Before she became the nation’s First Lady , Michelle Obama was an administrator at the University of Chicago . She was the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago in 1996 and helped to develop the university’s community center. She was promoted in 2002 as Executive Director for Community Affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals and promoted again in 2005 to Vice-President for Community and External Affairs. Such administrative promotions speak volumes about her strong track record of achievement and overall effectiveness as a leader. Generally speaking, the Dean of Student Services has responsibility for all aspects of student life other than operational and academic. It would include such areas as: residential life, student activities/organizations, health and safety issues, counselling and handling disciplinary problems.
Her overall experience in such positions demonstrates her ability to multitask and simultaneously motivates other individuals and departments to work collaboratively with her and share her vision. As a leader, she succeeded in influencing others to implement a shared vision and plan for positive change and growth. In order for an administrator to survive in any organization, it is critical to understand the culture and who the power players are within the system. Our former First Lady Michelle Obama mastered these skills by being professional, responsive, authentic and flexible. Before she became our First Lady , Michelle Obama mastered the political skills necessary to be an effective leader.
Too often, it is difficult for those in administrative positions not to cross the line especially when you are passionate about what you are doing. Such an obstacle was not a factor for the former First Lady Michelle Obama because of her ability to rally those around her to achieve many results for many constituencies especially children, veterans and women around the world. Having served in a number of administrative capacities helped her to develop her agenda as First Lady . The same way she succeeded mobilizing troops of co-workers and organizations to implement her programs at the University of Chicago , and University of Chicago Medical Center , she galvanized the nation to address childhood obesity , education, veteran and family affairs globally. Her passion and dedication to improving the lives of the people she serves was just as evident in her role of First Lady . As a result, she was able to carve out a niche for the legacy she wanted to leave behind in support of her husband, Former President Barack Obama.
Black women administrators face various challenges on a college campus which are not visible and accessible to others. It is critically important for Black women administrators to be professional in everything they do if they are to be taken seriously. They must dress professionally, communicate effectively and be very results oriented to win the respect of others. In most instances, Black women administrators serve as role models whether they think so or not. It is not enough to talk the talk, you must walk it also. Former First Lady Michelle Obama is the epitome of professionalism and class and also results-driven. She delivered on promises made to the communities she served which built her credibility and a reputation of respect and caring. The most important aspect of her experience was her ability to develop partnerships in the communities she served especially organizations with similar missions and goals.
Her background as a lawyer proved to be very useful in the position she held in Student Services. Her exceptional communication and interpersonal skills were key to handling the plethora of competing demands. Mrs. Obama had to also use her organizational skills in order to prioritize what was most important in light of the many interruptions she encountered on a daily basis. To be the wife of one of the most powerful men in the world, raise two beautiful daughters, and still be able to be the drum major and advocate for healthy living, education worldwide and caring for veterans and their families is quite remarkable. Her role required the ability to handle a multitude of tasks at the same time and also have a strong support system. Mrs. Obama’s mother, whom she says is her role model, was her secret weapon keeping her focused and grounded as to what was really important.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is a woman of high moral character and faith. She leads by example as demonstrated by her commitment to making the world a better place for all women and girls. She was very strategic in developing and implementing her goals as First Lady by mobilizing a cadre of people, organizations and partnerships to implement her various agendas. Such accomplishments demonstrate her mastery of the politics within any organization especially the White House. Too often, the overall professional experiences of former First Lady Michelle Obama are briefly mentioned. I think it is important to remember her overall professional skills and leadership style before she became our First Lady . She is a role model not only for young girls, but also for African American professional women.
First Wives/First Ladies
In beginning to approach this topic, I googled “African first ladies ” and was rewarded with a wide array of images from which to choose. For this paper, suffice it to say that if we broaden the lens beyond hegemonic readings of the USA, the idea or presence of a Black First Lady does not originate with Michelle Obama . Indeed, the recent passing of Nelson Mandela , revealed the larger intent of my argument in actually presenting two grieving “first ladies ”—Winnie Mandela and Graca Michel . 1 And during her last visit to Africa, Michelle Obama was photographed with other African first ladies at the African First Ladies Summit : “Investing in Women: Strengthening Africa,” in Dar es Salaam on July 2, 2013. 2 According to the report, “The first ladies of Ethiopia , Mozambique , South Africa , and Tanzania were all on hand, according to Voice of America , with more expected later in the conference.” While first ladies , though often powerful women themselves access power through marriage to a man who becomes president or prime minister, there is a growing body of women writing of their own experiences of engagement with power , as first woman presidents or prime ministers themselves. This paper addresses issues of leadership in two different arenas: the first wife pathway to leadership ; the rise of women as presidents themselves. It also exa...
