The nine "cees" of leadership, Lee Iacocca

Lee Iacocca's claim to fame was first the Ford Mustang, and later the "revival" of Chrysler (now into its second major revival post-Iacocca.) Photographer unknown.

An excerpt from his recent book, which was recently sent to the Columbia_Heights elist. The nine c's are:

1. Curiosity
2. Creative
3. Communicate
4. Character
5. Courage
6. Charisma
7. Conviction
8. Competent
9. Common Sense.

While Iacocca was writing about national politics, I am sure this was sent to the local elist in relation to local issues. I have these kinds of concerns. There is the energy, but not the commitment to transformation. The Post said in its wrap up of the year in DC politics, a lack of "creativity" and "big ideas." See "A Year of Fussing and Feuding -- in Other Words, Politics."

I guess we get the leaders we deserve.

Still, this article in the Post "angered me greatly," "Not Maintained, Costly Heating Systems Fail in Droves," about the failure to do adequate maintenance of boilers in the DC Schools. Why did this "anger me?" Because the Post likely ran the article as another justification for the Mayoral takeover of the schools, when the real failure that this signifies likely exists across the board, still, in most DC Government agencies, cf., the Tax scandal.

At least 10 years ago, maybe longer, the City Paper ran a big article about DC Government waste, and one of the things it suggested is that rather than having separate corps managing boilers for DC Schools, DC Government buildings, and the DC Housing Authority, why not have them run, managed, and maintained in a unified manner?

But of course, this hardly matters if inadequate funds were budgeted to maintain the boilers.

All the focus on change and "reform" is on individuals rather than on the systems and processes that (1) undergird government (see Weber) and (2) last far beyond the tenure of elected and appointed leaders.

Instead we have business as usual in DC Government (see Michels on oligarchy).