Proactive leaders have two political capacities: One to mobilize people and get them on your side and second to sustain momentum and keep people on their side. Success depends on both. In Thomas Friedman’s column in todays NY Times, he points out what Obama and the Democrats must do in order to reclaim momentum.

Friedman is absolutely right. One capacity leaders must have in order to sustain momentum is to speak from their gut. This column is necessary reading for anyone interested in a leaders capacity to sustain momentum.

Friedman warns us that it is not enough to just get people on your side you need to keep them on your side. You have to mobilize people and sustain momentum, and this demands that leaders consistently speak from what Friedman refers to as, “the gut”.