Learning from the greats - Barack Obama
Imagine you are considering running for the presidency of the United States. You'd probably have some questions to ask yourself before you decided to take on that challenge. The questions you would choose to ask would say something about the kind of leader you are. So, what three questions would you ask yourself before you agreed to run for the US presidency?
Here are the three questions Barack Obama asked himself before agreeing to run for the presidency of the US.
If I run, do I stand a good chance of winning? An obvious question really, but a very practical one. If I stand little or no chance of winning, what's the point?
Do my family want me to run? Family is important to Obama. Like many authentic leaders, he understands that enduring, positive, close relationships are more important than power and glory.
If I win, am I the right person for the job? Authentic leaders have a fundamental orientation toward others – a culture of service. Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. Hard though the first two questions are to answer, this third question is the real clincher. After much soul searching, Obama came to the decision that he was the right person. Time will tell whether he got that answer right.
So what about you? What kind of questions do you ask yourself when setting yourself a challenging goal? Here are three useful questions to ask yourself:
Can I do it? If I run, do I stand a good chance of winning? was the way Obama phrased this question.
Am I willing to pay the price? Any worthwhile goal requires some commitment. Are you willing to make that commitment and accept any sacrifices you may have to make along the way? For Obama, the key sacrifice was family time – hence Do my family want me to run?
Do I deserve it? Or as Obama put it: If I win, am I the right person for the job?