So how does Barack Obama’s management style measure up to Mr. Bezos’s? Let’s compare:

-Embracing the truth: Mr. Bezos “embraces the truth,” Rick Dalzell, a retired top manager at Amazon, told biographer Brad Stone for his book, “The Everything Store.” “A lot of people talk about the truth, but they don’t engage their decision-making around the best truth at this time.”

Stack that up against the administration’s performance these past two months. On Oct. 1, the first day of Healthcare.gov’s rollout, Mr. Obama said: “We’re going to be speeding things up in the next few hours to handle all of this demand.” On Oct. 25, Jeff Zients, Healthcare.gov czar, said: “By the end of November, Healthcare.gov will work smoothly for the vast majority of users.” On Dec. 1, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote in USA Today: “For those who prefer to shop online, you may want to visit Healthcare.gov in off-peak hours.”

And here is Karen Ignagni, president of the health insurance lobby: “Until the enrollment process is working from end to end, many consumers will not be able to enroll in coverage.” By the reckoning of the Department of Health and Human Services, some 30% to 40% of the second end remains unfinished.