The Executive Branch The executive branch of our government is like a chameleon. It reflects the president's character and personality to a surprising extent. Clark M. Clifford, 1972 Page 189. Ford was not a natural administrator, but he was a seasoned political professional. His practice was to avoid jurisdictional rivalries, avoid having confidants within his cabinet, have private sources of advice outside the cabinet, leave "program management and implementation to department heads: and encourage dissent when he was taking a decision, but reserve the final decisions for himself. Page 120Your motivations will help you maintain a positive outlook. Your speech and body language can be an obstacle. As was the case with Ford, who hit his head as he stepped off a helicopter and thereafter the late-night television comedian portrayed him as a bumbling incompetent When we turn to the domestic side of presidential leadership, Eisenhower deserves the most attention he entered the White House with his organizational experience, and. no one made comparable efforts in organizing his presidency. Eisenhower thought carefully about finding the right incumbents for the right roles. Once his helpers were positioned, he carefully observed their performance, adjusting their responsibilities accordingly. Page 55Public Communication: Of all Eisenhower's qualities, his political communication style is the one he is least successful at imposing on future CEOs. The pre-existing public support that the popular IKE brought to the White House made it pointless for it to sell out; his support... middle of paper... According to Kennedy's friend, LeMoyne Billings, Kennedy treated "each day as if it were his last, demanding from life constant intensity, adventure, and pleasure," because he had repeatedly approached to death in war and surgery and believed he would die at an early age from Addison's disease. Kennedy reminds us that a president's actions are a function not only of the intensity of his passions but also of his ability to channel them and prevent them from confounding his official responsibilities. Page 73Vision: Kennedy did not have an exaggerated perspective. He lacked high aspirations and was limited in what he could accomplish by the balance of forces in Congress. Page 72 Vision: Harry S. Truman was fundamentally reactive. Many presidents were not “event-making leaders.” Page 41.