I feel she is a person who has not only set goals for herself but for her husband, daughters, and her country. When her husband decided with her to begin the Presidency Campaign, they were setting goals for themselves of how much time on the road, what needed to be accomplished during the campaign and what interviews and invitations to accept. All of these decisions were deliberate and serious and carried out as such, by each of them.
I feel a turning point in Michelle’s life was during the Inauguration of Presidency for her husband, Barack Obama. This life changing event made the whole country and the world an audience, there at every moment, to recognize the leadership qualities that she has. Michelle did not all of a sudden gain these qualities; they were with her before the Inauguration and before the Presidency Campaign. The difference is that since the Inauguration, the turning point, these qualities became recognized on a grander scale. This became an advantage because now Michelle has an opportunity to bring about change, not only to a small community but to a whole country and the world.
Obama, Barack. (February 2010). Presidential Memorandum – Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Retrieved 06:35, February 16, 2010 from The White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-establishing-a-task-force-childhood-obesity
Tedaldi, Anita. (August 2008). Michelle Obama On the Campaign, Her Career and Raising Kids In the Public Eye. Retrieved 06:05, February 16, 2010 from http://www.babble.com/Michelle-Obama-on-the-campaign-her-career-and-raising-kids-in-the-public-eye/
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:30, February 16, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama
Overview of Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama as a leader: Michelle Obama may not lead The United States of America, as does her husband Barack, our 44th President. However, she is a leader in her own way.
Michelle Robinson was born on January 17, 1964. Her family, growing up, consisted of her mother, father and older brother Craig. Craig and Michelle grew up in Chicago. After completing High School at a magnet school, she attended Princeton University. She continued her education at Harvard Law School and is the third First Lady to have a Postgraduate Degree.
Michelle continued her profession and met President Obama at a law firm, where she became his mentor. They were married and had two daughters. During President Obama’s campaign Michele demonstrated being a leader to their family by setting a schedule that would accommodate being supportive to her husband and be a present mom to their daughters. Now, being in the White House, Michelle has advocated and gained support for many great causes. For example, on February 9, 2010 a Task Force was established, through her initiation, to help solve the problem of childhood obesity. She began the “Let’s Move” campaign to help the cause.
I chose Michelle because I have learned many things that we have in common and some things that I hope to aspire to. Michelle’s ambition for furthering her education is something I admire in a leader. Her father was a plant employee and her mother was a secretary as were my parents. I was the first in my family to complete a four-year college and continue on for two Master’s Degrees. I also chose Michelle because of her role and values within her family and her relationship with her husband and daughters. Despite her work outside of the home, Michelle has a balance of work and family. When asked her main role in life she stated “I am a mom to my two girls” and continues in an interview with Anita Tedaldi (2008) stating “Like the women I've met across the country, I play many different roles. I'm a wife, a working woman, a daughter, a sister, and a best friend. But most importantly, I'm a mom. No matter where I am — at work, on the campaign trail, you name it — my girls are always on my mind.” (p. 1). I also share similar roles of wife, mother, working woman, educator and a graduate student. I am trying to balance all of this as well. During an event as big as a Presidency Campaign Michelle found a way to balance in all of her roles and be the most important role, a mother. Michelle has integrity, persistence, courage and many other traits and characteristics of a leader.
Obama, Barack. (February 2010). Presidential Memorandum – Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Retrieved 06:35, February 16, 2010 from The White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-establishing-a-task-force-childhood-obesity
Tedaldi, Anita. (August 2008). Michelle Obama On the Campaign, Her Career and Raising Kids In the Public Eye. Retrieved 06:05, February 16, 2010 from http://www.babble.com/Michelle-Obama-on-the-campaign-her-career-and-raising-kids-in-the-public-eye/
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:30, February 16, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama
Michelle Robinson was born on January 17, 1964. Her family, growing up, consisted of her mother, father and older brother Craig. Craig and Michelle grew up in Chicago. After completing High School at a magnet school, she attended Princeton University. She continued her education at Harvard Law School and is the third First Lady to have a Postgraduate Degree.
Michelle continued her profession and met President Obama at a law firm, where she became his mentor. They were married and had two daughters. During President Obama’s campaign Michele demonstrated being a leader to their family by setting a schedule that would accommodate being supportive to her husband and be a present mom to their daughters. Now, being in the White House, Michelle has advocated and gained support for many great causes. For example, on February 9, 2010 a Task Force was established, through her initiation, to help solve the problem of childhood obesity. She began the “Let’s Move” campaign to help the cause.
I chose Michelle because I have learned many things that we have in common and some things that I hope to aspire to. Michelle’s ambition for furthering her education is something I admire in a leader. Her father was a plant employee and her mother was a secretary as were my parents. I was the first in my family to complete a four-year college and continue on for two Master’s Degrees. I also chose Michelle because of her role and values within her family and her relationship with her husband and daughters. Despite her work outside of the home, Michelle has a balance of work and family. When asked her main role in life she stated “I am a mom to my two girls” and continues in an interview with Anita Tedaldi (2008) stating “Like the women I've met across the country, I play many different roles. I'm a wife, a working woman, a daughter, a sister, and a best friend. But most importantly, I'm a mom. No matter where I am — at work, on the campaign trail, you name it — my girls are always on my mind.” (p. 1). I also share similar roles of wife, mother, working woman, educator and a graduate student. I am trying to balance all of this as well. During an event as big as a Presidency Campaign Michelle found a way to balance in all of her roles and be the most important role, a mother. Michelle has integrity, persistence, courage and many other traits and characteristics of a leader.
Obama, Barack. (February 2010). Presidential Memorandum – Establishing a Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Retrieved 06:35, February 16, 2010 from The White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-establishing-a-task-force-childhood-obesity
Tedaldi, Anita. (August 2008). Michelle Obama On the Campaign, Her Career and Raising Kids In the Public Eye. Retrieved 06:05, February 16, 2010 from http://www.babble.com/Michelle-Obama-on-the-campaign-her-career-and-raising-kids-in-the-public-eye/
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:30, February 16, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama
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