EVEN before the Electoral College casts its vote in January, president-elect Barack Obama is heralded as a leader who will revive the American spirit and renew US status worldwide.

Alas, Obama faces daunting challenges across the board. Expectations are high. There is pregnant hope for quick delivery especially after the last eight years of dithering and politicking.

We have been witnessing unprecedented domestic and international outpouring of support, (at least in my life-time). Euphoria is palpable in all corners of the globe, echoing a yearning for the US to return to the international community and lead responsibly, in stark contrast to the didactic and unilateral America, perceived by many as feigning respect for the aspirations of the world community while engaging in narrow-minded manoeuvres for advantage.

Less rhetoric and more action will be the order of the new Obama style of leadership. He will discard the proffered notion that empathy is tantamount to weakness. That lexicon is outmoded and does not fit with his progressive philosophy of change buttressed by transparency and accountability.

Eschewing hubris, Obama will display his strength by reaching out. But to be credible and effective he must select a crew of advisers that are truly capable of helping him steer the ship of state from the dangerous shoals of the previous administration.

Obama will not have the luxury of selecting individuals whose basic philosophy runs counter to his. Though experience is essential, he should rely on his instincts and acuity and select those who are keenly attuned to policy, and able to make decisions and implement them. Within that rubric, there will be ample space for the airing of disparate views towards a common objective. This is healthy.

Obama certainly will not need one-line prescriptions to solve problems, reducing substance to simplicity while abandoning essence and principle. With that in mind, he should be wary of quick fixes to complex issues and avoid a zero-sum game approach and hackneyed solutions, the hallmarks of the present administration.

On the international scene, former White House-inspired lecturing about the virtues of American values became tedious. The public diplomacy orientation of the present administration has been ineffective on several levels. In general, it smacks of poor Madison Avenue marketing techniques. Targeted audiences are not convinced. They want discussion - give and take - and mutual respect.

Obama's accession to the Oval Office is already a palpable example of a seismic shift in the minds of the majority of the American voting public who have put him there. And they expect him to be sincere and match his words with deeds. There's nothing naive about being sincere. In fact, there is power in suasion, and that and trust underpin diplomacy. Purposeful diplomatic initiatives are essential, and complementary military readiness is necessary in case adversaries contemplate untoward acts against us and our allies.

In practical terms, President-elect Obama is now selecting his foreign policy and national security team. Clearly, a candid assessment of geo-politics and the US position on the world stage now and the future is central to ongoing in-house deliberations. With the attendant international economic and financial meltdown and US all- time low credibility abroad, Obama and his advisers have their work cut out for them.

Obama and his team will face other pressing international issues simultaneously, so multi- tasking is a prerequisite since they are not easily and realistically compartmentalised. Keeping issues discrete and fusing them, as appropriate, requires perspicacity. Further, these burning issues must be handled adroitly within a geo-political context where there is evidence of a potential, if not real, shift of power and influence to Asia, as well as the emergence of new international power centres. The US will have to come to terms with a multipolar world and that requires astute American leadership.

Obama possesses the savoir-faire.

But will his advisers? He should select prudently in light of the rapidly changing domestic and international environment. Also, he cannot afford to squander the tremendous reservoir of support he now enjoys. That would be a gravely missed opportunity. Indeed, his victory at the polls is an uncanny confluence of historical events and a unique person.

Lest we forget, President Obama will certainly be judged by a yardstick that has never been used before in American history. His performance will have myriad unforeseen consequences that many of his avid supporters may not even have considered in the heady electoral campaign season.

Before he assumes office on January 20, President-elect Obama, already waxed on the issues, will have to demonstrate his mettle and outline his priorities to the public.
Expectations are high and the world is with him. So he must be prepared to grab the "red phone" at 3:00 am and everybody will be able to sleep soundly.

A lot will rest on President Obama's shoulders for obvious reasons - some not so obvious - at this acute historical crossroads.

Earle Scarlett, Jamaican born, is a retired US diplomat with global experience who periodically teaches Eastern European Affairs in Italy. He and his wife, Barbara, a former diplomat herself, reside in Atlanta. Their daughter, Philippa, a lawyer, just completed a year clerking at the US Supreme Court. Their other daughter Olivia works for the US National Basketball Association in New York.

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