A look into Joe Biden's past shows a complex leader characterized by working-class roots, perseverance, compromise, and an ability to connect with others. Joshua Roberts/Getty; Skye Gould/Insider Joe Biden will begin leading the US on Wednesday amid a pandemic, an opioid crisis, and massive political instability. The president-elect presents himself as a conventional leader with a moderate stance toward policy. Yet deep grief, empathy, adversity, and controversy have all informed his leadership. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. On a rainy day in 2015, David Kessler was driving in Los Angeles when he got a call from a number he didn't recognize.