Nation needs president who is a problem-solver

During 40 years of using case studies in workshops for managers, I observed most had no trouble recognizing when a problem existed. Only a few, however, could explain what had to be done to solve the problem, including step-bystep actions, resources required and the timelines for fixing things — the “how” questions.

Our president is a perfect example of the majority of those managers. Beginning in the primary and continuing to the present, he has been quick to describe in very simple terms his view of a solution to a problem. Examples? Health care — “The best and the cheapest.” Job creation — “Lots of jobs.” Immigration Problem — “Walls.” Trade policy—“Tariffs.”

School safety — “Arm teachers.”

Sadly, during the primary and general election, almost everyone asked him only “what” questions. Virtually no one asked the “how” questions or requested that he explain, step-bystep, how he would proceed or where the money would come from. They also failed to ask him to name experts he would call on to advise him in addressing each issue. If anyone attempted to get him to be more specific, his standing answer was to say he had “the” answer but that he would not share it until he was elected. Then, after he was elected, his answer became, “Just wait, you will see!”

We are now enmeshed in the most serious crisis our country has faced since World War II. It has already caused more than 81,000 deaths, wrecked our economy, destroyed millions of jobs, temporarily or permanently closed thousands of businesses, and in short, totally disrupted our way of life — and it has just begun.

We are experiencing the consequences of selecting a president who, among his many weaknesses, lacks the necessary abilities to provide effective leadership in solving problems. As we have come to realize, finding a solution to the problem requires we have a leader who will convene our best experts, who will listen to them and read their briefs, then after asking questions about solution options and pros and cons of each, select a path forward and empower those with the necessary knowledge and skill to develop the plans to get us down the path.

Another major role of the president will be to ensure the nation is kept fully informed on a daily basis, and questions from the news media are answered respectfully. However, the most important job of the president in this instances is to inspire Americans to voluntarily follow the CDC guidelines regarding social distance, wearing of masks, etc. People will follow this advice if they trust their president.

If we once again elect someone whose idea of solving a major problem like health care is to end (without having a replacement ) a working plan for 20 million people by a one-vote majority of elected representatives of one party, we are in trouble.

JIM HAMMONS Fayetteville