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Just
as true today as it was when his book first came out.
He
was, and still is, a brilliant businessman!
Often
we need to be reminded of Iacocca's words.
Remember
Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes in
the 80s? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders
Gone?'
Lee Iacocca Says:
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed
up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage with this so called
president? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of tax
cheating clueless leftists trying to steer our ship of state right over a cliff,
we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even run a
ridiculous cash-for-clunkers program without losing $26 billion of the
taxpayers' money, much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad,
everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'trust me,
the economy is getting better..'Better? You've got to be kidding. This is
America , not the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the
Democrats out, along with Obama!'
You might think I'm getting senile,
that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I
hardly recognize this country anymore..
The most famous business leaders
are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.. While we're fiddling in
Afghanistan , Iran is completing their nuclear bombs and missiles and nobody
seems to know what to do. And the liberal press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of
asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and
yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about
you?
I'll
go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged.
This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis!
(Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the
first.)
Leaders
are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit
there with thumb up your butt 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.
On
September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our
history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess,
so here's where we stand.
We're
immersed in a bloody war now with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving..
But our soldiers are dying daily.
We're
running the biggest deficit in the history of the world, and it's getting worse
every day!
We've
lost the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting
slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are going to skyrock again,
and nobody in power has a lucid plan to open drilling to solve the problem. This
country has the largest oil reserves in the WORLD, and we cannot drill for it
because the politicians have been bought by the flea-hugging
environmentalists.
Our
schools are in a complete disaster because of the teachers'
union.
Our
borders are like sieves and they want to give all illegal's amnesty and free
healthcare.
The
middle class is being squeezed to death every day.
These
are times that cry out for leadership.
But
when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?'
Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of
character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker
for alliteration, but I think you get the point..
Name
me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off
our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've
spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how
to do is react to things that have already happened.
Everyone's
hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping the government will make it better for
them. Now, that's just crazy.. Deal with life.
Name
me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our
competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever
be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this
happen, and more important, look what Obama did about it!
Name
me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or
solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is
deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and
milking the middle class dry.
I
have news for the Chicago gangsters in Congress. We didn't elect you to turn
this country into a losing European Socialist state. What is everybody so afraid
of? That some bonehead on NBC or CNN news will call them a name? Give me a
break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had
Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying
to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America ..
In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's
greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great
Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the
'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years since
9/11.
Make
your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's
our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!
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