John McCain said today that he believes Sarah Palin's a solid candidate, and if she chooses to run for president, she's got a good chance to win. And I guess that's what he thought last time when he shared a losing ticket with her. But, the reality is, both of them were losers then and both still are now. The country doesn't need a lot of hype and smoke and noise and flash-bang theatrics, it needs a solid, tested, proven performer who's been there before and knows how to manage the way through crisis.
And that brings me back to Rudy.
Yesterday I mentioned this stuff I read in Knowledge Wharton where the author said he wasn't impressed with Rudy's book Leadership. The author's opinion derived from the fact that he didn't find any brilliant insights that clearly jumped off the page and magically solved managerial problems. And my response to that one was, I doubted the author had any real hands-on meaningful experience himself, thus didn't pick up on what Rudy was saying. Because, as I wrote yesterday, I've been there myself and think Rudy had all kinds of helpful advice to someone who's actually in the trench.
And that got me to thinking about leaders in general, and what sets them apart and whether or not any of them could really transmit their thoughts to others in a meaningful way that really helped. Because, for the most part it's their uniqueness that drives their managerial and leadership success. And when it comes to managing or directing others, 99% of it is common sense. So, its that razor's edge of ability and smarts that provides their margin for excellence.
To that point, look at some well-known, successful leaders and think about what they could pass on to others. I mean, could anyone use the examples set by Yogi Berra? Or how about Bill Gates, a Harvard dropout who left a well-oiled machine behind at Microsoft with every iota in place. And, since his departure, the machine's been stalled. So, what's missing? Obviously, Bill Gates himself.
Then there's guys like Jack Welch of GE, who took a stagnant giant, put it on its feet and made the business hum like never before. Conversely, a behemoth like AT&T could never get any kind of explosive growth going because they smother all the talent themselves with self-created blankets. The same could be said of the current U.S. administration.
So, I don't believe managerial tips or guidance is the answer to success. I myself headed a sales force of 125 extremely bright, aggressive, hard-driving people. Together we shot out the lights wherever we showed up, because we were very good at what we did. But, as far as "management" or "leadership" was concerned, I didn't stay on top due to any transferable skills. I just ran faster and harder than all my folks did, because if I didn't I'd be trampled by them before I could blink.
But lastly, supposing there was this slight difference between the best leaders and everyone else, and they did have some kind of special technique or skill that made them truly special. Do you think they'd share that secret with anyone else? As for me in my own case, no one will ever find out.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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