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THE QUESTION
Kennedy as a Leader
What were Ted Kennedy's strengths and weaknesses as a national political leader, a congressional leader, a world leader?
Posted by Ben Bradlee and Steve Pearlstein on August 27, 2009 9:14 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Made Real by Contradictions
Ted Kennedy's contradictions made him seem real, and his consistencies made lasting change.
Posted by Patricia McGinnis, on August 30, 2009 11:50 PM
Winning Over My Mother
I grew up in a family in which Ted Kennedy was regarded as the worst politician in America, but today even my mother -- now dependent on Medicare -- is grateful for his leadership.
Posted by Paul Schmitz, on August 28, 2009 1:09 PM
The Late Bloomer
His could have been a story of the misspent life of the younger son, but Teddy Kennedy found a way to turn his life around and become a true statesman.
Posted by Deborah Ancona, on August 28, 2009 11:49 AM
Leading From the Front
On issue after issue -- minimum wage, children's health care, immigration -- he kept focused on the goal, neither distracted by setbacks or deterred by delays.
Posted by Andy Stern, on August 28, 2009 11:45 AM
An Example Sorely Lacking
Kennedy's ability, even his willingness, to collaborate with members of the opposing party set an example that is sorely lacking in Washington today.
Posted by Yash Gupta, on August 28, 2009 11:41 AM
The Kennedy 'Alumni' Association
Staff in Kennedy's office and committees were among the best in the business. This can become a self-perpetuating virtuous cycle, as great people invariably cite "quality of colleagues" as a key driver in employment decisions.
Posted by Tom Monahan, on August 27, 2009 12:38 PM
Consistency of Purpose
The warrior from Massachusetts reminds us that, to make things stick, the leader needs to stick to what matters.
Posted by Barry Salzberg, on August 27, 2009 11:29 AM
The Secret of Smart Staffers
The unspoken key to Senator Kennedy's leadership is this: He was never afraid to hire people on his staff who were smarter than he was.
Posted by Alan M. Webber, on August 27, 2009 11:25 AM
The Playboy, the Leader
A playboy, a womanizer, a child of "royalty" -- yet Ted Kennedy still grew and developed as a leader.
Posted by Howard Gardner, on August 27, 2009 11:15 AM
Keep On Plugging
All leaders can learn from his willingness to keep on working under difficult circumstances and to let go of his own "need to be right" in order to find meaningful compromise.
Posted by Marshall Goldsmith, on August 27, 2009 11:10 AM
From Lightweight to Leader
In his life journey, he responded to devastating family tragedy and personal failure by dedicating himself to further the common good.
Posted by Michael Maccoby, on August 27, 2009 10:53 AM
Passion Without Invective
The senator known earlier for his free-wheeling life became a study in serious commitment to transcendent issues.
Posted by Mickey Edwards, on August 27, 2009 10:42 AM
Persistent But Gracious
I vividly recall our meeting exactly 10 years ago when Medtronic was working to gain his support for an FDA reform bill -- Kennedy was a persistent but gracious negotiator.
Posted by Bill George, on August 27, 2009 10:30 AM
Breaking Through the Gardol Screen
Ted Kennedy lived and worked behind the screen of his family name until failure pushed him to find his authentic leadership style.
Posted by Marty Linsky, on August 27, 2009 9:24 AM
FEATURED COMMENTS
RFN8143: Ted Kennedy was a morally corrupt man who did a fairly good job as senator. He tried to pin the car accident on his staffer, until he realiz...
jama452: Mr. Bradlee and Mr. Pearlstein,
I have been shocked to read some of the comments posted on WaPO with articles of Sen. Kennedy's death.
I wo...
RedBird27: I think he was very human. Little brothers aren't usually the leaders, they're the negotiators and the peacemakers.
Once he failed at all t...
