Leadership
At the end of my last blog, Drawing to a Close, I queried: “Any forecasts on the candidates vice presidential running mates?” I had several people suggest to me that Senator Obama would choose Senator Joseph Biden, particularly in light of the turmoil in Georgia. They were proven correct when several days later Obama announced his choice prior to the start of the Democratic convention in Denver. Selecting Biden demonstrated a leader’s ability to find complementary individuals for support in areas in which they are not perceived to be strong. Senator Obama demonstrated that he was not too proud to choose a former opponent or someone that clearly had built a resume of accomplishment and knowledge with regard to foreign affairs and diplomacy. Senator Biden has built and polished his credentials during a career in the Senate that stretches out more than thirty-five years.
I received several suggestions that Senator McCain would turn to either Governors Pawlenty or Romney, or if he could stand down the base of the Republican Party, Senator Lieberman. Mitt Romney had a distinguished and very successful business career at Bain Capital, and as a Republican Governor of Massachusetts Romney introduced the most successful universal health care plan for residents of his state. His innovations in that regard may well serve as a model for other states.
Senator Lieberman would have been an inspired choice of a man who has stood by his principles, in spite of a strong challenge from within his own party in a primary fight two years ago. During this battle he was abandoned by the majority of his Democratic colleagues because of his support for the Iraq war and his strong and unwavering support for Israel’s strategic role in the Middle East.
In the end, Senator McCain decided to appeal to the conservative base of the Republican Party and announced this past week the selection of Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. In many respects this represented a Hail Mary pass, but by choosing someone who is clearly not prepared to lead, in the event that she must replace the President, he has demonstrated more of his maverick streak than his leadership ability. Former President Ronald Reagan was a leader who was not afraid to surround himself with a strong and complementary team. Reagan chose George H.W. Bush, who was probably better prepared to take over, if necessary, than any vice presidential candidate since World War II, based on his career in the House of Representatives, as head of the CIA and Chief of the US Liaison Office to China. Unfortunately, when he became President Bush, he chose Senator Dan Quayle as his vice president. In many ways, Senator McCain’s choice is most analogous to the choice of Senator Quayle. It was not a demonstration of leadership, along the lines of President Reagan’s choice.
This round, with less than three months to go to the election, goes to Senator Obama.As business leaders responsible for building strong management teams that can deliver results in very challenged markets, the Obama example of selecting experienced individuals with complementary skills is a reminder that our leadership ability will be judged by those with whom we surround ourselves.