Obama Barack - Say It Like Obama: The Power of Speaking With Purpose and Vision

SAY IT LIKE
OBAMA

THE POWER OF SPEAKING
WITH PURPOSE AND VISION

SHEL LEANNE

Copyright 2009 by Shelly Leanne. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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DOI: 10.1036/007161589X

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Given the depth of my work in South Africa, I have had the pleasure over the years of meeting some of South Africa's leaderswho are among the world's most esteemed leadersincluding Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the late Walter Sisulu and the late Govan Mbeki. I have greatly benefited from their examples and from our exchanges, and I have since enjoyed sharing the lessons I have learned through my leadership development work. It was an honor to come to understand their vision of the world they hoped to help create. Most of their ideals resembled those I had learned about growing up, when studying in depth about Martin Luther King Jr. Back then, as a young teen, I had enjoyed the privilege of meeting with Coretta Scott King, who had examined one of my early written works and wanted to take the time to encourage me as a writer. Both in the United States and abroad, I have seen that some of the world's greatest leaders have been seeking the same goala world in which, as Martin Luther King Jr. put it, people would be judged not "by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." In light of this background, it was fascinating for me to write this book assessing some of the factors that have helped make Senator Barack Obama one of the most distinguished leaders and communicators of recent times. It is clear that in many ways, Obamawho transcends race and speaks words of unityrepresents what many influential leaders of earlier generations had hoped to see.

I would like here to thank the many people who have supported me over the years. Thank you to my son Joshua, for being the light of my life. A special thank-you to my parents, Barbara Geiger and the late Dr. David N. Geiger, and my siblings and their spouses: Stacia Geiger-Alston and Thomas Alston, David Geiger, Jr. and Kim Geiger, and Sandra Geiger. Thank you to Christine Baker and Aunt Mildred Geiger, who have provided such mentoring, love and support. Thank you to my friends and family members who have been particularly faithful with their love during the recent trials of lifeincluding Ted Small, Audrey Gross-Stratford, Yvonne Chang, Ruby Lue Holloway, Reginald Brown, Jane Tanner, David White, Susan Watanabe, and Julie Taylor Vaz.

A hearty thank-you must go also to my aunts and uncles, including William Geiger, Ann Lewis, Edward Geiger, Sr., Joyce and Joe Montgomery, Thomas and Eunice Holloway, Thelma Geiger and family, Sandra and Sam Cook, Andrew Geiger and family, Johnnie Scott and family, and Geraldine Roby and family. Thanks to my wonderful cousins, who include Butch and Tonya Geiger, Derek Geiger, Marty Geiger, Alpha Lavergne, Nat and Veritta Holloway, Pat and Kish Holloway, Carolyn Holloway, Thelma Geiger and family, Jackie Coleman, Yolanda Stevens and family, Luwanda Gandy and family, Andrea Montgomery and family, and the Geigers of Atlanta.