Exceed eXpectations
“Leaders believe ing giving WOW feeling to their customers.”
Opening Case Study :
Barack Obama –ALeader who Exceeded Expectations
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States. Born to a white American mother and a black Kenyan father, he is the first African-American to hold the office. Prior to becoming the president, he served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate and received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, he was a successful civil rights attorney before he ventured into politics. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, he began his presidential campaign in 2007.
After winning sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination, he went on to defeat Republican nominee John McCain in the general election. He assumed office as the President of the United States in January 2009, a time when the country was reeling under the global economic recession. Expectations were high from the new president and the responsibilities on his shoulders, tremendous. Within the first few months he implemented several reforms in order to stabilize the economy and to boost its growth. He also completely overhauled America’s foreign policy. Obama was re-elected to a second term as president in November 2012.
He was born as Barack Hussein Obama II on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Obama, Sr. and his wife, Stanley Ann Dunham. His mother was a white American, of mostly English ancestry while his father was a black Kenyan. His parents separated when Barack was just an infant. His mother was still a student when she gave birth to Barack Obama and Obama lived with his maternal grandparents for a few years while his mother completed her education.
Barack Obama graduated from high school in 1979 and moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College. In 1981, he transferred to Columbia College, Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983.From June 1985 to May 1988, he worked as a community organizer for low- income residents in the Roseland and the Altgeld Gardens communities.
He entered Harvard Law School in the fall of 1988 and graduated with a J.D. magna cum laude in 1991. As a student, he served as the president of the Harvard Law Review, and his election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention. He is the recipient of two Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards. He won the awards for the abridged audiobook versions of ‘Dreams from My Father’ (2006) and for ‘The Audacity of Hope’ (2008).In 2009, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Barack Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”.The ‘Time’ magazine named Obama as its Person of the Year twice, in 2008 and in 2012.
In an increasingly dynamic and competitive world, organizations of all kinds are continually looking for leaders who can most effectively inspire others to improve productivity and performance. Yet, meeting goals and objectives is no longer enough. Leaders who exceed expectations will be in the best position to emerge as the superstars of their generation. The greatest leaders are those who not only “exceed expectations,” but also inspire others to do the same.
Whether you are leading military forces or a corporate entity, success is all about exceeding expectations.There is a dire need for effective leadership today. A good performance is one in which you exceed the expectations of others. A great performance is one in which you exceed what you thought possible. All of us know to set goals and strive for improvements. What differentiates those who muddle forward are those who truly break out to unexpected levels of performance.
Meeting or exceeding your job expectations is the best way to ensure job enrichment. To do so, you need to know what is expected from you in your position, and then meet those requirements as best you can. You also need to be determined and motivated to do your job well and committed to improving yourself as much as possible.
Whether you are a recent hire or a tenured employee, it’s important to continue to strive for success in the workplace. Distinguishing yourself as a valuable employee can not only assist in providing job security, but also help you take the next step in your career.
This applies to each and every role of your life. Give little extra than what is expected out of you and you will become extraordinary. Mostly extra does not cost anything extra. It requires only an innovative thinking. Try it from today and you will notice the positive difference immediately. Exceed the expectations and all will praise you.
Here are five tips to help you meet and exceed expectations as a leader:
- Make a list of expectations that others expect according to your role.
- Think creatively about what extra you can give compared to what is expected from you in your role.
- Make it a habit to give something extra in whatever you are doing.
- Give extra in a natural way rather than expecting something in return.
- Consider this as your duty rather than an obligation.
CONCLUSION:
Businesses don’t look to promote employees who do only the minimum required to keep their jobs. Instead, workers who show initiative, offer to take on more responsibility and produce more value than expected are likely to advance within the company. Understanding how you can exceed your employer’s expectations will help you move up the ladder.