There's a great scene in the movie, The Right Stuff, where the seven original astronauts are at their first news conference. They're giving out their short, military answers and the press is really unsatisfied, until they reach John Glenn, who starts going on about God, country, and apple pie.
The other astronauts see how the audience it eating it up, and they follow Glenn's example, laying it on thick.
Compare that to the Big (Little?) 3 Automakers sitting glumly in front of Congress, asking for 25 Billion on top of the 25 Billion they already have.
Would you give up your corporate jets?
Uh, no.
Would you forgo your salary this year?
Uh, I like my money.
I'm just a little comic shop owner, but I think I would have jumped all over that hanging ball, I would have knocked it straight out of the ballpark.
"You're right, Congressman. I'm going to sell those jets straight-away. And I'm going to ask for a 1.00 salary next year, because I feel that strongly these businesses need to be saved."
Guess what.
We'd be talking about that guy today. We'd be cynical, but we'd be talking. (The guy would be hired at twice the salary somewhere else down the road, or write a book. I suspect it wouldn't have hurt him a bit.)
No wonder these businesses are failing.
These guys embody the Wrong Stuff.
(And yes, I'm aware of unions and benefits and all the rest. But poor leadership is poor leadership.)
The other astronauts see how the audience it eating it up, and they follow Glenn's example, laying it on thick.
Compare that to the Big (Little?) 3 Automakers sitting glumly in front of Congress, asking for 25 Billion on top of the 25 Billion they already have.
Would you give up your corporate jets?
Uh, no.
Would you forgo your salary this year?
Uh, I like my money.
I'm just a little comic shop owner, but I think I would have jumped all over that hanging ball, I would have knocked it straight out of the ballpark.
"You're right, Congressman. I'm going to sell those jets straight-away. And I'm going to ask for a 1.00 salary next year, because I feel that strongly these businesses need to be saved."
Guess what.
We'd be talking about that guy today. We'd be cynical, but we'd be talking. (The guy would be hired at twice the salary somewhere else down the road, or write a book. I suspect it wouldn't have hurt him a bit.)
No wonder these businesses are failing.
These guys embody the Wrong Stuff.
(And yes, I'm aware of unions and benefits and all the rest. But poor leadership is poor leadership.)