Boiling The Ocean: Some Thoughts on Obama’s First Year
It’s been a big political week, and I’ve certainly had politics on the brain myself. As I’ve been reflecting on our current political situation, it strikes me that President Obama is making a classic first-time CEO mistake.
Very simply put: he’s trying to do too much. He lacks focus, prioritization and discipline — the key elements of successful execution and the fundamental traits of outstanding CEOs.
This trend started immediately upon his taking office and it continues. And though I was initially troubled by Obama’s approach, I bit my tongue thinking maybe the notion that many were purporting of this being a ‘reboot moment’ held water.
I was wrong. There is no such thing as a unique time that allows you to take on everything at once. A good CEO’s most important skills, in addition to fielding the best team available, are relentless focus on and prioritization of the most important issues at hand.
We need to start with the economy, and specifically job creation. Our manufacturing economy for all intents and purposes is dead. We don’t make anything anymore. China has officially kicked our ass, and if we don’t step up they’re going to keep kicking it.
Government must invest to create jobs and she must do so in ways that spur private sector advancement in the areas that matter most. This can and should include infrastructure projects, clean energy, health care initiatives and technology advancement. But we can’t try and fix the entirety of these areas in one fell swoop.
Only once we have begun to make a dent in the devastating economic issues that face us can we then turn to an aggressive policy agenda to remake some of our more formidable institutions. The best time to tackle tough issues is when things are going well, not when somewhere between 10% and 20% of the populous is out of work.
The President, for all his intelligence, good intention and natural ability to lead, is making rookie mistakes.
Tom Friedman, NYTimes - Winds of Change?, 6/14/09
On this, Friedman is dead on. I’ve long believed that mass distribution of technology, specifically the open broadband Internet, is the key to helping alleviate the geopolitical divisions that so plague us today.
In the Muslim world especially, which is controlled by limiting access to information, the Internet is the antidote.
When people of any race, color or creed have unfettered access to information and communication tools, all is possible. Forgive me while I channel @howardlindzon here for a moment, but I’ve often joked that if you give the third-world broadband plus unlimited porn, the walls will quickly come down.
The Internet democratizes access and information, and it does so internally and externally. Case in point: the coverage of Iran’s election. The press and the people are exposing internal divisions in Iran to the world that would otherwise never see the light of day.
For my money, I’d wire the whole third-world before I ever contemplated bombing any of it.
Obama’s Ambition
Barack Obama gave his first televison interview as president yesterday evening. And he did so to al-Arabiya, the Dubai-based satellite network that is one of the largest English-language TV outlets aimed at Arab audiences.
This is a first for an American president and a remarkable indication of Obama’s ambition. He is coming in fresh, looking to make an immediate positive impact in the seemingly intractable Arab-Israeli conflict.
In his talk, he clearly attempted to build bridges to Arab moderates stating his readiness “to initiate a new partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interest.” On the other hand, he isolated Muslim extremists and Al Qaeda specifically calling their ideas “bankrupt” and indicating that they’ve focused on “destruction rather than building.” In doing so, Obama laid the framework for building a coalition with moderate Arab states around the shared goals of regional stability and deemphasizing Iran and fundamentalist fringes.
Unclear if this will work or not of course, but the attempt is incredibly impressive. And either way it lays the appropriate groundwork for future U.S. action — positive or negative. This is a great first step.
While the World Watched
Yesterday, Barack Obama decidedly changed our country’s tone. His inauguration speech represented a conscious and deliberate shift from the tenor of the Bush administration and the Bush Doctrine specifically. As I listened to one of the great orators of our time, a number of specific themes struck me as the essence of an emerging Obama ideology, one in sharp contrast to that of his predecessor.
Humility vs. Arrogance
Above all else, humility forms the bedrock of a successful person and ultimately administration. One of the amazing things about Barack is how real and approachable he seems. He appears eager to listen and learn, in stark contrast to the rigidity of dogma.
Optimism vs. Fear
While we are facing some of the gravest challenges our country has ever faced — politically and economically, domestically and internationally — a sense of optimism was plapable in Obama’s speech. The fear-mongering of the recent past was clearly cast aside. We will only overcome our woes if we believe that we can.
Inclusionary vs. Exclusionary
Obama, unique in his ability to do so given his background, reached out to all races, religions and nations. He even offered our enemies to “extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Now admittedly this felt somewhat naive and dangerous to me, but it set the right political starting tone. And I took comfort in the corollary strength of the admonition to our enemies of “you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.” I guess we’ll see how this one plays out.
Responsibility vs. Entitlement
One of the more important and practical themes in his speech, Obama ushered in a “new era of responsibility.” Echoing Kennedy, Obama declared, “For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.” And from what I’ve already seen already with my friends, even public service is back in vogue!
Hard Work vs. Easy Money
As the son of an immigrant father who always impressed upon me the importance of education and hard work above all else, Obama’s praise of those who “struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw” was all too familiar. And as someone in the venture capital business, the embrace of the “risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things” was music to my ears.
Pragmatism vs. Ideology
Underlying Obama’s entire address and his general approach thus far is a profound sense of pragmatism and a spirit of collaboration. This is the tone he is setting for his administration. And it is this trait that gives me the hope that he may actually be able to pull off what he’s trying to.
These themes are the basis for positive change. But as we’ve seen before, execution is always tougher than rhetoric. Yet for the first time in some time, I am hopeful. We changed history once already. Why can’t we keep doing so?
Staying the Course
Great chart from the WSJ on how the presidents stack up.
A look at U.S. presidents’ job-approval ratings.
Sources: Gallup, AP, WSJ.com research.
It always looks good in the beginning. The trick is how you look in the end…
