LeadershipJot.com

Harold Geneen was a businessman who immigrated to the United States from England with his parents as an infant. During his career, he was the Chief Executive Officer of two major corporations – Raytheon and ITT.

I always enjoy a good quote. I have taken inspiration and thought critically about several of Harold Geneen’s quotes. I’ve never read any of his books (please don’t interpret this as any consideration other than I have a limited amount of time to read and too many other books on my shelf).

Quote about Leadership from Harold Geneen:
“Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned.”

I think this quote may be a bit subject to critique, but in general I do agree that “leadership cannot really be taught.” Leaders can be developed and mentored, but learning leadership is the responsibility of the individuals themselves. Learning leadership does not come from a book (or a blog, but please continue to read LeadershipJot.com!). Leadership is learned from practice and experience.

One thing that all leaders have in common is a lifetime of experience. The younger the leader is the more immature their leadership potential. The more mature the leader is the stronger their leadership potential. However, don’t judge a leader by his age. Barrack Obama may be significantly younger than Hillary Clinton or John McCain, but you cannot say he is not an effective leader. He has been running a predominately successful campaign for the Democratic Party nomination for President against more experienced and more established candidates. His has inspired and influenced many potential constituents and he has definitely left his mark on US Presidential politics.

A leader, like Barrack Obama, who may be young or just younger than others, is a leader who gained significantly from his experience in a short period of time by emphasizing quality and not merely quantity. This may be attributed to intelligence, wisdom, or, perhaps, leadership potential.

At any rate, the quality of a leader’s experience is demonstrated in their effectiveness as a leader. The quality of experience may compensate for the quantity of experience.

(Please note: this is not an endorsement for Barrack Obama.)

Other quotes about leadership from Harold Geneen:
“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”
“Uncertainty will always be part of the taking charge process.”

Books by Harold Geneen:

• The Synergy Myth: And Other Ailments Of Business Today, with Brent Bowers, St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-14724-4
• Synergy and Other Lies: Downsizing, Bureaucracy, and Corporate Culture Debunked, with Brent Bowers, St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-20080-3
• Managing, with Alvin Moscow, Avon Books, ISBN 0-380-69986-9
• Alta dirección, with Alvin Moscow, Lectorum Pubns Inc, ISBN 84-253-1871-8

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I have always enjoyed the lesson from one individual who failed so much in his life, but in the end was and is regarded as one of the greatest leaders that ever lived.

The Personal Side

He was not well educated, nor did he come from a prominent family. Instead his formal education lasted merely 18 months, was self-taught, even passing the bar exam to become a lawyer, and an avid reading.

He lost his mother when he was merely 9 years old and had to overcome the death of his first sweetheart when he was 26.

Career Failures

This person failed in business when he was 21 years old. When he was 23, he was defeated in his first legislative election race. At 24, he again failed in business and suffered through a nervous breakdown by 27.

He lost two Congressional races when he was 34 and 36 and lost a US Senate race when he was 45. He failed in an effort to become the Vice President when he was 47 and lost another Senate bid the same year.

Success and Greatness

In spite of all of his failures, this person remained determined to succeed and never failed as a leader. You know him and every young person in the United States learns about his leadership at a very young age. Even around the entire world, he is known as a great leader and a shining example for national leadership.

I am writing about the sixteenth President of the United States – Abraham Lincoln.

Quote from Abraham Lincoln about failure:
“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.”

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In Wisconsin

Today is the State of Wisconsin Primary and for the first time in a long while I am at home instead of voting by absentee ballot. There are very few leadership positions as important as the Presidency of the United States, so I have been giving a lot of contemplation as to who I feel is the best leader for the next four-to-eight years.

John McCain

Back in 2000, I was a supporter for John McCain, a highly respectable patriot, knowledgeable and experienced candidate, and someone who is able to make better decisions than most. This year, he is the presumptive nominee with a clear and decisive lead of delegates for the Republican Party nomination.

With the DNC

This year, I am contemplating casting my vote in the Democratic Party. In Wisconsin, voters are allowed to register at the voting booth and select party affiliation at that time. By the way, the open primary registration of Wisconsin works to the advantage of Senators Obama and McCain who both do very well among independent voters.

Hillary Clinton

I honestly do not believe Senator Clinton to be the best choice. She is way too divisive for a leader. I think there would be more problems between the executive and legislative branches of government if she was elected. Do not misunderstand, I think she is very intelligent and capable as a politician, but I do not think she is who this country needs at this time.

Barack Obama

Senator Obama is, in my opinion, a highly influential leader. His oratorical abilities and celebrity status, allow him a great deal latitude from which to lead. I do not agree with every position that he takes, but I don’t 100% agree with every position that any of the candidates take. I do think that America needs an influential leader – someone who can inspire, influence, and provoke positive action.

Party Politics

As you can probably discern from this blog entry, I do not allow myself to be limited by political parties. I think it was George Washington, in his farewell address who warned against political parties and history has proven him to be accurate and wise. Great many problems have risen from party politics. Too many issues become a matter of competition to win than a decision to make for the best interest of the nation. The only good is the default mode of restraint in passing new legislation.

Jeffersonian Principle of Government

The Jeffersonian Principle of Government from our third President, Thomas Jefferson, is that government that governs best is that government that governs least. The division caused by a dual party system does keep the legislature in check, but too often distracts from issues that truly matter. There are thousands of young men and women who are dying in this nation’s wars in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and against terrorism. Too many people are struggling paycheck-to-paycheck in our economy, while fat-cat executives are given huge severance packages when they fail in their jobs. These two issues – war and economy – are the top two issues for me and most significant problems facing our nation at this time.

Casting my Vote to Make a Difference

So, today, I am going to cast my vote to play my role and be responsible for the governing of this nation. Freedom, of course, is not free. It comes with the high cost of responsibility. If we want to maintain a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” then we need to be responsible to fulfill our obligations by participating in the political process.

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