| Maybe I' m too "old school," but it seems to | | | | do." Their obscene compensatory behavior is |
| me there is a dearth of leadership right now. | | | | hardly the stuff of leadership or character. |
| When I listen to a Mitt Romney, John McCain, | | | | Thankfully, we have the Gates, Jobs and |
| Hillary, or Al gore, I just don't hear that | | | | Buffets, but there are too few like them. |
| strong sense of vision........that passion to | | | | Regrettably, the period 2001 through 2004 may |
| be able to get people to commit 100% and take | | | | go down as the period of great corporate |
| the necessary action to see that vision | | | | accounting scandals and that is just plain |
| become a reality. When JFK was guiding us | | | | shameful.In sports, what ever became of the |
| through the Cuban Missile crisis during those | | | | Larry Bird's, Y.A.Tittle's and Bobby Layne's |
| 14 scary days back in October 1962, that | | | | who would take their bloody lumps and get up |
| passion was contagious and my friends and I | | | | ready for more instilling in their team mates |
| had it. We were ready to do whatever was | | | | a sense of dedication seldom seen these days. |
| necessary. We were ready to go. Great leaders | | | | That was "old school" leadership.Today's |
| excel in that kind of communication and | | | | leadership seems to be personified by doing |
| motivation. They instill confidence and | | | | the boogaloo in the end zone after a |
| enthusiasm. As well, they demonstrate | | | | touchdown.Closer to home, how does one |
| integrity on a consistent basis. JFK | | | | recognize or find a leader? Acknowledging |
| instilled that confidence and passion. I | | | | that no one is perfect, what are some traits |
| doubt Al Gore could do that for me. Rudy | | | | to look for? What about those special kinds |
| Giuliani? Maybe. Bill Frist? Never. The late | | | | of leaders right here in the Mount Washington |
| Paul Wellstone perhaps could do it. John | | | | Valley? Or in New Hampshire. Maybe they will |
| Kerry could not under any circumstances. When | | | | possess some of the following:Personal ethics |
| I lived in Massachusetts, the late Lenny | | | | and integrity. "Relativity applies to |
| Zakim (a lifelong campaigner against racism | | | | physics, not ethics." Albert |
| and for whom the new bridge in Boston,The | | | | EinsteinCourage.....the willingness to take |
| Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, is | | | | risks and be accountable for the outcome. |
| named) and Paul Tsongas were two leaders who | | | | "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes |
| led by example. My heavens what great leaders | | | | courage is the little voice at the end of the |
| they were. And for anyone who does not know | | | | day that says I'll try again tomorrow." |
| what Lenny stood for, I urge you to find | | | | Mary Anne RadmacherInspires and |
| out.Just where are the great leaders? The | | | | motivates......nothing is as contagious as |
| Walesa's, Thatcher's, Ronald Reagan's; the | | | | genuine enthusiasm. "If you aren't fired with |
| Winston Churchill's, the Golda Maier's, the | | | | enthusiasm, you will be fired with |
| Sadat's? Where is Mandela, Biko, de Klerk, | | | | enthusiasm." Vince LombardiCommitted, |
| Gandhi, Pope John Paul 11, Harry Truman. | | | | dedicated and cool under |
| Generals MacArthur, Eisenhower, and | | | | pressure.......inspires confidence. |
| Schwarzkopf. Where are the Glover Johns's, | | | | "Dedication is not what others expect of you, |
| Chesty Puller's and George Patton's....and | | | | it is what you can give to others." Unknown |
| Admiral Nimitz? Shirley Chisolm, Margaret | | | | source |
| Sanger, and Martin Luther King? Lee Iacocca | | | | |
| and Pete Rozzelle. TR, FDR and JFK? Billy | | | | A desire to envision and create. "A dream |
| Graham. Lombadri and Auerbach? And the list | | | | is your creative vision for your life in the |
| goes on. Curiously, why is it so easy to go | | | | future. You must break out of your comfort |
| back in the past and pick out such names but | | | | zone and become comfortable with the |
| so difficult to find their current | | | | unfamiliar and the unknown." Denis WaitleyThe |
| counterparts? Perhaps we don't know what to | | | | ability to prioritize. "If you want to make |
| look for.In any organization, a leader's | | | | good use of your time, you've got to know |
| actions set the pace. Such behavior wins | | | | what's important and then give it all you've |
| trust, loyalty, and ensures the | | | | got." Lee IacoccaA genuine desire to help |
| organization's continued vitality. One of the | | | | others succeed. "The more I help others to |
| ways to build trust is to display a good | | | | succeed, the more I succeed." Ray Kroc, |
| sense of character composed of beliefs, | | | | Founder of MacDonald's.Decisiveness. "If I |
| values, skills, and traits. Lee Iacocca, who | | | | had to sum up what makes a good manager, I'd |
| led Ford and brought Chrysler back from the | | | | say decisiveness.....in the end you have to |
| brink, once said, "The speed of the boss is | | | | set a timetable and act." Lee IacoccaKnow |
| the speed of the team." If the leaders don't | | | | anybody like this in New Hampshire? I'll bet |
| do it, do not expect the team members to do | | | | they are around; the trick is to find them. |
| it. Chesty Puller walked the talk. So did his | | | | One particular man I believe exemplified the |
| men. Greenbay Packers, under Coach Vince | | | | very essence of leadership was the late Col. |
| Lomdardi, would do anything to win his | | | | David. H. Hackworth, who was working on a |
| praise. It was called mutual respect.These | | | | book about "Leadership" when he died last |
| leaders didn't pontificate; they led by | | | | year. His cause of death was a form of |
| example...........they led by having the | | | | bladder cancer now appearing with increasing |
| aforementioned ingredients of values, traits, | | | | frequency among Vietnam veterans exposed to |
| beliefs, and skills. Arguably, President | | | | the Agents Orange and Blue defoliants. He |
| William F. Clinton was a chief executive who | | | | spent more than 50 years on the many |
| produced rock solid results, but did he | | | | different battlefields, first as a soldier, |
| demonstrate integrity on a consistent basis? | | | | then as a writer, correspondent and |
| President Richard M. Nixon's ability to be | | | | sharp-eyed critic of the Military-Industrial |
| visionary is historically manifest but he too | | | | Complex and of the many generals he dismissed |
| tragically stumbled along the way.In their | | | | as "Perfumed Princes." After an interview in |
| work "Leaders," researchers Warren Bennis and | | | | 1971 on ABC's "Issue and Answers" in which he |
| Burt Nanus conclude, | | | | called Vietnam a "bad war," and predicted |
| "Leaders......consolidate or challenge | | | | that Saigon would fall to the North |
| prevailing wisdom. In short, an essential | | | | Vietnamese within four years, he became the |
| factor in leadership is the capacity to | | | | only senior officer to sound off about the |
| influence and organize meaning for the | | | | Vietnam War. He then retired from the Army |
| members of the organization." They continue, | | | | and later became a powerful voice for |
| "Managers are people who do things right and | | | | military reform. Said Roger Charles, |
| leaders are people who do the right thing. | | | | president of Soldiers for the Truth, |
| The difference may be summarized as | | | | "everything he did in his retirement was to |
| activities of vision and judgment -- | | | | try to give the young kids that our country |
| effectiveness verses activities of mastering | | | | sends to bleed and die on our behalf a better |
| routine -- efficiency." In this sense, Bill | | | | chance to win and to come home."Before he |
| Gates and Steve Jobs are surly great leaders | | | | took ill, he was frequently seen on cable |
| of today, for they created technical models | | | | television during the early days of the war |
| that provided a focus for rapt attention. | | | | in Iraq. Early military setbacks convinced |
| Bennis and Nanus go on to describe leaders as | | | | him and other retired military leaders that |
| "changing the basic metabolism of the | | | | the Bush administration, some of whose |
| organization." Lee Iacocca changed the | | | | backers sold the War as a "cakewalk," hadn't |
| metabolism of Chrysler in plain | | | | sent enough troops to put down Iraqi |
| sight.Respected business lecturer Tom Peters | | | | resistance. He was one of the earliest to |
| wrote that leaders, "must create new worlds. | | | | question whether the administration planned |
| And then destroy them; and then create anew | | | | well enough to achieve a decisive military |
| ('Thriving On Chaos')." Interestingly, | | | | victory and to keep the postwar peace. Some |
| Peters defines visions as aesthetic and moral | | | | of his quotes about Donald Rumsfeld are |
| -- as well as strategically sound, which, of | | | | indeed eyepopping!For those interested, a |
| course, would eliminate Hitler's quest of | | | | profile of Col. Hackworth appears in the |
| the world as being a vision. Martin Luther | | | | book, "Leadership: Past, Present & Future," |
| King had a vision that was not only | | | | written by Carlos M. Rivera less than two |
| proclaimed, but was lived convincingly and | | | | months before his death. The book deal with |
| was an exemplar of the moral process. MLK | | | | the four values a true leader has: "courage, |
| quite literally walked the talk. Pete | | | | perseverance, communication skills and |
| Rozzelle had a vision for the National | | | | teamwork."Col. Hackworth, by the way, was put |
| Football League and he influenced those | | | | in for the Medal of Honor three times. The |
| around him to carry out his vision. He took | | | | last application is currently under review at |
| the league to higher levels. Ella Grasso, | | | | the Pentagon. He was twice awarded the Army's |
| first woman elected state Governor in her own | | | | second highest honor for valor, the |
| right (Connecticut), shut that state down | | | | Distinguished Service Cross, along with 10 |
| during the Blizzard of 78. It was a decisive | | | | Silver Stars and eight Bronze Stars. But when |
| action by a great leader.How do today's | | | | asked about his many awards, he always said |
| leaders stack up on the leadership index? The | | | | he was proudest of his eight Purple Hearts |
| McCain's, Hillary's, Biden's, Frist's, Tommy | | | | and his Combat Infantryman's Badge. As with |
| Frank's, Wes Clark's, Lieberman's, Mitt's, | | | | Lenny Zakim, I urge our young people to do a |
| Judd's, Jeb's, and so many others. Does our | | | | little research on the WEB or at the library |
| own Senator Sununu have what it takes to | | | | and find out about such leaders who are so |
| become a great leader? Just maybe. Does | | | | very worthy of our knowledge, if not |
| Hillary? Time will tell.And what about | | | | emulation."Leadership is practiced not so |
| today's business leaders? We have Carol | | | | much in words as in attitude and in actions." |
| Bartz, Robert L. Johnson and Muriel Siebert. | | | | Harold S. GeneenTed Sares, PhD, is a private |
| Michael Dell, the Wyatt's and the Wrigley's | | | | investor who lives and writes in the White |
| and they are darn good.....but where are the | | | | Mountain area of Northern New Hampshire with |
| Lou Gerstner's, Jack Welch's Harold Geneen's | | | | his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog. He writes |
| and Lee Iacocca's? The Hewlett's and the | | | | a weekly column for a local newspaper and |
| Packard's. The Ken Olsen's, Lawrence | | | | many of his other pieces are widely |
| Bossidy's, An Wang's and IBM's Watson's? The | | | | published.His works focus on issues and |
| Land's and the Eastman's. Today, an alarming | | | | themes dealing with socio-political topics, |
| number seem to be doing the "Corporate Perp | | | | business and economics in which he advocates |
| Walk" on television, slurping excessive pay | | | | a free market approach to capitalism, |
| at the corporate trough, or playing insider | | | | patriotism, and matters dealing with |
| tips on the stock market. Some are even | | | | individual freedom.They are frequently |
| called "Celebrity CEO's" as if they were | | | | inspirational in nature and sometimes reflect |
| movie stars or super athletes. How nauseous | | | | the Objectivist philosophy of novelist and |
| is that? Business ethics seems to have | | | | philosopher Ayn Rand. He also writes short |
| become an oxymoron. Today's corporate leaders | | | | stories that feature ironic and surprise |
| seem to be saying, "do as I say, not as I | | | | twists. |