After Tarawalie finished taking the photos, he was asked out of the Oval Office by White House protocol officers. As he was preparing to step out of the room, no less a person than President Obama interrupted his protocol officers and said to Tarawalie from Sierra Leone, “Come, come come!”

 

An amazed Tarawalie walked over to Obama and received a warm handshake from the most powerful man in the world who said to him quite simply, “Thank you for taking our photographs”. Tarawalie walked out of the Oval Office in a daze. I suspect he is still walking around savouring the precise moment when President Obama shook his hands.

 

That ability of President Obama to maintain the common touch is what I see everyday in President Ernest Koroma’s dealings here in Sierra Leone. Our President has exemplary ability to make everyone feel appreciated; no matter if it is a common man or a powerful traditional authority (local King).

 

I have a messenger whom I once sent with an urgent note to H.E. President Koroma. After reading the note, the President asked his ADC to invite my messenger into his office. President Koroma then warmly shook my messenger’s hands whilst saying a personal thanks for taking the note to him.

 

My messenger not only returned in total awe of being able to enter President Koroma’s office but he actually refused to wash his hands for several days after!

 

That “common touch” which makes Obama consider to shake the hand of a photographer from Sierra Leone and which makes Koroma to consider to shake the hands of a lowly messenger is what poet Rudyard Kipling is describing in his poem, “IF”. It is the rare trait seen in only a very few humans; the ones who were born to be leaders amongst us.

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