The role has no position description; that is the flexibility.
observation — attributed to Anita McBride
McBride's read on the First Spouse position is that the absence of a formal job description is the strategic asset. The president has statutory obligations. The First Spouse has none. Some of what they choose to do reflects their expertise and interests. Other things get thrust upon them. The two positions are collaborative and complementary. The implication generalizes for any informal counterpart role: nonprofit board chair spouses, university president partners, executive consorts. The lack of a formal job description, treated as flexibility rather than constraint, can be the source of unique impact. The position becomes whatever the holder chooses to make of it.
For first ladies, board chair spouses, and partners of public figures considering how to use their position. The observation is most useful as a frame against the assumption that the role is decorative.
first-lady-role, no-job-description, flexibility, expertise