A Tough-Minded, Warm-Hearted Leader?

I still don't know who I'm going to vote for come presidential primary season. But I do know that I'm looking for a courageous candidate who's warm-hearted and tough-minded. Democrat Barack Obama showed me that a few weeks ago when he criticized Detroit automakers ... in Detroit. I still can't stop thinking of the guts that took. It reminds me of 1992 when candidate Bill Clinton criticized Sister Souljah ... in front of an African-American audience. Obama told the executives that they needed to be more responsive to customer's needs (fuel-efficient cars) as well as the country’s needs (reducing dependence on foreign oil). Obama's temerity is a rare commodity for political leaders of either party, where standard operating procedure for stumping to locals is telling them what they want to hear. Obama also mixed caring into the talk as he proposed to help car companies who've committed to raising gas-mileage standards. Being a great leader—whether in business, a not-for-profit or politics—involves mixing a warm hearted with tough minded, in an authentic and courageous manner. Obama nailed that in Detroit last month.