It doesn't get much more political than The West Wing, does it? Set during the fictional Democratic administration of Josiah Bartlet, it focuses on the somewhat nerdy yet personable Prez Bartlet and on his whipsmart staff who roam the administrative offices working spin cycles, damage control and getting in front of the breaking political issues.
(And here's a quick Six Degrees of Separation for you: Michael J. Fox as deputy mayor flips to Fox as press secretary to Martin Sheen's chief of staff in the American president -- also an Aaron Sorkin special -- which flips to Sheen as president. For added confusion, consider that Sheen's son Charlie -- now with more jail time! -- replaced Fox on Spin City.)
In many ways, Bartlet is an "ideal" president. Good-looking, moral, senses of humor and integrity, intellectual and tough yet compassionate. check, check, check.
He's also a Democrat, and of course being a show about the presidency and politics means huge chunks of airtime focused more on ideology than policy; more on the personal than the persona. But if you can cut through all that, examples of remarkably healthy working relationships are there for the studying.
The most interesting, based on an extremely informal poll I took, seemed to be the relations between Bartlet, his chief of staff, Leo McGarry, and press secretary-turned-chief of staff C.J. Cregg.
Bartlet and McGarry both embody the Benevolent Boss -- one of my favorite TV Tropes, I must admit. Of course, it is easier to be a benevolent boss if your employees are greater risks for burnout than they are for burning down the building. Having a team like that makes it easier to be confrontational -- and confronted -- with less risk of embarrassment on either side.
A group has to be highly functional and closely knit for this sort of conversation to happen in front of a crowd: An operation running one whit less smoothly would require such a discussion to be held privately -- and probably with more tact and less banter. But if you've got a group of people who can work together 24-7 for weeks and months on end and they can all still stand to be in the same room without vitriol, you've got a safe environment where practically anything can be accomplished. Thus, the relationship between Bartlet and Cregg appears to be everything such a relationship should be. They can tell each other the truth, they know when to bite, when to bark and when to roll over.
He knows when he's wrong, and backs down accordingly.
And she knows when she's wrong, and backs down accordingly.
Likewise, McGarry and Cregg have a good working relationship. He trusts her instincts, precisely because she knows how and when to take a risk.
And when he steps down and recommends her to take his place, McGarry is the epitome of mentor and emeritus. He doesn't begrudge her anything; there is no resentment. He helps; he coaches.
Ultimately, if you've got good people working for you, the management part is easy because they manage themselves. The leadership part is easy because they know where you're going and have already packed and are on their way there. The hardest part in these situations is to manage yourself and living up to the expectations of -- and examples set -- by those who work for you.
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