General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm a nurse and I've possibly been exposed to Ebola and I think I maybe should be quarantined [View all]MH1
(17,573 posts)an expert at determining who the technical experts were, listening to them about the technical facts and their suggestions, and then leading the team in taking action, and getting roadblocks moved out of the way. (I'm very sorry to learn in my later life experience that there are very few like him ... and sadly he later succumbed to alcoholism, which was in remission at the time I knew him, and I never even knew about it then.)
I will wait and see how the Ebola "czar" works out. It seems to me that there is already plenty of technical expertise; what is needed is someone who is good at coordinating the experts to take the right actions AND moving bureaucratic bullshit out of their way. Neither of those skills require the manager to have the technical expertise himself - although a general background in the domain would sure help in weighing any conflicting technical contributions from the team.