The Skill & Will to Save Our (Political) System

It looks like Obama’s detractors were half right about his ability to lead: he may have the skill to navigate the political minefield after all.

On the other hand, it looks like Obama’s supporters were only half right about his ability to lead, too: he may not have the will to stick to his guns.

I just read this article on CNN that asks if Obama is relaxing his stand on handling the energy crisis… which to me shows a man who embraced populist rhetoric to build support from the masses, and who now is slowly shifting back to a much more pragmatic, politically driven stance on a key issue, who doesn’t think it wise to fall on his sword over off-shore drilling if it is part of a broader energy bill.

Of all the issues to bend on.

In my work with companies, I look at individuals’ ability and willingness to make the tough calls. Here, the key skill would be “political savvy.” Obama seems to have it, but does he—or anyone—have the clout to use political savvy as a lever for moving the oil industry? Doubtful.

And now the other dimension, “will”—which translates into “courage”, or the willingness to stand one’s ground in the face of overwhelming odds—can be called into question.

I can’t pretend to know what goes on behind closed doors, but I do that the game he’s playing is a tough one; it is hard to follow that magic advice offered by Mario Puzo’s most famous character, Don Corleone: “Keelp your friends close, and your enemies closer,” he advised If it were only that easy!

Any chance we can convince Jesse Ventura to run for President? Maybe we could get the entire cast of Predator appointed to the cabinet (2 of them have already held office, including Jesse and Arnold, and a third one is running for office) and they can just kick the lobbyists asses. Literally. If they need extra muscle, I’m thinking Ed Norton, Bobby DeNiro, Christian Bale… maybe 50 Cent for the Treasury, so the government can “watch the money pile up”, Gemini, Nitro and Malibu, and do we know where Sergeant Slaughter is these days?

Now there’s a team whose courage I wouldn’t have to question.

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.