President Biden has taken a lot of heat lately for his poor leadership skills. One recurring theme is that he lacks the decisiveness needed for the job.
Perhaps because early decisions on Afghanistan and Build Back Better worked out badly, the White House these days is wracked by “bottlenecks and indecision,” according to CNN’s Edward Isaac-Dovere. Mr. Biden is consistently unable to finalize decisions on issues, such as tariffs and student-loan debt, that have reportedly lingered for over a year. According to Politico, Mr. Biden’s inability to decide drives his staff “a little nuts.”
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Decisiveness is an essential quality for all leaders. But presidential decisions are different. They can be made only by the person at the top, and they can have enormous implications with historical importance. They are also lonely decisions. Aides can advise, but ultimately the decision is on the leader. Credit, blame or both will fall on the person in charge. As Mr. Biden is learning, it isn’t an easy challenge, but something effective leaders must do.
Full text available through The Wall Street Journal.