We would find ourselves in those moments saying, "I don't know the answer either, but you own the decision and tomorrow tell us what you decided." And so that quality decision making, moving fast was so different.

I have always believed in evolving a consensus before taking any major decision.

There've been times when leaders have to make decisions, and if you had read my 360 when I first started as a CEO, it would've repetitively said, "You take too long to make decisions, you're participative and that's good, but you need to move faster, be decisive." And as the years went, that stopped being on my 360 because I think I got more confident and more self-aware that sometimes decisions just needed to be made.

One of my predecessors is said to have observed that in making his decisions he had to operate like a football quarterback - he could not very well call the next play until he saw how the last play turned out. Well, that may be a good way to run a football team, but in these days it is no way to run a government.

Our people expect their President and the Congress to find essential agreement on issues of great moment, the wise resolution of which will better shape the future of the Nation.

Trying to please everybody is impossible - if you did that, you'd end up in the middle with nobody liking you. You've just got to make the decision about what you think is your best, and do it.