Dr. Maccoby participates in a Weekly Forum on Washington Post.com called "On Leadership". I am compiling all of his responses to the weekly questions here.
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DATE: August 3rd, 2009 Recovering from Mistakes With his beer-garden summit, President Obama managed to turn a divisive and attention-diverting comment into a national feel-good moment. What are the leadership lessons from Obama's handling of the Gates-Crowley affair? |
Don't Wait for It to 'Blow Over'
There are two lessons to be learned from President Obama's stumble at his press conference. The first is that if you are trying to unite skeptical people to support an important program, like health care reform, don't throw in a divisive, emotionally charged observation, like blaming the police for bad racial relations.
The second is that once you realize you have made a gaffe, don't just hope it blows over, but act quickly to do something that brings people together with a feeling of fellowship, like inviting the adversaries to join you for a drink at the White House.
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