Seriousness and Empathy: How Do You Communicate It?

The Clinton-Obama rivalry gives us examples of what works and what doesn’t in terms of communicating to a team. I see Obama as a serious person who is interested in his audience. I see Clinton as more manipulative and prone to ill-timed laughter. Why are these reactions important in terms of how we are viewed by others? I’m not saying that my reactions are correct, but just that they are important when it comes to whether or not you can successfully communicate.

I think that an Obama-like seriousness and empathy is much more likely to result in developing a teaming atmosphere. He also has the gift of appropriate response to difficult situations (vs. the now-famous Hillary cackle). Both candidates are excellent speakers and achieve mastery of the details. But is that enough? What do you have to say about your observations of these two power players? Do you have examples of great teamwork spawned by excellent VPs or C-level executives?

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