Lee Iacocca Asks Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

My Top 3

Logistics Monster introduced me to Lee Iacocca’s web site yesterday where I learned some things about Lee Iacocca. I felt it was important to introduce you, my readers, to his blog and his thoughts, you you might just learn a thing or too.

First of all I want to highlight his foundation, The Iacocca Foundation, their contributions make innovative diabetes research a possibility and allow new inroads towards a cure which I pray will happen in my lifetime. Lee Iacocca is more than just a man who pulled Chrysler out of certain disaster some years back, he cares about America and cares about where this country is headed.

First view Lee Iacocca’s words in this video:

Consider purchasing Lee Iacocca’s book Where Have All The Leaders Gone?. Maybe it can answer that question that is burning in many people’s mind. Ask yourself, Where have all the leaders gone?

Here are some excerpts from Mr. Iacocca’s Thoughts On Leadership:

People, look around. This country has some serious issues. Security. The economy. Global warming. Healthcare. Energy. Iraq. In most of these cases, the so-called leaders charged with confronting these problems are only compounding them with their lack of accountability and often questionable motives. Instead of looking for real solutions, they seem to be looking out for number one.

It’s not just elected leaders like George W. Bush and Dick Cheney either. It’s many of the executives who occupy the top rungs of this country’s corporate ladder. Your Kenneth Lays and Jeffrey Skillings and Dennis Kozlowskis - a few guys who took Michael Douglas’ line in the movie Wall Street a little too seriously. “Greed is good,” he said. These days, it seems more of our leaders believe that than ever before.

In my book and subsequent pages of this site, I talk about what we can do to take back our country and tackle these challenges. As you ponder what I’ve got to say, I’d ask you to pay special attention to my “Nine C’s” test for leadership, which is outlined in the book and in the Polling section of this site. Once you’ve read it, apply it to the people who will soon be asking for your vote (Emphasis and words are all mine2010 and beyond). I know I will be.

Lee Iacocca’s Leadership Scorecard can be seen here.

Here are Mr. Iacocca’s 9 Cs:

1. Curiosity
Ask questions. Listen. No one should
think they are such a big shot that
they can’t learn something. We have to
figure out what makes others tick.
2. Creativity
A leader has to be creative. Go out on
a limb, be willing to try something
different. You know, think outside the
box… and think ahead.
3. Communication
A leader has to communicate, talk to
people. Bill Clinton once said, It’s just
plain crazy to stop talking to people
you disagree with. As long as you keep
talking, there’s hope.
4. Character
It’s knowing the difference between
right and wrong and having the guts
to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln
said, If you want to test a man’s
character, give him power.
5. Courage
Swagger isn’t courage. Tough talk isn’t
courage. Do they walk the walk or just
talk the talk? Step up to the plate and
accept personal responsibility.
6. Conviction
That’s a fire in your belly that shows
the desire to really get things done.
7. Charisma
It’s the ability to inspire people to stand
taller and motivate people to act by
appealing to the good in their hearts,
not the evil in the hearts of others. It’s
being more concerned that others feel
good about themselves than they feel
about you.
8. Competence
Getting results, talk is cheap, but what
about fixing problems? You’ve got to
show what’s working and be held
brutally accountable for your decisions.
9. Common Sense
As my business mentor, Charlie
Beacham use to say, The only thing
you’ve got going for yourself as a
human being is your ability to reason
and your common sense.

This is a very good tool. When the categories are applied to the resident evil select, he scores very poorly. His lack of leadership and boldness really reared its ugly head when he flinched, allowing the seating of Ronald Burris. Obama lost this round with Blagojevich. What do you think will happen when he meets other world leaders? He will fall woefully short. I am not the only one who holds this opinion, you must read the following post, “Obama Faces His First Crisis And Blinks”.

And it is appropriate to ask Lee Iacocca’s question once more, Where Have All The Leaders Gone?