Response Paper

Response Paper

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Response Paper

Ronald Reagan was one of the best communicators that America ever witnessed and best on his speech just like you have quoted he uses symbolism to drive his point home. I have always been influenced by not only great orators but also those who incorporate symbolism in their speeches. When you think of it, given the number of leaders that we have seen, there are a few who have managed to communicate symbolically to enable their companies to navigate their organizations through trying times. Currently, some of the best organizations such as Amazon and Microsoft do have great leaders in control and this enables them to be successful. However, the question is, are these leaders able to communicate symbolically to ensure that they would be able to navigate their companies when they face challenges.

Just like you have mentioned an example of Ronald Reagan in his speech where “he drew parallels between World War II and the Cold War, and discussed how the lessons are drawn from the former impacted the decisions made regarding the latter. “Through such a statement, leaders can set the light and path that their followers can take to ensure that the organization falls back into the track. In other words, actions do have consequences. However, it is up to us do decide which actions are we going to take. Often, if we are to overcome challenges, we have to implement the actions that can bring about positive consequences.

On the other hand, I also do agree with your assessment of Michelle Obama in that she “may not be considered by many to be a strategic leader, however, I would argue that in her role as First Lady and ever since, she demonstrated a strong grasp of the strategic leadership met competencies defined by Wong et al. including identity, mental agility, cross-cultural savvy, interpersonal maturity, world-class warrior, and professional astuteness. (Wong, Gerras, Kidd, Pricone, & Swengros, 2003).” Her speech reminds me of her husband’s speech at the democratic convention in Massachusetts in 2012. It was the stage that Barrack Obama introduced himself to the American audience. I remember the great impact his statement had on the potential voters to the extent that he won that election. He not only became the first black president of the United States but also reiterated the impact that symbolic communication can have on bringing or initiating changes within a given society. Having had a look at Michelle’s speech I also tend to agree with Gallo (2016) that his speech is an example of how to use emotion effectively as a communicator. It seems that Michelle and her husband both have a great knowledge of how they can deliver their speech in ensuring that the audience can construe the message of the speech.

In conclusion, just like you have stated, most of the individuals did rate Michelle’s speech as one of a kind, which is similar to the time his husband delivered his speech at the same convention in 2012. As a result, leaders can communicate symbolically to either improve their organizations or destroy them. In the end, it is up to them to decide on the best approach possible that can render results.

References

Wong, L., Gerras, S., Kidd, W., Pricone, R., & Swengros, R. (2003). Strategic Leadership Competencies. US Army War College.

Gallo, C. (2016, July 26). Five Techniques That Made Michelle Obama’s Speech Emotionally Appealing. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/07/26/five-techniques-that-made-michelle-obamas-speech-emotionally-appealing/#2b9bfd89396c

Reagan Foundation. (2020, April 16). Normandy Speech: Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-Day 6/6/84. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEIqdcHbc8I