What Obama’s VP Pick Can Teach You
By Jessica Wakeman | MainStreet.com

With conventions approaching—the Democrats meet in Denver on August 25 and the Republicans follow a week later in Minnesota –it is time for the presumptive presidential candidates to unveil their choices for vice president.

Senator Barack Obama could announce his decision as early as Wednesday, and his shortlist of potential running mates is widely considered to contain four names: Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Rival Senator John McCain is expected to take more time. Mike Allen of Politico writes that the presumptive Republican nominee “plans to celebrate his 72nd birthday on Aug. 29 by naming his running mate at a huge rally in the battleground state of Ohio.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are reportedly McCain’s top contenders.

MainStreet asked Josh Greenman, opinion editor at the New York Daily News and a former speechwriter for Senator Joseph Lieberman, for insight on how the candidates will make a choice, and what we can learn from their choices.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Both Obama and McCain are senators and will likely look to make up for a lack of management experience, Greenman says. They can do this by picking a vice presidential running mate who has run a large city as a mayor or a small state as a governor. “Obama will have to pick somebody who mitigates his weaknesses,” says Greenman. The junior senator from Illinois will likely pick someone like Evan Bayh, who is on the Select Committee on Intelligence.

IN YOUR OWN LIFE

Finding a partner who strikes a balance is key because initial attraction can be deceptive when it comes to building a team, says Victoria Colligan, co-founder of Ladies Who Launch, which helps to incubate the business ideas of female entrepreneurs. Finding the perfect number two to complement your talents and strengths may mean ignoring your instincts. “If I immediately fall in love with the person, it’s actually not a good thing,” she says.

Amy Swift, also of Ladies Who Launch, concurs that a number two should have a different thought process than the number one. “I try to never hire anybody who can do the same thing I can do. You’re duplicating personality types and not solving a problem.” For example, if the CEO is a big-think visionary, the number two should be a detail-oriented decision-maker. A willingness by the number two to do things that the CEO is tired of doing is also a plus, Swift says.

Since you’ll be spending so much time together, should your number two be a friend? Experts say it may be best to stick to working with professional acquaintances and let friendships develop out of work instead. A friendship doesn’t necessarily have an “alpha dog,” Swift says, but work needs a hierarchy. There can be a “fine line between friendly banter and a directive,” she says, and tasks may not get accomplished if the number two cannot make the differentiation.

Back to the White House race: Who the candidates pick as a running mate will serve to brand them in the eyes of the American people. The choice of a potential vice president shows whether or not a candidate knows himself, his strengths and his weaknesses. This philosophy translates to the business world as well. “You don’t need to know everything,” says Colligan. “You just need to surround yourself with good people.”

RELATED LINKS:

Surprising Facts About the Possible Vice Presidents
How To Step Down With Grace

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