Bob Lutz - Icons and Idiots: Straight Talk on Leadership

THIS BOOK is about leaders and leadership. No recipes are offered; its a compendium from my more than sixty years of observation while basking in the glow of inspirational leaders, trying my utmost to validate my employment to the tough, sometimes irrational ones, and marveling at the multifaceted, ever-shifting personalities of some of the quirky ones, wondering, at times, how they ever achieved their lofty positions.

Looking back with the rosy glow of history, I have attempted to analyze what made the great ones successful at what they did, and why some of what I perceived, at the time, to be crazy, almost counterproductive behavior had to be cast aside in the overall assessment of their effectiveness. It was like distracting snow in a television program of important consequence.

Well examine past bosses who were profane, insensitive, totally politically incorrect, and who appropriated insignificant items from hotels or the company. Well visit the mind of a leader who did little but sit in his office (which we considered a good thing). Well look at another boss who could analyze a highly complex profit-and-loss statement or a balance sheet at a glance, yet who, at times, failed to grasp the simplest financial mechanismshow things actually worked in practice to create the numbers in the real world.

Evaluating these individuals and their idiosyncrasies, I often asked myself if there is, indeed, such a thing as an unflawed leader, one with a true north moral compass, one who consistently demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly and consistently, doesnt get mired in insignificant detail, is steady at the helm in smooth sailing, yet stays calm, rational, and seemingly in control of the situation when an unexpected storm risks capsizing the ship. A leader who motivates, transmits his or her vision with consistency, offers praise for exceptional work, criticism for less-than-perfect accomplishments, and punishment for those who fail to meet expectations repeatedly. Most important, of course, are the results. Did the leader deliver on the stated objective? Did the USMC drill instructor in Parris Island produce combat-ready Marines out of the civilian garbage the recruiting sergeants sent him? Did the high school teacher leave his students with greatly enhanced skills so as to make them successful in their university phase and their chosen careers? In the case of CEOs, did their tenures as heads of their respective companies move the enterprises forward? Was monetary value created for the stakeholders?

For nearly every one of the disparate leaders covered in this book, the final, bottom-line answer is yes. Despite their major personality quirks, some almost unbelievable in scope and quantity, these men (I have never worked for a female leader, Im sorry to report) were successful.

So, despite, hopefully, an amusing look at the fatuous foibles of some of these illustrious men, not-so-lovingly remembered in those cases where I felt I was the hapless victim, these tales do not constitute a hatchet job or an attempt at getting even. The years have caused anger and resentment to dissipate; they are all fundamentally good people. Rather, what Ive attempted to do is to show the reader the complexities of successful leaders by exposing both their human weaknesses and, in most cases, their oft-chronicled successes.

I suppose my bottom line is this: most successful leaders are not average Joes. Like the late Steve Jobs, arguably the most successful business leader of our time, who was often described as harshly uncompromising, mercurial, unfair, impatient, stubborn if not downright unpleasant to deal with, most successful leaders are mentally and emotionally askew. Theres a good side, which is great and gets the job done. Theres often also a downside that makes them hard to understand or difficult to work for. Its precisely that they are impatient, stubborn, opinionated, unsatisfied, and domineering that makes them successful.

Aspiring leaders can and should take lessons from the cases described herein. They should work on mitigating the bad and emphasizing the good. Leadership is a skill that can be honed. But students of leadership should take heart: just because you may be abrasive and slightly irrational at times does not mean you cant be a great and highly successful leader.

Always make sure that the value you bring to the table consistently and heavily outweighs the negative baggage.