We heard positive noises from people in the know about who would make for a good World Bank president back when Robert Zoellick was a candidate for the job. Now it appears he is following through, pleasing both Sebastian Mallaby and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

Center for Global Development president (and former director at the World Bank) Nancy Birdsall agrees that Zoellick is doing well. Of course, he could do better. Birdsall wants the World Bank not just to be content doing the things it does now a bit better, but also to fill new roles that, with some creative leadership, might give the institution new life. Birdsall argues for that the Bank should create international instruments for dealing with climate change and reform its own governance structures. This will be difficult, however, if Birdall's summary of why Zoellick has proved popular so far is correct:

Bank staff are delighted with his policy pragmatism and World Bank boosterism—the view that the bank can be all things to all shareholders and stakeholders, continuing to do everything it has always done—but more so and better so.

The only time I've ever seen Zoellick speak in person was on the subject of his negotiations in Sudan. Negotiating such issues for the World Bank must be roughly on par in terms of difficulty level. I hope Zoellick can find a fine balance; doing more and better at the same things the bank has done in the past is probably not enough to keep it relevant.