Here's the historical figure:
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
I was just reading this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/...
which describes Barack Obama's leadership during a meeting as:
"Everyone contributes; silent lurkers will be interrogated. (He wants to "suck the room of every idea," said Valerie Jarrett, a close adviser.) Mention a theory and Mr. Obama asks how it translates on the ground. He orchestrates debate, playing participants off each other — and then highlights their areas of agreement. He constantly restates others’ contributions in his own invariably more eloquent words. But when the session ends, his view can remain a mystery, and his ultimate call is sometimes a surprise to everyone who was present."
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