Dave Livingston sent me a link — and some of his usual sharp insights — as well to a Washington Post article published this Sunday about mistake that the Bush Administration made that the Obama Administration can learn from. I hope, for everyone's sake, that Obama is able to learn from others' mistakes so he doesn't make them himself. This list also strikes me because, essentially, this is a call for applying the logic of evidence-based management to the job. Here is a link to the article and Dave's summary of the list:
1. Presidents set the tone. Don’t be passive or tolerate virulent
divisions.
2. The president must insist that everyone speak out loud in front of the
others, even — or especially — when there are vehement disagreements.
3. A president must do the homework to master the fundamental ideas and concepts
behind his policies.
4. Presidents need to draw people out and make sure that bad news makes it
to the Oval Office.
5. Presidents need to foster a culture of skepticism and doubt.
6. Presidents get contradictory data, and they need a rigorous way to sort
it out.
7. Presidents must tell the public the hard truth, even if that means
delivering very bad news.
8. Righteous motives are not enough for effective policy.
9. Presidents must insist on strategic thinking.
10. The president should embrace transparency.
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