Is Barack Obama a lousy manager?

President Barack Obama may be forced to accept the imminent departure of his Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner (The White House)

As the President is sworn in for his second term, several critical commentators have alighted on the issue of his management skills. And on these, something like a consensus is emerging, in which it's commonly said that he doesn't really have any.

Writing in the New York Times, David Rothkopf argues that it's not just Congress that Obama has been lousy at managing, it's the Oval Office too: "The administration has not done a good job of delegating to and empowering cabinet officials. Nor does it seem to have built necessary teams and coalitions or anticipated and planned for likely challenges. The Obama team’s failure to make the most of stimulus funding, to make progress on climate change, react swiftly to international crises in Egypt, Libya and Syria, and to maintain good relations with allies on Capitol Hill and beyond stem from lack of managerial skill."