The Audacity of Eloquence

Barack Obama suddenly looks like a magician out of tricks what with good press having deserted him completely. Every section of the fourth estate seems to be handing him a mauling for perceived incompetence. From his cowboy handling of Afghanistan to his inept grappling with the sensitive issue of Islam or even his comical dash to bid for the Olympics, the media has abandoned its self created darling. What plumped for Obama is his charisma. Ironically, what is doing him in is just that. The “eloquence over experience” jab, once dismissed as a losers’ rant is now fast gaining acceptance amongst a wide cross section of opinion makers. Obama is not helping matters by indulging in a series of bloomers. He seems to alternate his leanings towards India or China depending on the side of the bed he rises from. The magic wand for the economy is yet to kick in. The cynical silence that greeted the announcement of his Nobel Prize threatened the credibility of the award itself. The first year of Presidency, one that leaves indelible and material impressions has seen Obama at sea more often than not.

Strangely, Obama was elected at a time when the economy was in a mess and the global business press (and corporate citizenry) making a cry for top bosses who were shorn of flashy trappings and could get on with the job with their heads down. Recent American business history is replete with examples of poster boys having to make way for boring, faceless leaders who could just stay the disciplined course. These CEOs were expected to navigate treacherous turbulence with a back-to-the basics mantra coupled with the right doses of “responsible” tokenism through voluntary paycuts and similar Gandhian acts. B-School gurus seem to have reached a consensus that regimented, restrained leaders are the best bet to weather a storm. The probability of their indulging in high-risk cavalier acts which could plummet organizations into a hopeless abyss is indeed low. With brighter weather round the corner, when significant course correction is the recommended order of the day is when the flesh pumping, awe-inspiring prima donnas merit their place in the sun.

One could therefore argue that the worst of the financial crisis was behind Obama when he occupied the hot seat. Hence, pizzazz over substance is what America needed too given that turnaround is what the doctor ordered (to put it mildly). Here is where the difference sets in. It has more to do with the process of selection than requirement or expectations from leadership. While several CEOs do have tailwinds in the form of ivy league degrees, loquacity and oodles of luck, it is rare for an individual to occupy the corner office without a track record of demonstrated success. (typically multiple times over). An open election system which does not call for any “qualifications” for the top job on the other hand, is bound to throw up leaders like Obama who get tossed upstairs on the strength of grandiloquent rhetoric. While he will probably land on his feet ultimately, the gestation is proving costly for America. The first couple of years are the only hope a nation has of steps in the right direction. The latter half of the tenure will be spent towards re-elction anyways. America deserved better than love and fresh air.