Barack Obama: Building TEAM USA

I have heard from many people, many of whom voted for John McCain (I do live in the red state of Georgia, you know), that are saying to Barack Obama some version of "I hope that you don't screw it up" or "I wonder if you are up for it." The real question is will we be willing to follow Barack Obama and get on the team.

If that is the task at hand (and there is little to suggest that it is not), then what Barack Obama has to do is show real leadership and succeed in building a great team. Not just an excellent Cabinet and group of advisors, but a team of involved citizens throughout our country.

So, what does Barack Obama have to do? What Inspiros International found several years ago is that great teams and organizations have these nine basic common characteristics in common:

1. An Icon: Barack is certainly that.

2. The Greatest Imaginable Challenge: pick 'em, the greatest global economic meltdown since the Great Depression, global warming, Al-Queda terrorism, the budget deficit, the trade deficit, health care costs and related issues, the energy crisis and our over-reliance on oil, the housing market, the US auto industry, etc.

3. Constant Renewal of the Challenge: the list of grade-A challenges will keep morphing and expanding, you can count on it. President-elect must keep us informed and in touch with reality. We must be willing to believe and hear him.

4. Continual Raising the Bar: Our president will have to understand that he must always be expecting more out of himself and those around him. We must be willing to respond in kind.

5. Passion: Unlike what George W. Bush did after 9/11, President-elect Obama must leverage the enthusiasm, the activism, sense of urgency and the energy that has been unleashed during this Presidential election campaign. We must keep it up.

6. Sense of Family: the sense of inclusion and global community that has brought Obama and the Democratic Party a historic victory, must continue be a high priority and a key component for this new administration to be successful. We must be willing to be part of a community, not a set of individuals with narrow selfish needs and interests.

7. Foster Innovation: with Obama's leadership and guidance, the US must regain its place as a center of innovation and cutting edge solutions that it has lost.

8. Commitment to Excellence: Barack must ensure that we regain our sense of pride and can-do resilience that has been missing for the last 8 years. We lift up our expectations and sense of trust.

9. Awareness of "The Zone:" President Obama must have an understanding that creating a performance zone, as in sports and athletics, is highly valuable. Creating a zone is to create the right organizational climate through establishing a sustainable culture of pride, excellence, innovation, success, and achievement in the community. The above mentioned important processes of inclusion and challenge must be maintained as well. He must lead by fostering an attitude of ownership, involvement and activism. The proper environment that promotes our core values, our ability of find meaning and purpose in our individual and, more importantly, our collective activities will keep alignment, motivation and self-initiative high. Creating a zone will allow us to regain our place in the eyes of the world community.

Ultimately, it is as much our responsibility to follow as it is President-elect Obams responsibility to lead.