9 October 2008

Who Needs a Palin or a Biden?

Executives can learn a lot about their own working relationships from the success or failure of the most conspicuous potential partnership

by Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller
So Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his VP nominee, and John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Big deal. Why should executives care? Well, studying these tickets (and others) reveals many do’s and don’ts for your own business partnerships.
Rodd Wagner is a Principal for Gallup. He is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller 12: The Elements of Great Managing (Gallup Press, December 2006).
Gale Muller, Ph.D., is Vice Chairman, Worldwide Research and Development for Gallup.

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Reader Comments
Brenda Arnold on 10/10/2008 3:57:45 AM

I agree 100% with the value of true partnerships - and especially the value of true teamwork, that rarest of beasts. In the case of McCain and Palin, however, I wonder if they are not really too similar to work well together. Both are self-proclaimed "mavericks" with proven records, making one wonder if McCain would not have been better off choosing someone more methodical, structured and less impulsive than himself.

Beat Mobb on 10/16/2008 5:29:19 PM

Brenda's comment speaks to McCain lack of judgment. Cheney has elevated the power of the VP, and the responsibility placed on him/her. Two 'Mavericks' will bump heads in a non-productive way. Too many chiefs; not enough indians. She has already showed her intentions to "work on him" with regards to their contrary views on energy, which states to continue campaigning in, what personal attacks are off limits, and whether or not to pursue Bin Laden into Pakistan. To add, she doesn't have a firm enough grasp on any of those issues to formulate such a public opposition. The recipe is disaster.

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