Confidence–thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Of course, it is great to seek consensus and win-win decisions when you have parties in a negotiation that have common interests, respect, and a sense of fair play. It is a truism that a leader needs to be aware of and play to their strengths. President Obama has  many strengths–emotional intelligence, executive presence, inspiring viewpoints, calmness, consensus building, and the ability to organize and motivate others to action. On the other hand, if a leader relies too much on a particular  strength they run the risk of the strength becoming a weakness.  The leader determined to show the world how good democratic principles are by going to war at any cost, the leader who is a selfless pleaser, the Governor who stands tall on priniciple not to accept stimulus money for his needy citizens and then falls in love leaving his family on the sidelines,  and the doctor who will not stop calling for tests till he is certain of a diagnosis–all have good intentions and want to do the right thing, but their self-interest and character flaws of narcissism, obsessiveness and determination can lead to disaster in certain situations. The lesson they never learned is to be on the lookout for their “Achilles heel”.  How do you spot your weaknesses? Be open to and encourage feedback from everyone. Listen carefully to people who disagree with your point of view. Be less certain that you are always right. Stop doing deals and building relationships with people you can’t trust.

When it comes to Health Care and our moral obligation to provide for everyone,  Obama needs to be aware of the profit motive of his adversaries. Seventy-two percent of the American public want real reform and a “public option for all”. The solution for overcoming the obstructionists is simple. If you do not have open-minded partners to negotiate with and build consensus for a solution, then you must be assertive and do the right thing. Pass the Health Care Plan with 51% of your party and forget the bipartisanship. We will see if Obama has the courage to do this or he caves in to his adversaries for the sake of compromise. The message to the Obama team would be to have the courage and provide the change we have voted for. Serve the people and you will be rewarded. 

As a pragmatic experimenter, Obama communicated that there are no guarantees the stimulus programs will solve our economic meltdown and yet we know there will be no recovery without major Health Care reform. This is Obama’s moment of truth and action.