Jennie M. Xue

Terminator's lessons in leadership

by Jennie S. Bev

I was invited to attend an annual presentation by the 38th governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as organized by The Commonwealth Club, a public affairs forum, at the historical Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco last month.

Beyond my expectations, which later turned my skepticism upside down, this former Terminator and Kindergarten Cop is more than a celebrity hunk, but also a brainy politician, an intelligent speaker and an inspiring leader who is not only charming but also mind-set changing.

Many lessons can be learned from the substance, the presentation style and the speaker's character as conveyed to the public in a mesmerizing way. Indonesian celebrities who are considering or already in the world of politics can definitely learn from Schwarzenegger.

Screening political soaps

by Jennie S. Bev

If life were show business, then politics must have been a soap opera with twists and turns as well as climaxes and anti-climaxes found in Greek tragedies. The only difference is all scenes and chapters are reality and directly affect our well-being. And those politicians are not actors or actresses, but our representatives whose interests should represent ours.

In the United States, Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin bring their life stories to voters through media coverage, online media and biographies. American voters have been exposed to their lives 24/7 and we all seem to be interested to find out who has done what, why they made certain decisions, and how their professional, personal choices and character will affect their tenure if they are elected. Above all, voters are inclined to take such information seriously, if not to heart, as reassurance.