Who is a leader you admire, and why?

A leader I admire is Barack Obama. Even though I often didn’t agree with his politics, I was always impressed with President Obama’s ability to provide stability, unwavering self-confidence, and decisiveness while also building consensus. These are leadership qualities I strive to emulate in my own career.

The hallmark of Obama’s leadership style was his cool, calm, and collected disposition. This temperament empowered Obama to repair the United States’ relationships with foreign powers, such as Germany and South Korea, who did not particularly care for the style of diplomacy displayed by the Bush administration. Foreign diplomats had grown tired of America’s rogue leadership, and Obama’s approach allowed the United States to rebuild diplomatic equity.

Obama’s self-confidence almost never showed signs of wavering. He gave off the impression of control, that the United States was always operating from a position of strength and reason. This was exactly what the United States needed when Obama took office, as the country was reeling from the Great Recession of 2008 and Obama’s levelheadedness provided a stabilizing force.

I particularly admire Obama’s consensus-building skills: he a found ways to harness diverse voices while simultaneously providing decisive leadership. Obama listened to every side of an issue; however, he was the ultimate decision-maker. The Osama bin Laden raid is a great example: Obama built support from his military advisers in the weeks leading up to the raid, while providing clear direction for a brave and successful action, which had so much meaning for the American people.