TO LEAD GREAT MEN

TO LEAD GREAT MEN

The role of leadership, although often sought, at times avoided, and is sometimes thrust upon us, or is awarded by default.

By whatever method you enter the leadership role, the mere assumption of the title will not insure the esteem of your people. At best, you may have their attention, but you must earn their loyalty and respect.

I can think of few higher callings than to lead great men. It is an honor and a privilege. And to think of it as any less, puts into doubt your very ability to assume the role. It takes great strength to be a leader, to lead from the front, and by example. The leader must be willing to acknowledge the contributions of his team to accomplishing any objective.

A great leader is a conduit, to channel the combined energy, intellect, ideas, and actions of his people. The leader, in turn, gives direction, vision, and discipline and produces the connection that allows his team to act in focused, cohesive manner. He helps the team move toward a common goal.

He creates a bond of trust and common cause with his men and they reward him with uncommon loyalty. The will not let him down, and he, not them.

This is what it means to lead great men.

P.I.B.

MADE IN AMERICA

MADE IN AMERICA
Use it or lose it. I hate to say it but America’s industrial base is just not what it used to be. One of the key strengths and economic drivers for the United States was our industrial base. America led the world in manufacturing cars, steel, ships, appliances and construction equipment.
Over the years we allowed quality to slip and prices to rise. We invited anxious overseas competitors to get a foot hold on our own shores. They started modestly but offered quality, innovation, and a huge price advantage. Also, while other countries set up significant roadblocks to imports, the American buyer welcomed the opportunity to buy more, for less.
One by one we lost our competitive lead in key industries. Foreign competitors that had made their entry with economy, no frill products, began to fill out the line offerings with more and better offerings. The automotive industry was particularly hard hit, as foreign entries provided not only a cost advantage, but were ahead of the curve on fuel economy. American manufacturers were still building big expensive fuel guzzlers, while the Japanese were building smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles.
As the quality and price differential widened, Americans overwhelmingly choose the imports over the domestic brands. Brands like Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Sony, Airbus, Hitachi, Komatsu, and others became the standard that we now have to compete with.
Today, our young people out of college, all want high tech, white collar jobs, but we must be careful not to abandon or industrial base. For the foreseeable future we will still need our cars, boats, planes, and military hardware. Aside from the obvious economic trade deficient, we should not allow ourselves to become as dependent on foreign products as we have on foreign energy sources.
But I guess that’s just how one poor Italian boy sees it. Let’s make “Made In America, mean something again”.

Until Latter
P.I.B

WORK ETHIC

WORK ETHIC
Alright, let me know if it’s just me, or have we seen an erosion of the overall level of work ethic in this country. Let me preface this by saying that this comment certainly doesn’t apply to everyone, but I feel it is apropos to a growing segment of the work force.
There seems to be an apathy, or sense of entitlement that has become increasingly more apparent in our workforce. The by-product of this trend can be seen in the quality of workmanship in our homes and cars, the lack of urgency exhibited by many customer service reps, and the decreasing productivity of many of our factories.
To be honest, many employers foster, if not condone, this sub-par level of work and performance. This creates a vicious cycle of decreased expectation and the ensuing drop in performance. I’ve found that most people in the workplace will live up to, or down to, the expectations you have for them. So employers must decide if they want to lower the bar, so that everyone can step over it, or raise the bar and only hire the climbers.
America was not made great by clock watchers, paper pushers, short timers, or temp help, but by individuals who worked hard, created value, and took risks. Don’t you hate it when you walk into a business and they can’t serve you because they close in an hour and the staff is already in the shut down mode. Don’t you feel uncomfortable when you are dealing with someone that clearly doesn’t want to be at work, and you, the customer are an obvious interruption to whatever else they were previously doing. Do you love it, when you get caught in the phone zone of pre-recorded and never ending options..Press one if you want sales….. I find myself screaming..I just want to talk to a real person… How do you feel as an employer, when your staff can’t seem to show up on time every day for work. Do you allow it ?
When my grandfather came to this country, like some many other immigrants, he came here for the opportunity to work and learn. He was willing to take any job and prove his worth, with the hope of improving his family’s lot in life. He didn’t speak the language, he didn’t have a support system, and he didn’t feel that this country owed him a living. Like so many before and after him, he only wanted a chance, an opportunity, a foothold. From there he was willing to toil and chisel out a piece of the American dream for himself, his family, and his descendents.
When I hire a new employees today , I still look for those individuals that want to work, want to excel, and bring a level of excitement into our workforce. They must exhibit that hunger, that eye of the tiger, and a willingness to get the job done.
If you think I sound old fashioned, and not in tune with the times..well maybe….but then again this column is about my feelings and values, so tough luck.
Until Latter
PIB