Obama’s courtesy should inspire humility in leaders

Every once in while, I reject the temptation to write on emotionless political and economic issues and look for the light and inspiring in mundane human behaviour. Life is serious enough as it is anyway.

This week, my inspiration emanated from the heavily re-tweeted image of President Obama waiting for and then shielding two of his female staffers Valerie Jarret and Anita Breckenridge from the rain while exiting Marine One.

If you have not seen the video, please visit the ABC news website. For the men, hopefully it will inspire you to some gallantry this week.

It might help to know that in US government protocol, quite similar to Kenya, it is expected that once the President leaves his plane, he will get to his destination before the staff.

Clearly, President Obama, without doubt one of the most powerful men in the world, was not about to sacrifice common decency and a bit of chivalry on the altar of protocol! And so instead of leaving the plane and heading to the White House doors, the powerful man waited for the ladies to exit the plane and then cozily covered them all the way to the big house. If this doesn’t touch you, please see your therapist.

One may say I am making a big deal of a very basic act of human courtesy and reading more into it than I should. Maybe I am. Being an Obamite, I am always on the look out for things to admire and to applaud and the man has not been disappointing.

Allow me to share two insights on the incident, one of which some may call insignificant and the other significant.

First the “insignificant”; what ever happened to chivalry? From my grandmother to my grand daughter, I am not aware of even one woman who does not appreciate the small acts of a man’s kindness that speaks to the softer, gentler side of the female psyche.

Sadly, I also know fewer and fewer men who instinctively act with even the smallest courtesy to the ladies in their setting. Being the ultimate optimist, I remain hopeful and President Obama makes me believe all is not lost. Now to the significant. I must admit I was touched by how effortlessly the President translated from being the President of the United States to a normal human being carrying out an act of basic human courtesy.

His position of power and authority has not dehumanised him, and made him an automaton that sees relationships and activities from the perspective of his office and the power the office yields. In this simple act, Obama brought out a side of leadership that we have learnt to forget because we hardly see it.

This, by the way, is the same Obama who in February forgot the customary salute to a marine and got off Marine One to apologise and re-salute. In the world in which Kenyans inhabit, this would be sacrilege. Leadership here is emphasized by acts of power display; humility and courtesy are alien to most of us in positions of power. We expect and demand that those in lower positions recognise the pecking order and willingly endure our rudeness and discourtesy. Since they have few options, theirs is a life of suffering with bitterness. That is not in any way to underrate the need to respect authority and office.

It is to remind us that shorn of all these titles that Parliament even passes laws to regulate, we are just normal beings with frailties.

Those below us retain basic human dignity that must be regularly affirmed especially by us in positions of power.

Sadly, the basic discourtesy that defines relationship between seniors and juniors is then translated to the way we treat wananchi wa kawaida (ordinary citizens).

Walk to the average public office and you are bound to be either ignored or treated shabbily. Even the guard at the gate wants to remind you that he has authority to mishandle you. “Please” and “thank you” are the most marginalised words in our language.

May our American cousin’s example inspire more gallantry, kindness and humility from the top. Hopefully, this will trickle downwards and make us a gentler kinder Republic.