5 Techniques for the Aggressive Leadership

U.S President George. W. Bush has proposed to create the Department of Homeland Security, which is a “mega-merger of the government structure. The U.S weekly magazine, the Times, reported about this plan as the cover story in its recent issue, saying that President Bush has a straightforward leadership, which is very different from those of other former U.S. presidents.

The Times analyzed 5 techniques in the aggressive leadership shown through the plan for the Department of Homeland Security by President Bush, who is the first U.S. president with a MBA degree.

* Have a big picture and take time before you make a decision: President Bush is not a quick decision-maker. The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security has been suggested since 9 11 terrorist attack, but it was 8 months later that Bush made the final decision on it. But once the decision was made, Bush succeed to get public support though the media

* Keep it in secrecy before a decision is finally made:Unlike former president Clinton, Bush is very careful to keep the important national issues in confidence. This is to reduce the time for opponents to prepare counterarguments. The congress did not know anything about the plan for the Department of Homeland Security before it was announced.

* Organize the staff with the most trustworthy people: Bush was briefed just once during the period to devise the plane for the Department of Homeland Security. The important decisions were made by a few members of the White House Staff such as White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

* Keep away from bureaucracy: Bush, who is from Texas, could win the 2000 presidential election through his image as an “outsider”, who resists the bureaucracy. He thinks that the weak securiy system is mainly due to inefficient management of about 100 security-related government agencies, not due to the absence of leadership.

* Public Opinion is the top-priority: Public opinion should be carefully considered for the decision making for a large-scale policy. The bush administration could take a firm stance about the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security because the congress did not have firm public support on the investigation into the government’s failure in preventing 9 11terrorist attack and public interest in the war on terrorism was reduced.

Mi-Kyung Jung mickey@donga.com