[Vnbiz] Leadership: Lee Iacocca -- Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

[Tran Dinh Hoanh]

Dear CACC,

I am reading Lee Iacocca's "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?"  This is a
book about the political leaders of the US, but it does mention leader
qualities in general.

Lee Iacocca is well-known as a great industrial leader.  During the 80's
when Chrysler, the number-three US car maker, was in bankruptcy, Lee
Iacocca  was hired to work as Chrysler president.  He brought Chrysler out
of bankruptcy and turned it into the most profitable car company then.

In Chapter I of the book, Iacocca mentions the 9 qualities of a leader,
which he puts in his "C list."

1.  Curiosity:  Leader has to listen to people outside the "Yes, sir" crowd
in his inner circle.  He has to read voraciously, because the world is a
big, complicated place.

2.  Communicate: "I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting
sound bites.  I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth."

3.  Character:  That means knowing the difference between right and wrong
and having the guts to do the right thing.

4.  Courage:  Courage means talking a position even when you know it will
cost you.

5.  Conviction:  Fire in your belly.

6.  Charisma:  Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow
you.  It's the ability to inspire.  People follow a leader because they
trust him/her.

7.  Competence:  You've got to know what you're doing.  More important than
that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're
doing.

8.  Common sense:  "If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of
vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it."

9.  Crisis"  Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of
crisis.  It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk
theory.  Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a
battlefield yourself.  It's another thing to lead when your world comes
tumbling down.

In chapter II, Iacocca talks about management (i.e., how to lead) simply:

"In my forty-eight years in the auto industry, I probably made six hundred
speeches about management.  Since my retirement, I've made many more.  And
I've always said the same thing: '*Here's what management is about:  Pick
good people and set the right priorities.'*  For the most part my audiences
thought they were getting their money's worth.  But sometimes I had to shake
my head in disbelief.  They're paying me for *that?*
**
"The point is, there's nothing magic about it.  People and priorities.  It's
that simple. This advice applies whether you're running a company or a
country.  If you think about it, it holds true for every organization and
institution."

Have a great day!

Hoanh

-- 
Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
Washington DC
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