Donald J. Palmisano - The Little Red Book of Leadership Lessons

THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF

LEADERSHIP LESSONS

THE LITTLE RED BOOK OF

LEADERSHIP LESSONS

Donald J. Palmisano

Foreword By

Governor Bobby Jindal

Skyhorse Publishing

Copyright 2012 by Donald J. Palmisano

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or info@skyhorsepublishing.com.

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Sky-horse Publishing, Inc. , a Delaware corporation.

www.skyhorsepublishing.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62087-191-1

Printed in China

Donald Palmisano has updates about his leadership books at www.onleadership.us

You can find his blog on leadership and health system reform at www.DJPupdate.com

He tweets at @DJPNEWS

DEDICATION

To Mary Ellen, Donna Ann, and Donald Jr., three wonderful children who taught me much about love and life. And may the grandchildren enjoy these quotes and leadership lessons as much as I enjoy their company. The future is theirs.

O nce again, Donald Palmisano brings insight and wisdom from proven and respected leaders to provide a handy compendium of advice for the leaders of today and tomorrow.

This collection puts forth perspectives on leadership when leadership is tested and matters mostin times of great adversity, mounting challenges, and real risk. In Louisiana, weve become all too aware of times like these in recent years.

From hurricanes to oil spills to a national economic recession, Louisiana has recognized and taken bold action by confronting our trials and tribulations with a passion to overcome. It is that fighting spirit that empowers leaders in our communities, companies, schools, and at every level of government.

The views presented in this book exemplify Donalds own accomplishments as a surgeon, businessman, author, and leader. Through his previous work, Donald has challenged all of us to figure out how to be better leaders. This new book is no exception, and I hope you are able to learn and grow from the vision Donald has presented in this book.

Governor Bobby Jindal

State of Louisiana

Again and again, an enlightened and strong-willed individual has pushed against the prevailing trends and the prevailing wisdom to perform an act of courage that changed history.

PAUL JOHNSON, NEEDED: LEADERS OF COURAGE FORBES, MAY 7, 2007

T his is a book of ideas; ideas devoted to leadership that promotes liberty.

This little red book continues the tradition of On Leadership and the expanded 2nd edition by further defining what it means to be a leader. In this book, I take a look back at chapters from my previous books and break down the essentials of leadership in illustrative quotes and a brief summary section at the end, called Lessons Learned. The book is divided into manageable sections that allow all the characteristics of leadership to be right at your fingertips. The dramatic stories of leaders found in the On Leadership editions are not in this work but are easily accessible in the original books.

Note the recurrent themes for leaders throughout the centuries as you read this book: homework, courage, decisiveness, action, persistence, and integrity.

use this book for inspiration when times are tough and you need encouragement to enter the arena of leadership. Few would dispute that leadership is desperately needed, now more than ever, to maintain America as a land of liberty and a beacon of freedom to the rest of the world. A return to individual responsibility, fiscal responsibility, and rejection of coercion are the building blocks of future greatness and exceptionalism. Vote for those who manifest these qualities. And for those who live in lands under repressive government and daily intimidation, a major purpose will be achieved if this book moves you closer to freedom.

Remember my message in the epilogue of On Leadership: Without the ability to identify true leaders the future is bleak. Disasters, wars, terrorism, and epidemics are just some of the challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century. Heroes and leaders are everywhere. Its our duty to recognize them. This is the price of freedom. Freedom is not free. Many died so we could be free. Let us not dishonor them.

Thanks to Tony Lyons, President of Skyhorse Publishing, for his continued encouragement, and to Skyhorses Kristin Kulsavage, who artfully guided the manuscript and images through the labyrinth of the publishing process. And a special thanks to Robin, my wife, who gives loving support to my endeavors and is the best organizer of writing and all things important.

Donald J. Palmisano,

April 2012

Pediatric office in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina flooded it with 10 feet of water. The black mold is evident.

Be willing to make decisions. Thats the most important quality in a good leader. Dont fall victim to what I call the ready-aimaim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire.

GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

GEORGE SANTAYANA, REASON IN COMMON SENSE

Zahn: Sir, you arent telling me you just learned that the folks at the convention center didnt have food and water until today, are you? You had no idea they are completely cut off?

Brown: Paula, the federal government did not even know about the convention center people until today.

CNNS PAULA ZAHN INTERVIEWING MICHAEL D. BROWN, DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA), ON THE FOURTH DAY AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA STRUCK; ON LEADERSHIP

New Orleans morgue flooded during Hurricane Katrina and temporary morgue setup in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. Here Donald J. Palmisano does a tour with Coroner Dr. Frank Minyard to view forensic identification site full of experts trying to identify bodies with DNA samples and other tests. Death toll in New Orleans from Katrina highly influenced by failure to utilize lessons learned, including evacuation. Actions have consequences. Over fourteen hundred deaths occurred in New Orleans area as a result of Katrina; final number never determined.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Betsy in New Orleans in 1965 and in the simulated 2004 Hurricane Pam were not followed. Its important to be prepared.

FeMA press release of July 23, 2004, had this to say about the hypothetical Hurricane Pam: