Thoughts on Leadership

When Barack Obama was running for president in 2008, a friend preferred Hillary Clinton to him because he was "too preachy."

"Like Martin Luther King, Jr., preachy? That's not a bad thing."

"If you're standing in front of a congregation, it's not a problem. But a country?" She shook her head. "I want people to be effective."

I chalk it up to a difference in the leadership styles we prefer. After eight years of George W. Bush, I for one was ready to be inspired. To listen to a president who knows how to use the English language elegantly and effectively, passionately and convincingly. To teach. All things a preacher does.

I follow Newark mayor Cory Booker on twitter, and he posted a list last week I find inspirational:

1. To create wealth: give more than you get
2. To obtain freedom: adopt discipline
3. To gain tomorrow: sacrifice today
4. To be secure: take risks
5. To lead: serve
6. To get up: lift another
7. To get revenge: forgive
8. To win: find the lessons in loss
9. To fly: fall often
10. To change the world: change yourself

I can hear my friend saying, "Save it for the pulpit." But I get jazzed hearing talk like this from politicians. As a leader with serious responsibilities, he's on the lookout for the best thinking, which often leads to the best doing and feeling.

Any thoughts on leadership styles?