David Gergen, who served under four presidents, offers in Eyewitness to Power what he calls "universal truths" about team operations (p.184):
1. Every leader needs a strong team, starting with a strong, compatible right-hand-man.
2. The team should include a mix.
3. Within the staff, lines of authority should run up and down. They shouldn't run sideways, in a circle, or look like a plate of spaghetti.
4. The team should hammer out as many questions as they can out of earshot of the leader. They should always keep him informed - no surprises - but should take to him only those questions they cannot or should not solve among themselves. Don't overload him.
5. The leader needs an enforcer - someone who can make sure others toe the line.
