Obama: In like a lamb, out like a lion

There is a saying in the US about the weather in March which is ‘in like a lion, out like a lamb’. This refers to the changeable weather in March which can be cold, windy and snowing in the beginning of the month but soon after can be warm and sunny. This March we saw the same changeable nature in President Obama’s leadership style during the Healthcare Reform Bill debates and eventual signing into law.

When we look back at President Obama’s leadership style while he was running for the Presidency, his predominant style was one of visionary speeches, inspiration and aspiration, teamwork, inclusion and empathy. This appealed to the American public’s sense of a need for change; “Yes we can!” This understanding of what America wanted, at that point in time, led Obama and his team into the White House with a great sense of hope for the future. So what came next during the Healthcare Reform Bill debate shocked most Americans as it appeared this was not the same President that they had elected. Gone was the teamwork, inclusion and inspiration.

On the healthcare issue, America is divided once again. Instead of bringing together both sides of the aisle in Congress, the Republicans and Democrats have become even more entrenched in their views. This was shown by not a single republican in the House voting for the bill. During the debate, President Obama’s leadership style appeared to change and be more goal focused, directive, dominant, assertive and decisive. When comparing this to CHPD’s leadership behaviours and preferences, President Obama seemed to be using more of the achievement behaviours, as well as the power and achievement preferences to help him pass the Healthcare Reform Bill. This is in contrast to the thinking, developmental and inspirational clusters of behaviours and thinking and social orientations of preferences emphasised when he was seeking election.

At CHPD our research has shown that the most effective leaders will understand the environment or situation they are in and will favour the leadership behaviours which will achieve the greatest or desired results in that situation. This ability to flex leadership approaches does not come without a high degree of self-awareness. A clear understanding of which behaviours are necessary for each situation is required, alongside a degree of courage to be able to enact those behaviours. So did President Obama deliberately change his leadership style to achieve his objectives? I believe only time and more investigation will tell whether this change from lamb to lion was deliberate but what I do know is that on both occasions his leadership approach helped him achieved the objectives he had set.


Tim Kennedy
Client partner
Centre for High Performance Development (CHPD)

http://www.chpd.com/