Cowboy diplomacy, the epitome of an oxymoron, is dead. Truth is, cowboy diplomacy’s goal is more in tune with a bull in a china shop than achieving results and respect. It was all about acting and talking tough, and while Bush excelled at the tactic he has nothing to show for his bullying behavior. It also has nothing to do with leadership. You see, leaders lead, they aren’t handled. And for the last eight years – when it came to the global stage – Bush was handled, then hated, and finally ignored.
Enter Obama. Still looking for change? Well, here’s another example.
According to sources inside the room, President Obama just played peacemaker in a spat between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China.
In the finaly plenary session among the G-20 leaders, Sarkozy and Hu were having a heated disagreement about tax havens..
Read the entire article. It’s refreshing.
The exchange between Sarkozy and Hu got so heated, said a source — who is not a member of the Obama administration — it was threatening the unity of the G-20 leaders’ meeting.
But Mr. Obama, according to this account, stepped between the two men, urging them to try to find consensus, and giving them a “pep talk” about the importance of working together.
The senior adminstration official said that Mr. Obama pulled Mr. Sarkozy aside, took him to a corner, “and discussed possible alternatives,” the senior official said.
Once they arrived at one, President Obama “sent a message to the Chinese” that a counter-offer was on the table. The Chinese spent some time considering the offer. But they took a few minutes.
So Mr. Obama, with the assistance of translators, suggested that he and Mr. Hu have a conversation as well. They, too went to the corner to talk. After a few minutes, Mr. Obama called upon Mr. Sarkozy to join them.
“Translators and sherpas in tow, they reached an agreement,” the official said. “There was a multiple shaking of hands.”
This is what leadership looks like. It isn’t about making people walk on eggshells around you – that’s the way one behaves around crazy people. Leadership is about having people want to follow you, not lock you in an attic.