Don’t get discouraged: Three pieces of advice from President Obama to public servants
President Barack Obama says it’s easy to dismantle norms that ensure the rule of law, but progress takes generations to build.
- Programs
- Stories
- Defending Democracy
President Barack Obama had a message for public servants in today’s turbulent political climate: Don’t give up.
“We happen to be in a particularly crazy moment right now,” he said, urging them to stay committed to making a difference in people’s lives.
“Most progress takes generations and it’s really hard to build. It’s easy to tear down,” President Obama said on a call with more than 200 Obama Foundation Leaders during an Oct. 20 virtual meeting. “It’s possible to dismantle guard rails and practices and norms that ensure rule of law and integrity and so forth.” “Tearing down things is easy,” he continued. “Breaking things is easy. It would take me three seconds, maybe 15 seconds, to destroy the Mona Lisa. It doesn’t require much talent. Painting it is a little bit harder. All of you are trying to build and create things. Being able to have that long term perspective I think is vital.”
He was responding to a question asked by Capt. Shannon White, a commanding officer with the Los Angeles Police Department and an Obama Foundation 2025-2026 United States Leader. Since 2018, the Obama Leaders program has empowered more than 1,100 changemakers from 120 nations across Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States with resources, training, and networks to maximize their impact.
As a second-generation LAPD officer, following in her father's footsteps, White raised concerns about, “
an ever-widening fissure between the values, rules, and actions of institutions that are supposed to be built by and in service of the people.”
White asked, "What advice do you have for those of us that are in public service in this moment? What story can those of us in a similar space tell to resolutely pull the arc towards justice within our own institutions? And perhaps most importantly, once we discover our story, how can we sustain ourselves when that arched trajectory seems as imperceptible as the earth curving away over a flat horizon?”
President Obama offered three key pieces of advice.
First, he reminded Leaders their positions represent progress.
“You're in the position you're in now because of sacrifices that previous generations made,” he said. “They'd be proud to know that you now have the power to make changes that in the past would have been inconceivable for your grandmother or your great-grandmother.”
Second, he emphasized knowing which values are non-negotiable.
“What grounded me, at least when I was president, was reminding myself continuously about what are the core values that I cannot compromise, and what are the situational tactical compromises that I can make in order to move things forward,” President Obama said.
Finally, he urged patience.
“Understanding that progress is constructed over time, and not all at once is, I think, vital," he said.
For White, President Obama's message was affirming.
White serves in the LAPD's Strategic Planning and Policy Division, and said every day she lives up to the example her father set by following his biggest piece of advice: “Above all else, be fair.” Her father, Capt. Paul Enox, died seven years ago, and she said he would’ve been proud to see her in conversation with President Obama.
The Obama Foundation Leaders program has helped White feel connected to others who share her passion for change, adding that the program gives participants “the tools and skills to advance what we’re doing to invite more people in to recognize the interconnectedness between different fields.”
White emphasized the importance of this community, saying, “there’s a power in being together and in community with people.”
“For me it's just the idea of hope,” she continued. “I can't stress enough that I think for changemakers, it can feel pretty isolating. It is a long road to seeing substantive change.”
On sustaining that hope in difficult times, White returns to the image she shared with President Obama—the imperceptible curve of the Earth's horizon.
“For me it's the humility of recognizing how small we are, but still striving to have that bigger, far, far more reaching impact,” she said. “We get to know what we're setting in motion, but the true impact of it should live beyond us.”
President Obama ended his comments to the Leaders by encouraging them to continue their work.
“Don’t get discouraged if before I talk to you next a few more crazy things happen around the world, because the world’s always been a little crazy…. That’s exactly why you’re needed. It’s an opportunity for all of you to make an even bigger difference than you have already made,” he said.
Sign up for the latest on the Obama Foundation
Explore more stories:
- MBK Alliance
- Obama Picks
- Girls Opportunity Alliance
- Chicago
- Stories
- Presidential History