The Red and Black

Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Opinions

ANDY LIPSCOMB

After watching last Sunday's "60 Minutes" interview with President Barack Obama and also the Mark Richt show at midnight, I picked up on some very bizarre yet ultimately explainable leadership characteristics shared between the two men.

They couldn't be further from each other politically (going off the anecdotal evidence of Mark Richt as a conservative Christian and his one-time political contribution to his former boss' wife, Barbara Dooley, in her failed 2002 House race).

However, both these men are incredible leaders who work for groups of people that invest a ton of money and energy into helping these men succeed and who expect great results in return, whether they be boosters, donors, fans or voters.

Managing these positions takes an enormous amount of discipline and inner strength to survive the barrage of criticism and scrutiny, but with that scrutiny comes enormous fame, respect and fortune.

What struck me about them both after watching the interviews was the calm, cool and collected demeanor exhibited by Obama and Richt when tough questions were asked and the accountability each demonstrates when something does not go their "team's" way - even if it isn't their fault.

After watching both perform under stressful situations, whether it's a fourth quarter comeback or the last 72 hours of a presidential campaign, it's amazing to recognize the way neither grills his subordinates in front of the press, presumably saving that for behind the scenes, or delegating the action to their assistants so they can stay above the fray (Rahm Emmanuel would make an excellent assistant head coach in charge of discipline).

Obama and Richt are surely the "good cops" when it comes to discipline, but that does not mean they're laissez-faire with their standards for their subordinates. Rather, they expect near perfection and aren't afraid to dismiss a member unwilling to follow the rules - unless that member is too critical to the team (this does not mean that member escapes criticism).

Obama and Richt also, as they demonstrated Sunday, are very in tune with President Harry Truman's slogan that the "buck stops here." Each puts himself at the front of any firestorm that may arise, yet doesn't back down from a fight if the attack from the outside is invalid and baseless.

Looking at all of these similar qualities, it is no wonder both men have achieved amazing success in a relatively short amount of time - further proving the importance of accepting accountability, leading by example and having extraordinary discipline in any great leader.

- Andy Lipscomb is a senior from Cumming majoring in real estate.

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