These Kinds of Stuff Do Not Matter. Really?
Sumana Khan
March 26, 2020
Although Mr Donald Trump in his recent visit to India, addressed the thunderous 1.25 lacs crowd at Motera, Gujarat, his words echoed in the ears of 1.2 billion people of the country. It is not because he made a remarkable speech or displayed a great oratory skill, but, because of the content, his speech had.
If Swami Vivay Kamundundd disgusted us, Soo Chin TinDulkr, enraged us. If ShowRay confused us, Delhi Lama terrified us. If Omit Shah made us laugh, Veerut Kuulie made us wondered, who the hell is this guy.
With Val Hallah Bhai Patel, however, we have become the Classical Conditioning Case of Pavlov’s Experiment in last roughly six years.
Nonetheless, although DDLJ could draw some light giggles, what he failed to pull through is his resonance with the Indian audience, unlike Mr Barrack Obama, whose bade bade deshon mein….you know what I mean., during his last visit to India, is still remembered with great respect.
It is not only about what the content is, but who it is coming from, who it is addressed to, from which platform it is released, what’s the occasion or the context, what is the objective, and what would be the expected outcome- these come as a halo effect to the words scribbled and spoken.
Mr Obama, known for his great oratory skills, has always charmed the world with his speeches. A little diving into one of this well-known last farewell speech would give know-how on how much the content matter, in communications- that comprises, concision, clarity, and connection.
The farewell address of Barack Obama bore the hallmarks of a true leader—because it was not only about him but his country people; it was never “my” achievement but “our” achievement. Also, as always, he started his address by saying “Michelle and I…,” reinforcing her role as a partner rather than just as the FOTUS or a supportive presence in their journey. Mr Obama showed the world that it is not a prerequisite to leave everything in order to fulfil the demands of a position of power, authority and responsibility. He never for once portrayed Michelle, Malia and Sasha as second priorities, instead highlighting their role as integral to his entire life, including his tenure as President of the United States.
While most politicians would have thanked a spouse for their “sacrifices” and glorified having had to miss parenting milestones because they were too busy changing the world, he highlighted the importance of being a husband and father first. Mr Obama also didn’t shy away from describing his vice-president and his wife as a second “family”, drawing yet another standing ovation for himself.
He spoke the minds of millions of guys-next-door so as to say.
(We wake and sleep with speeches vibrating in our ears. However, we always yearn to listen to a leader who does not speak like a politician.)- Highlight this in Blurb
Congratulations Mr Obama! Thanks for letting us witness the traits of a genuine leader in your eight years tenure.
1. It’s not all about me, me, me
Obama: “I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change — but in yours.”
2. It’s not about extolling self-sacrifice
Obama: “Change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it.”
3. It’s not about taking all the credit
Obama: “You have been a great Vice President… in the bargain, I gained a brother.”
4. It’s not about projecting faultlessness and blaming others
Obama: “Not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change.”
5. It’s not about mocking and demeaning others
Obama: “We must uphold laws against discrimination… But laws alone won’t be enough. Hearts must change.”
6. It’s not about bravado and self-pride
Obama: “That faith I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change—that faith has been rewarded in ways I couldn’t possibly have imagined.”
7. It’s not about creating an ‘other’ but standing together despite differences
Obama: “Democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity—the idea that for all our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one… Democracy does not require uniformity, but it needs people to understand differences and work together to overcome adversity.
…Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear. So just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.”
For a leader’s words to the nation does not and must not start and end with “I”.
