Leadership Postulate for this Blog: The Obama and McCain campaigns will both face stereotypes and prejudices as the election date draws closer. Because voters are faced with stereotypes from both political parties, voters will be forced to look at traits as they relate to leadership qualities in order to make their decision. 

Research Findings to Support this Blog: According to Gregory S. Parks and Jeffrey J. Rachlinski’s study “Unconscious Bias and the 2008 Election,” implicit bias will play a large role in the votes that are placed in the 2008 election. However, the success of Clinton and Obama’s candidacy indicates that people do have the ability to debias themselves and consider factors besides race or gender.

This fall marks a historical moment in election history for our country.  For the first time, one of the candidates running for president is black. And his opponent has chosen a woman as his running mate. As the date of the election rapidly approaches, both Obama and McCain are going to face stereotypes and prejudices that have long been held by many Americans. As blogger Gregory S. Parks explained, “Implicit racial attitudes not only predict behavior, generally; they also predict voting behavior.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gregory-s-parks/implicit-unconscious-ra_b_84996.html)

Overcoming race and gender stereotypes has been done. Internationally, more and more women are entering politics in the top positions. Of all the legislators in parliament around the world, 17.7 percent are women, and at the executive level, 16.1 percent of all ministerial portfolios are held by women. For women speakers of Parliament, the totals are lower, at roughly 10 percent. Among elected Heads of State, women account for almost 5 percent. (http://www.ipu.org/press-e/gen297.htm)  In the U.S. in 2008, 16 percent of the Senate and 17 percent of the House are composed of women.

It is rare that people are forced to choose between stereotypes, and it is interesting to note that, according to Alice Eagly, a psychology professor at Northwestern University, “Gender stereotypes trump race stereotypes in every social science test.” (http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/17/black_man_vs_white_woman/) The fact that Obama beat out Hillary Clinton for the spot on the presidential ticket is certainly evidence for that statement.

Because they are confronted with stereotypes from both of the political candidates, voters will be forced to take other factors into consideration. Naturally, political viewpoints will be taken into consideration, but so will leadership styles. According to a study by Parks and Rachlinski, the most remarkable sign that people can be debiased and base their decisions on factors other than race or gender is the surprising success of Clinton and Obama’s candidacies. (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1102704)

As mentioned in previous blogs, the methods in which the Democratic and Republican teams present themselves will certainly be taken into consideration. Presidents are remembered for how they react to situations and their relationship performance – not necessarily their political points of view. I recall a friend telling me that she was so turned off by a presidential contender during a debate when he kept rolling his eyes that she voted for his opponent despite a less appealing platform. Ultimately, regardless of their gender or race, the next president will be remembered for the same thing. He, or possibly she, will be judged on the same criteria.

This blog is the fifth in a series of blogs that examines Obama and McCain’s personal leadership styles. With the presidential election rapidly approaching, we thought it would be interesting to study the similarities and differences between the two.  Leadership involves much more than just saying what needs to be done and expecting it to happen, and it will be interesting to see how the two candidates approach our country’s voters.

Leadership Postulate for this Blog: Each candidate’s leadership style will have a direct impact on his appeal to voters. The way in which they present themselves and their points of view is just as important as their actual opinion, as their method of working with others will be a direct indicator of their ability to lead North Carolina.

Research Findings to Support this Blog: According to Erik B. Herzik and Brent W. Brown’s book, Gubernatorial Leadership and State Policy, “all new governors recreate the governorship in unique forms – starting with the materials at hand, but guided by their own concepts and limited by what events their own skills permit to make of the formal office.”

The North Carolina gubernatorial contest between Republican Pat McCrory, currently mayor of Charlotte, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly “Bev” Perdue allows N.C. voters interesting contrasts in the matchup – not just between gender or party, but also on the way they present themselves as future leaders of the state. In fact, the topic is so important that McCrory’s own tagline for his campaign is “The difference is leadership,” (http://www.indyweekblogs.com/triangulator/tag/pat-mccrory/) while Perdue has run a TV ad that is called “Leader.” (http://www.bevperdue.com/release_details.asp?id=1117)

McCrory’s appeal is his inclusive tone in saying he desires what is best for all parts of North Carolina. As he told one reporter, “I did not give a speech to appease the east over the west, or the Piedmont over either one. I gave a consistent message because I believe if you try to appease everyone, you appease no one and you fail as a leader.” (http://news14.com/content/carolina_decides/595538/perdue-or-mccrory-to-be-next-governor/Default.aspx) He emphasizes his independent streak in not always voting the party line and says that he wants to form coalitions with Democrats. (http://tinyurl.com/talking-about-politics)

Yet at the same time, he underlines that he is an outsider from state government and vows to reform it, a sentiment that plays well with the general discontent a majority of voters have regarding the image of scandals that have involved legislators in recent years. His public speaking style reflects his appearance for being direct – it is “bright, persuasive, confident” but not confrontational. (http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=4647)

As for his opponent, many believe Perdue won her party’s nomination in the May primary by looking straight into the camera during her TV commercials and pledging to run a “positive” campaign – and she held true to that statement. (http://community.myfoxwghp.com/blogs/Neill_McNeill) Her slogan about having “small-town values and big-time ideas” resonates with many North Carolinians as well. A former teacher, Perdue has a deliberate speaking pattern that clearly explains her positions in a relaxed yet forceful manner, making her points by inflecting the key words.

In her stump speeches, she emphasizes her wittiness as much as her smile and warmth. One observer noted that “Perdue is blessed with an appealing personality that includes a burst-out-laughing sense of humor.” (http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/08/26/article/job_and_politics_kept_perdue_bottled_up)

If there is a common thread between Perdue and McCrory, it is that they both have indicated that if they are elected to head the state, their relationship with the General Assembly – not to mention fellow North Carolinians – will be different from that of Gov. Mike Easley, as several observers have criticized his style as being secretive and aloof. They both promise that they will not be conducting business as usual like the current administration, and that there will be more transparency in how they conduct business in state government. Whether this results in more efficient state government remains to be seen, but for now, the fact remains that polls indicate the race between them is close, indicating in part that each has strong characteristics to be a leader among the majority of North Carolina voters.

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With Election Day rapidly approaching, we thought it would be interesting to study the similarities and differences in leadership qualities between the candidates running for governor of North Carolina. Leadership involves much more than just saying what needs to be done and expecting it to happen, and it will be interesting to see how the two candidates approach our state’s voters.

Leadership Postulate for this Blog: The high profile of actors and actresses makes their political opinions more visible to us than other activist groups. The visibility of their opinions will impact which candidate voters will choose. 

Research Findings to Support this Blog: According to a study by David J. Jackson and Thomas Darrow, young people’s level of agreement with certain political statements is increased by the endorsement by celebrities. Results of the study suggest that celebrity endorsements make unpopular statements more palatable, while increasing the level of agreement with already popular opinions. 

It is well known that a majority of Hollywood actors, writers, producers and directors favor Democrats, although there are a sizable number of Republicans in each profession.  For example, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the entertainment industry gave $33.1 million to federal candidates in 2004, with about 70 percent of it going to Democrats. (http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/24/hollywood-stars-hit-the-red-carpet-for-obama/)  To what extent the Hollywood creative community has in leading public opinion for Democrats or Republicans, or conservatives or liberals, the answer appears to be mixed, with celebrities’ influence exerted positively in some instances and not at all in others.

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Leadership Postulate for this Blog: Each candidate’s leadership style will have a direct impact on his appeal to voters. The way in which they present themselves and their points of view is just as important as their actual opinion, as their method of working with others will be a direct indicator of their ability to lead the country.

Research Findings to Support this Blog: According to Raluca Cozma’s study “The Connection Between the Leadership Style and the Performance of American Presidents,” political beliefs and strategies do not affect the way presidents are rated in terms of greatness, performance in international relations or crisis leadership.

John McCain rose to the top of the Republican field of contenders to be the party’s presidential nominee despite having less cash on hand and fewer overall resources than several other challengers. He achieved his status in part by his distinctive leadership style that connected with primary voters, one that, it should be noted, differs considerably from his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama.

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Leadership Postulate for this Blog: Each candidate’s leadership style will have a direct impact on his appeal to voters. The way in which they present themselves and their points of view is just as important as their actual opinion, as their method of working with others will be a direct indicator of their ability to lead the country.

 Research Findings to Support this Blog: According to Raluca Cozma’s study “The Connection Between the Leadership Style and the Performance of American Presidents,” political beliefs and strategies do not affect the way presidents are rated in terms of greatness, performance in international relations or crisis leadership.

How did Barack Obama manage to surprise the pundits and overtake the expected nominee Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic candidate for president? There are many reasons for his success, but a major one involves his leadership style.

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Leadership Postulate for this Blog: Each candidate’s personality is the instrument of his leadership. Mind, body and emotions – put them all together, and you’ve got a personality, which becomes your delivery system. We say that many people will vote based upon the appeal of each candidate’s delivery system.

Research Findings to Support this Blog: UCLA conducted a study on content versus process in communication awareness and reported that people place only 7 percent of their awareness on content (actual words spoken), while 38 percent goes to the tone of voice, with the remaining 55 percent focused on body language.

Have you ever watched McCain and Obama debate? Not just listened to their words, but watched how they carried themselves while responding to each other? Looking at the candidates’ body language or listening to their tone and inflection of voice may not tell you a lot about their stance on certain issues, but it will definitely give you insight into not only their leadership styles but also how their leadership styles are perceived.

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It’s no secret by this point – the economy isn’t as strong as it used to be. Companies are downsizing and, as morale levels drop, so does job loyalty. But that doesn’t mean that corporations should focus only on the bottom line and ignore the professional development of their employees. Companies need strong leaders to get through a rough patch in the economy, and taking the time to invest in your staff’s leadership skills will result in less turnover, higher morale and subsequently higher productivity and revenue. (http://www.computeruser.com/articles/view/0fa88ec12d47972c7ab227004a995271)

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Welcome to our leadership blog! As part of our newly designed website, we wanted to incorporate a way to keep leadership discussions open amongst our program graduates as well as invite new viewers to participate- and the blog is born!

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