In recent days the media has been abuzz with speculation over cabinet appointments within the incoming President elect Donald Trump administration. Specifically, much talk has focused upon Dr. Ben Carson and his announcement that he was not interesting in serving in a cabinet post.
Observers have tried to read the tea leaves and read into some sort of underlying story as to how Dr. Carson arrived at this decision and what it signals. They are missing the point.
I have known Dr. Carson and his family for 25 years. This is a man who possesses remarkable vision. He imagined possibilities in his chosen field of medicine, and then made them reality.
In recent years Dr. Carson was called to serve, and he accepted the call by running for the presidency. He would have made an outstanding president, but it was not to be. Part of what makes him so unique is his vision for what this country can achieve are how it can be shaped to reach its full potential.
Whether or not Dr. Carson is inside or outside the government, he will continue to possess that vision and work toward its realization.
Running an agency of the government is a management challenge that requires incredible organizational skills and expertise. The President entrusts his cabinet officials with enormous responsibility and looks to them to master the details and muster the men and women who work within their agencies to accomplish the objectives at hand.
I have no doubt that Dr. Carson would have met and exceeded any challenge set before him and done a fantastic job. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you can hire management, but not vision. It’s a unique attribute that people either possess or not.
In the end, Dr. Carson will continue to have a remarkable position of influence here in the United States. That would have been true had he decided to consider a cabinet post within the government, and it remains true as he continues his work outside the government.