The Courage to Disappoint

Nothing has changed since Obama made his original calculation that investigating the Bush Administration intelligence operations would be a diversion, except that now there is more evidence of official wrongdoing, which most people already assumed existed. More relevant is that Congress is getting close to making difficult choices on several of his key agenda items, most particlarly health care and the ecomonic recovery.

This is a leadership moment for the president. Does he have the courage and the skill to disappoint his own peoiple at a rate they can absorb, my own favorite definition of leadership, or will he pander to his constituency and enable a huge work avoidance to take place?

Hang tough Barack. Take a page out of Nelson Mandela's book: Stay focused on your purpose and do not squander your political capital on a side trip that will feed only the most banal instincts of some of your more rabid constituents.

ALSO READ: Advice from Linsky and colleagues on confronting gender bias head-on.

By Marty Linsky

 |  July 16, 2009; 11:58 AM ET
Category:  Ethics
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