Michelle Obama wants to create 'thousands of mes' — and she's not interested in running for president

pulse

March 2, 2018 1:31 PM

"As an older leader, I think an important part of leadership is stepping out of the way and making room," said Michelle Obama, the former first lady.

The former first lady
Obama, 54, is instead interested in "creating thousands of mes" by working with younger leaders.
"As an older leader, I think an important part of leadership is stepping out of the way and making room," she said at a conference on Tuesday.

Michelle Obama is hopeful about the next generation of leaders in the US.

The former first lady has been meeting many younger leaders through her work with the Obama Foundation. She says it has given her a lot of optimism about their approach to leading the country.

"They're tired of watching us do the same old thing and expect different results," Obama, 54, said at Klick Health's Muse event in New York on Tuesday. "So I'm optimistic about the future. There are some bright young people out there doing some amazing things."

Those interactions have helped to solidify her plans, which aren't likely to involve running for office.

"This is why I'm not going to run for president," she said. "Because I think it's a better investment to invest in creating thousands of mes."

Rather than having one "Michelle Obama" vying for the presidency, she hopes to help more people get into leadership positions.

"We don't need just one — we need thousands and thousands," Obama said.

Obama spent eight years in the White House as the first lady. The idea of swapping spots with her husband, former President Barack Obama, doesn't appeal to her.

"As an older leader, I think an important part of leadership is stepping out of the way and making room," Michelle Obama said.

If she were to decide to run for office, it would limit the country, she said.

"We're not finding that new energy out there," she said.

pulse