Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

Just read Lee Iacocca's article in this weekend's Crossroads section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

While he is railing on the "current leadership" of the country, he does spell out, what he considers to be the 9 "C"s of leadership.

Whether you're trying to run a country or a business, they all "rang true" for me. Here they are:

1. Curiosity: reading (all points of view) voraciously, talking with people who don't necessarily share your point of view, staying away from "yes" men.
2. Creative: willing to honestly evaluate results and try something different - managing change.
3. Communicate: facing reality and telling the truth - not talking in sound bites or using "talking points".
4. Character: Knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing.
5. Courage: The commitment to sit down and negotiate. Not swagger. Not tough talk.
6. Conviction: Passion for what you're doing - the measure of the "fire in your belly". Your commitment.
7. Charisma: The quality that makes people want to follow you.
8. Competent: Need to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing.
9. Common Sense: Well, that's just common sense.

I remember when Lee Iacocca saved Chrysler. Since he retired, Chrysler has been bought (Daimler) and recently sold. Perhaps the lesson of the 9 Cs were never learned by his successors.

And based upon the arguments in his new book "Where Have All the Leaders Gone", perhaps these are lessons we could all revisit.