ABSTRACT
In 1976, Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution scholar and student of executive branch organization, wrote that "our Presidents have been atrocious administrators. The critical caveat about group decision-making is that efforts must be made to avoid conformity For as Irving Janis has cogently demonstrated, the President's most intimate advisors may, at times, exhibit a natural tendency toward conformity. In the modern era, the importance of bringing effective organization and management to the White House grows with each new President. In the realm of foreign policy recent history confirms William Bundy's observation that "Presidents should be graded heavily as administrators." The Chief Executives must learn to adapt to the role of manager—even if that means subordinating their own stylistic preferences to meet the demands of leadership. Future Presidents will be well served by taking note of Eisenhower's important contributions to executive branch management and his rich legacy for the office of the Presidency.
