Hawkins, a Harvard Law graduate, former EPA lawyer and now head of DC Water, was hired to undo the public-relations mistakes made by WASA executives during the recent lead scandal in Washington DC. His job is to be more forthright and empathic. So when confronted by customers, he often takes a conciliatory approach.

This week I’m obsessed with the notion of Hidden Power. Am reading Kati Marton’s most excellent book on the subject, which focuses on Presidential marriages that shaped our nation’s history.