Obama Leads with the Brain in Mind

I’ll admit to high hopes dashed when a previous New York leader failed to redirect greed on  Wall Street or lead my state progressively for the people. I’d even supported him with an Op-ed in Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle. So after this leader fell, I remained rather quiet while I watched similar hopes rising across the country for Obama.  I’m ready to toss my trust into the ring again, as our new leader returned hope for progressive change where we have stalled and failed repeatedly.

Hope spreads faster than fireworks fly with brain based leadership qualities we see in Barack Obama.  Unequaled by most leaders in this generation, he offers another shot at wonder for the US, and the world.  With excitement building in people across this fine nation, and armed with a few brain facts to boot, I’m ready for change. Are you?

10 brain based leadership qualities in Barack Obama  could enrich each of us for lasting change:

Barack Obama:

1. Values differences in ways that bring people together for mutual benefit. Obama emphasizes people’s multiple intelligences as leadership tools to solve problems, rather than get hung up on skin color or gender uniqueness.

2. Tempers tone so that people speak and feel heard in his presence. While many leaders bolt from conflict, Obama facilitates disagreements in mind-bending ways that open doors to life-changing insights forward.

3. Cares for people more than cold programs or rigid policies, so that he creates projects that empower humans. Obama used mental skills to let attacks go, so that he freed his working memory to consider alternative solutions.

4. Takes risks to stand for truth and boldly challenges ruts that bloat our broken traditions. The greed that sank Wall Street and tainted world markets will be replaced with wisdom from a leader who has wired his own brain to take risks and build more caring communities.

5. Emulates teachability in ways that allow for experts’ ideas, rather than dictates one narrow agenda. Brain based leaders learn skills to tame the amygdala, in ways we saw it happen to many people through Obama’s leadership.

6. Reflects on opposites in that he engages others’ views and works across differences for solutions. He showed courage to engage progressive thinkers and to inspire people to think in opposite directions in order to discover a finer way together.

7. Celebrates humility in ways that fuel  his leadership positively with serotonin, How so?  Barak Obama rejuvenates his own brain, in ways that add life-changing brainpower to improve his own and others’ situation.

8. Solves problems with the brain in mind. Obama appears to tailor his leadership on the science that sheds light on people’s improved mental approaches. As he organizes people to participate in better solutions he also challenges and inspires excellence.

9. Inspires creativity in that he unites people across many backgrounds to both help shape and to chase after lofty visions. Cynical mindsets fueled by cortisol chemicals,  literally block creativity, impact talent, and stomp out innovation. Can you see why we can expect to compete with better results on a world stage?

10. Speaks hope rather than vent on its opposites, or accuse others who lead from past models. This optimism comes from a person who creates a climate for high impact minds and sustains curiosity as Einstein taught and Barak Obama models at the peaks.

These 10  brain facts wove through Barack Obama’s campaign like golden threads intertwines through  fine tapestries. Some pieces still must come together as in any on-going growth, but with progress in the air, and people as core currency, no wonder  excellence and expectation for a finer future has suddenly sprung alive.

How do you lead with the brain in mind?