Comparing And Contrasting The Leadership Styles Of John F. Kennedy And Barack Obama In An Essay.

Kennedy and Barack Obama mentioning briefly their major accomplishments. Remember, this is to be a perspective on leadership that requires you to perform research and analysis into how these leaders viewed themselves, and how others viewed them.
1. What made each an effective leader?

2. How did each influence the lives of others positively or negatively?

3. How will each be remembered in history?

4. Would you consider either of them servant-leader types?

John F. Kennedy's Leadership Style and Techniques

The American rhetoric of Presidents like Barack Obama and John Fitzgerald Kennedy who both served the United States of America have been identified as the cornerstones of America’s political history. The voices of both the leaders in their respective inaugural addresses have been highly influential which even the younger generations could easily fathom (DuBrin, 2015). The paper will evaluate the compare and contrast of the leadership styles and techniques of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama by shedding light on the significant accomplishments of the leaders. In addition to this, the paper will examine the effectiveness of both Kennedy and Obama and the way they have been influential to the lives of others. Furthermore, it will focus on the way these two leaders will be predominant in America’s political history and adapt their leadership styles and techniques.

John F. Kennedy as a President has been significantly recognized for his immense competence to handle issues which were perceived to be much more crucial to be handled by a mortal man. John Kennedy thus proved this through his immense dedication and commitment as a leader and the high level determination towards his role as a President (Barber, 2017). The 35^th US leader who had his presidency for the span of around 1000 days was well-competent of posing challenges towards the influenced or subjective advice and assumptions of the dominant experts (Brinkley, 2013). John Kennedy effectively exhibited his charismatic transformational leadership styles from the initial phase of his Presidency (DuBrin, 2015).. Kennedy’s authoritative leadership trait can be perceived as an example whereby The New Frontier, as his program was styled and attained considerable degree of achievement since during its first year. Regardless to the varying opinions of the US populace which he encountered during the government, Kennedy proficiently managed to rise above the average political leaders. The 35^th US President took into consideration, the needs and value of the nation during his speech on civil rights and privileges (Sabato, 2013). He witnessed the way the turbulence segregation has been developing among the marginal sections and attained greater degree of knowledge that for a nation in order to be well-established must be united and acknowledge high level of integration in various spheres.

At this juncture it is significant to observe the strong and immensely prominent leadership skills of Barack Obama II, the 44^th President of United States. On the very first note, it has been recognized that both Obama and Kennedy has extensively embodied factors related to ‘transformation’ and ‘hope’ which were common themes during their campaigns (Obama, 2015). Both these leaders exhibited high level of discontentment and disapproval with the recent government and financial status of the US and further revealed potential threats and risks to the populace (Skinner & Cheadle, 2016).  Furthermore, drawing similarities of Obama’s leadership styles with Kennedy it can be stated that both the political leaders have efficiently motivated the youths to proactively participate in the election system. Kennedy had been recognized as one of the first political leaders to make television as a significant impact on young voters and further transformed the prolonged election campaigns as norm. Similarly Obama used various social media platforms in order to inform as well as mobilize young supporters (Goldsmith, 2016). However, despite all these factors of correspondence, there had been identified certain areas of divergences whereby the speech provided by Kennedy revealed a rhetorical structure which led to action but a very insignificant section of people identified that a major section of his speech has been derived from following an ancient Greek structure for persuasion and further leading to action (Katz,  Barris & Jain, 2013). However, Barack Obama on the other hand aimed to shed light on factors related to equity and struggle in order to establish such ideas in the history of the nation.

Barack Obama's Leadership Style and Techniques

The initial years of errors in judgement specifically in the Bay of Pigs fiasco apparently reinforced the apprehension which a significant section of voters developed towards Kennedy’s political inexperience that further led him to take unconstructive decisions during times of tensions and challenges (DuBrin, 2015). However, such an impression gradually transformed in the fall of 1962 whereby his extensive proficient governance and leadership skills led the nation to experience certain notable achievements in the confrontation over Cuba that further led to the development in the US economic status (DuBrin, 2015). Furthermore, the persistent critical conflicting situations finally resulted in a partial nuclear test ban treaty as well as the effort of civil rights and authorities along with the sporadic constrained intervention of the federal government has gradually condensing the power of Southern segregationists. However, on the other hand Obama has significantly acquired a great degree of recognition and prominence as a president in the US political history (Katz,  Barris & Jain, 2013). Moreover, it is important to posit that Obama’s enduring impact on the lives of the Americans have transformed to be one of the major factors in terms of the crises that failed to have its occurrence. Obama’s statesmanship has further observed that despite US been progressing unsteadily on the edge of economic catastrophe, the US could efficiently circumvent the abyss of the second Great Depression in 2009 (Goldsmith, 2016). Furthermore, even though the emergence of certain critical areas of extensively aggressive military action, the US effectively curtailed on its troop commitments rather than launching additional wars (Daft, 2014). In addition to this, Obama’s job approval evaluation in polls of the US people during the second term of his governance culminating at about 60% during his concluding phase in the office (Obama, 2015).

Skinner & Cheadle, (2016) have  noted that Obama’s statesmanship and legacy will significantly been taken into consideration as he successfully has championed various segments of the US legal system which were both symbolically as well as substantively been important such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, that is the economic legislation which aided to evaluate the stimulus  that had its initiation in his predecessor George W Bush’s governance along with the Affordable Care Act and consumer protection system  (Daft, 2014). Obama’s legacy and governance further deserve historical acknowledge because of various things which had its occurrence (Goldsmith, 2016). For example, the LGBTQ Americans during Obama’s term have been identified as one of the major achievements and outcome of the assertive president’s effective as well as progressive statesmanship on the domestic front (Obama, 2015). At this juncture, similar degree of recognition and prominence of President Kennedy must further be shed light on whereby it has been observed that the 35^th US President had experienced a significant rate of recognition and status in the last Gallup Poll that had taken place prior to his assassination in the year 1963 (Brinkley, 2013). Kennedy had been noted to have acquired around 60% job approval evaluation. However, his unexpected demise did not cause any kind of decline to the prominence and reputation which he had attained in his 2 years of Presidency (Bodroghkozy, 2013). On the other hand, Kennedy’s violent assault dispossessed the President of the encountering any forms of allegations from the dissatisfied section of voters (Skinner & Cheadle, 2016). Furthermore, Kennedy’s progress towards civil rights had not only aided him in his span of serving but further had led him to obtain greater degree of positive evaluations related to his administrative role in facilitating the nascent civil rights movement. It has further been posited by Barber, (2017) that Kennedy purposed to proscribe any forms of segregation and further improve the state of civil rights of the US citizens. Thus it can be stated that Kennedy has been remembered by several people due to various facets of his leadership of not only inspiring people but also rousing his nation to accomplish great achievements in space exploration, particularly in space craft missions (Bodroghkozy, 2013).

Conclusion:

Thus to conclude it can be stated that both John Kennedy and Obama can be observed through various other leadership styles such as transformational and behavioural, but the most representative of all is the servant leadership approach that has led both the US political leader to attain immense recognition and prominence among the voters. Both the leaders have efficiently served their groups by working on behalf in order to enhance their ability in achieving aims for the nation. However, Kennedy’s eminent service leadership had attained greater degree of acknowledgement where during his President tenure he had been perceived to execute various actions in the cause of equitable rights and further demanded for improved civil rights legislation. Similarly Obama through his effective leadership skills and abilities has been able to establish an environment of assurance and dedication for the US citizens. His purpose and sanguine vision further extended the eminence and value of the national culture as well as the central role of the arts in the critical society further advancing the nation into a new and well-enhanced era.

References:

Barber, J. D. (2017). The presidential character: Predicting performance in the White House. Routledge.

Bodroghkozy, A. (2013). Black weekend: A reception history of network television news and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Television & New Media, 14(6), 560-578.

Brinkley, A. (2013). The Legacy of John F. Kennedy. The Atlantic.

Daft, R. L. (2014). The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.

DuBrin, A. J. (2015). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills. Nelson Education.

Goldsmith, J. (2016). The contributions of the Obama administration to the practice and theory of international law. Harv. Int'l LJ, 57, 455.

Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press.

Katz, J., Barris, M., & Jain, A. (2013). The social media president: Barack Obama and the politics of digital engagement. Springer.

Maxwell, J. C. (2018). Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. HarperCollins Leadership.

Obama, B. (2015). Remarks by President Obama to the United Nations General Assembly. White House, Office of the Press Secretary, September, 28.

Sabato, L. J. (2013). The Kennedy half-century: the Presidency, assassination, and lasting legacy of John F. Kennedy. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Skinner, A. L., & Cheadle, J. E. (2016). The “Obama effect”? Priming contemporary racial milestones increases implicit racial bias among Whites. Social cognition, 34(6), 544-558.