At a time of great economic difficulty in the US I am increasingly noticing comments that the US of A’s time of global supremacy is coming to an end. With tomorrow’s US election already underway I find myself reflecting on the leader I yearn for as US President at this time. (And of course, I recognise how much I yearn for the same kind of leadership around the world).

I think of a leader whose approach springs from a deeply rooted yearning to contribute to the creation of a world in which everyone can thrive. It is not enough for any one nation to look after its own (even less to look after only some of its own). It is time for us all to commit to creating a thriving, sustainable world.

I think of a leader who is ready to engage deeply with colleagues around the world rather than to seek to dominate, because it’s my belief that the best outcomes for all come when we are able to hear and understand each other at a deep level. I celebrate those leaders (Martin Luther King, Mandela, Gandhi and others) who have shown us what it takes to exercise a different kind of power.

I think of a leader who does not confuse the outcomes he aspires to with the strategies that might lead to those outcomes. I believe that such a leader will ask: what outcomes do we want from a healthy economy? And, recognising those outcomes, will look for ways to deliver those outcomes which serve us all – no matter what state our economy is in.

The polls give Barack Obama a decisive lead over John McCain. What’s more, I hear those people who invest in the futures markets are giving Barack Obama a whopping 90% chance of succeeding at tomorrow’s polls. I hope and pray that Barack Obama is this kind of leader. I hope and pray that he wins. I hope and pray that he is able to provide this kind of leadership to America and to the world.

And when I think that Barack Obama may be America’s first black president, I feel deeply moved. I especially hope for the success in post of such a man.