Obama and his BlackBerry

In the lead up Barack Obama’s inauguration next week, much has been written about his dependence on his BlackBerry. It appears that he will not be able to continue using it once he becomes president, due to the lack of security for messages and the need for all presidential communications to be recorded and later made available to the public. But Obama is rather fond of the device–he said in an interview on American TV:

They’re going to pry it out of my hands. This is a concern, I should add, not just of Secret Service, but also lawyers.

While a heavy user, I don’t think Obama is a BlackBerry addict–he seems able to focus on things and work without his BlackBerry when necessary. I’m sure he’ll follow the rules (and perhaps switch to an approved device), but his inability to use a BlackBerry while president raises an interesting question: Will Obama be a less effective leader because he can’t use his BlackBerry?

I’m inclined to say no, his lack of a BlackBerry won’t be an impediment–he certainly has plenty of staff to keep him on task and up to date on developments. But he’ll have to adjust to being a step removed from direct response. Leaders need to be able to adapt quickly to changes in their situation–given his performance during the election campaign, I don’t think this will be a problem for Obama.