There’s a debate raging over U.S. Democratic presidential-nominee candidate Barack Obama’s lack of experience. One side insists that he lacks the necessary experience, while the other says that some of the most experienced presidents have made gargantuan mistakes.

The real issue isn’t experience, but leadership. The only experience that matters is that gained from being in the president’s office. The president with the least amount of experience before taking office was Abraham Lincoln, who was widely regarded as one of America’s greatest leaders.

Obama has the characteristics of a great leader; he’s visionary, charismatic, passionate, committed, and a skilled orator. George W. Bush, on the other hand, is mean-spirited, inarticulate, and lacking vision, and his poorly informed decision-making has led the U.S. into economic ruin and foreign-policy quagmires never before witnessed in its history.

Because Bush is prepared to play down in the sewer, the likes of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, become relevant in their countries and throughout their spheres of influence.

Obama could rise above all of that. His face would become the new face of America, and his message would become the new message of America. Who would you rather follow: Bush, who has nothing to offer, or Obama, who offers hope, inspiration, and opportunity? So it is with our region, which needs three kinds of leadership in order to grow and prosper: business, political, and community.

I know a young man who is on a varsity sports team and who doesn’t get much playing time because of his lack of experience compared to the other players. He has chosen to excel during practices, to push the starting players harder than they’ve ever been pushed, to try to make his team better. He has become a quiet leader on his team. We need strong, passionate, courageous leaders like him to take us to the next level of development and opportunity. We need to encourage those who are prepared to do the right thing, regardless of the personal price that must be paid.

Ask yourself this: Would I follow someone like George W. Bush or Barack Obama? Would I follow someone like the young varsity player? No team can win without the very best leadership. Find the leaders in your field, then encourage them to help move us forward. We’ll all benefit.