http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-06/politics/navarrette.obama.centrist_1_obama-justice-department-president-obama-liberals?_s=PM:POLITICS
This article does a good job of outlining some of the reasons why President Obama started out in the middle of the road during the beginning of his term as President. The issue of President Obama being a centrist or in the middle of the road had many of his followers wondering if he was indeed a liberal and would support them in the future. Many conservatives were looking at Obama's support on the $787 billion stimulus bill which goes against the beliefs of many of the the people who voted him in office. Obama started in the center when he began picking his cabinet members who strongly supported ideas that Obama has gone against his entire career.
Though a middle of the road leader does compromise to both sides keeping a balance and equilibrium, in some leadership roles this approach is very questionable. Obama did a great job of taking the people into account while still outlining where he wanted to go with his term as President. He maintained the morale of the people at a reasonable level, however people were beginning to question whether they elected the correct President.
I feel that the middle of the road approach can develop some unethical traits among leaders that use this in their leadership style. For Obama to go against his original thoughts and beliefs about political topics and hire people who supported against him in his cabinet that to me seems unethical. I feel that if you are a leader you need to be very truthful from beginning to end to your followers to ensure their loyalty and confidence in you. This is a very small scale of being unethical, but it does raise some concern when a leader becomes hypocritical and goes against the original plan that he/she has outlined.
Do you agree with me that this was a little unethical of President Obama?
Do you think that there is another leadership style that would be better in the "leadership grid" found on page 74 of our text book?
-Kyle Turner
This was an interesting point of view. I aggree in some of what you are saying. The middle of the road approach can develop some unethical traits among leaders. A leader must compromising, and that means that noone gets totally happy, and in that way it you can see like it is unethical. Especially for a president that get elected on his original thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI can also see this as an opportunism leadership style. That the leader changes style after what benefits them personally. I think that is usual regarding leader in politics.
- Eva-Lena Juhlin