The Consequences of Building a Team of Rivals

By now, President-Elect Barack Obama’s plan to model his Cabinet and senior staff team after the “Team of Rivals” approach used by President Lincoln has been well documented. This strategy was the focus of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s celebrated book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, which describes how Lincoln persuaded many of his political rivals to join his Cabinet believing the country needed to benefit from the brightest minds of his generation. Lincoln’s enduring legacy as one of the nation’s greatest presidents is a testament to the success of this strategy. Goodwin’s book not only shows how Lincoln successfully managed the varied egos and opinions of his Cabinet, but ultimately also gained the respect of men who initially dismissed him as an experienced backwoodsman.

Obama's desire to adopt such a leadership style says much about the confidence and self-possession of the President-Elect. Such a strategy ultimately requires a strong leader at the helm who is able to get everyone to work from the same page and accept his lead as chief executive.

The Team of Rivals approach may also have some additional side political benefits. Bringing in rivals from the opposition party into his inner circle—particularly those considered more moderate—also allows him to broaden his political base and reach across the aisle, while simultaneously pushing to the fringes the more extreme conservative wing of the opposition.