Reading People with Bad Reputations

Yesterday I referred to a blog post by Michael Jinkins.

It occurred to me afterward that it's interesting that he's the only person I know who has expressed a deep interest in a figure even more problematic than my friend Talleyrand.

Michael has built much of his academic career on an effort to rehabilitate Machiavelli as a guide to contemporary leadership.

I've got to be in favor of that, right?

Wisdom about the Presidency

There is much wisdom from Michael Jinkins here. The new president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is starting his presidency the way a wise minister starts a new pastorate, by visiting every spare minute:

The first goal I set after becoming president of Louisville Seminary was to visit with every current board member and every faculty member, all of our staff, and as many current students as are available, as well as many past members of the board, alums, pastors, other church leaders, and friends of our school, within the first year of my presidency. I am eight weeks into the project, and we are well on our way.

He is finding that the stereotypes some might have brought to the job do not apply. His experience reinforces the insight that it's crucial for the president to question his or her own assumptions. It's hard enough for a president to find out the truth without compounding the problem by failing to ask enough questions.