OMD/Barack Obama

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Lessons Learned from Barack Obama

(I've started this page to learn from Barack Obama's leadership example, and post lessons learned about change, transition and applicability to Organization Management and Development --Randy Fisher 17:07, 8 December 2008 (UTC))

OD 101, by Barack Obama

Well, IMHO this guy's really doing things right. I just saw a rebroadcast of Meet the Press, where Barack was interviewed by Tom Brokaw, sitting in for the late Tim Russert.

Barack was asked about his plans for change, and President. O brought up a perspective that I had not heard about before. Maybe he didn't mention it during the campaign, because he would be tagged as a socialist, or worse ~ a Canadian! :-)

Anyways, he was talking about Collective Change - where all stakeholders make changes during a time of change, to move towards sustainability. Think about resistance in this way - if everyone is changing, while I have to change, what will my resistance be? Probably less, and there is that cohesive group quality to "we're all in this together".

   * auto industry execs are taxed on their higher salaries
   * auto companies are pressed to make fuel efficient vehicles
   * individual consumers are encouraged and educated to make energy-wise choices
   * innovative technology firms are encouraged by easier credit from financial institutions
   * and, on it goes...

It's as though he's practicing a whole system intervention. Very cool.

It brings to mind several things:

• A move to Open Education - where we can all share OERs, benefit and grow
• A growing discussion about Open Philanthropy
• The promise of Community Service Learning

I recall reading on his website, I think, about the American Opportunity Tuition Tax Credit - where folks who do Community Service, get a $4,000 break on the cost of education. WikiEducators (led by Valerie Taylor have some great ideas about how we can share resources, to be better.

You know in a lot of the change/transition efforts that we as OD practitioners do, we are lucky to work with a group of individuals who have to make a change / transition, while the rest of the organization lurches on.... Sometimes, the only way for an individual to make 'sense' of things, is to go inward, and reflect deeply, in an almost spiritual, individual way.

Barack & Company are going to do their best to make sure that it's a group experience. What can I say ~ 'cept' Bring It On!

I'll be watching to see how I can incorporate his leadership lessons - successful or less succcessful into my OD practice.

--Randy Fisher 17:07, 8 December 2008 (UTC)-

References

• MSN-BC, Meet the Press (2008). Obama Warns Economy Will Get Worse (December 8, 2008, Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28096219/ (Netcast Video, Retrieved December 8, 2008 from javascript:vPlayer('28096829','c47d6256-e5f1-4bd4-90db-362694985b6a')