Considered to be a driving force behind President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, former senior adviser to the president David Axelrod delivered a speech Monday night in John R. Emens Auditorium.
Axelrod stressed the message of youth being the facilitators of change and the leaders of tomorrow.
"No one has a greater investment in the future than the young," Axelrod said. "And no one has a greater capacity to bring about positive change than the young, and I'm a witness to that."
Citing the success of the 2008 presidential campaign, Axelrod said Barack Obama would not be president if it were not for the energy and enthusiasm of those who were active and involved in the process.
"Everything he's accomplished, or will accomplish, are your accomplishments, too," Axelrod said.
The political strategist also gave insight into leadership lessons he has learned at the side of the president and said he has taken away a "deep abiding respect for anyone who has served there," regardless of party affiliations.
"I have a much deeper appreciation for the mind-boggling array of really consequential, often life and death decisions, a president is confronted with on a daily basis," Axelrod said.
Making the point that having the ability to calmly and clearly make a decision is a strong attribute in leadership, Axelrod shared a situation that he experienced with Obama.
Last spring, mere days before the annual White House Correspondence Dinner, a speech writer suggested a joke that included a reference to Osama bin Laden. Axelrod said the president, who had met with an intelligence briefer from the National Security Agency earlier that day, rejected the option claiming that a bin Laden reference was too "yesterday."
When the news of the terrorist's demise broke two days after the dinner, Axelrod said he then realized the significance of what had transpired, citing the action as a great example of leadership on the presidents part.
"He knew it was the right thing to do, and he was calm, secure, in the decision that he had made," Axelrod said.
He also said the ability to stay calm and focused during times of great turmoil is an attribute that helps mold a strong leader and is a trait the president possesses.
"Being a leader is about the decisions you make during times of hardship and adversity," Axelrod said.
During a press conference prior to his speech, Axelrod emphasized the significance of the youth vote, saying that young people are the ones that have the most at stake.
Ending his speech on a similar note, Axelrod encouraged students to not lose their faith or determination, even when the outlook is dim.
"The future we're fighting for is yours, and don't ever doubt that you have the power to shape it," Axelrod said.
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