Hail! to the victors valiant
Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes
Hail! Hail! to Michigan
The leaders and best!
Hail! to the victors valiant
Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes
Hail! Hail! to Michigan
The champions of the West!
- Louis Elbel (1898)
I spent last Saturday morning with Barack Obama. And now that I have your attention, let me add that there were a few other people present - about 85,000 of them - because he delivered the 2010 Spring Commencement Address at the University of Michigan, the third sitting President of the United States to do so.
Attendance at the graduation ceremony, held in the Big House, doubled what is typical, despite rain, metal detectors, and protestors outside. Indeed, tickets were difficult to find, and rumor had it that some of our enterprising graduates were even selling their extras on e-Bay. Sigh.
Regardless, most everyone in attendance was visibly excited by President Obama's presence. I myself rolled out of bed at 5:30 AM to get to the football stadium for the 11:00 AM start of the ceremonies. I hadn't stood in line that long since the early 1970s, when I did so to buy tickets to a concert by the Moody Blues.
We would have been excited and honored to hear any President in person, but in particular this President. After all, we are a blue university (and I don't mean in the maize and blue sense), in a blue city, in a blue state.
After receiving an honorary degree, President Obama spoke for about thirty minutes. He broke no new ground on policy, but what he said was still of interest. He called for increased civility in political conversation because we can't work together with those we vilify. He called for an end to criticism of government per se. Are those who despise "government" ready to forego our public schools, our National Parks, and our Interstate Highways? He urged listeners to learn about points of view with which they might disagree, whether voiced by Rush Limbaugh or by the New York Times.
President Obama is a gifted speaker. His Inaugural Address and his speech on race during his campaign were among the best speeches I have ever heard. His commencement address at Michigan was very good, but it did not measure up to these other talks. Despite being intelligent, eloquent, and at times humorous, President Obama seemed tired. And he of course had reason to be tired.
But I don't end my blog entry on this note because there is a larger point. Other speakers at the commencement included our university president, our provost, and the dean of my college. I have heard each of these speak on numerous occasions, and they of course are very good speakers. But in each case, their brief talks at the 2010 commencement were the best from them that I had ever heard. They were animated and passionate. Their talks were from their hearts as well as their heads.
How come? I think the answer is obvious: They were sharing the stage with the President of the United States. If I were ever to do so, I too would give the best talk of my life. Guaranteed.
Perhaps this observation tells us what leadership entails. Leadership is inspiring others to do their best, and last Saturday morning, the speakers at the commencement ceremonies were so inspired.
As President Obama implied in his commencement address, we need to listen to our leaders to be inspired by them. There is a lot of public discourse nowadays about the need for leaders to listen to those they lead. I suggest that we who are led need to listen as well to our leaders.
