searching for a Closer

As the summer of 2009 kicks off, the general talk of the day is the same talk for approaching two years now, the dwindling worldwide economy. Over the past two years we have seen various political machines and media sources across the globe run through a gamut of adjectives to describe the far-reaching event, from the warm and fuzzy "downturn" to downright stomach turning "free-fall" and "meltdown".

Searching through the endless commentary by what some refer to now as "leaders", one very common aspect is missing and dare I say a difference from the turbulence of the 1970's, is the route out of this mess. The "kick the door down" mentality that breeds success that should be a part of a true leaders message is rare in 2009.

To say I am "disappointed" is an understatement but I would be remiss to note I am not surprised. On the political front, leaders are far too often chosen through the handy work of clever marketing campaigns while concrete plans are rarely discussed and equally seem to have a hidden agenda of ushering in dubious plans on the wings of chaos that will entrench their party for decades. In the wide open business frontier, the matter is slightly different because while there are a number who still possess the "anyway, anyhow" approach, a growing tide of malaise has crept in. "Urgency" seems to be a thing of the past, business communication and general "deal-making" slows to a trickle and spotting a "closer", the type who thirty years ago would take a roll of dimes to a nearby payphone booth and "make it happen".

Sadly in 2009 the reaction of the public, like many political leaders is a resounding failing grade. Naturally as a generalization, that comment is prone to skipping over the few who went against the grain but for the most part the public has sat on the curb, twiddled its collective thumbs and resigned itself to failure. The drive that pushed businesses to success in the past seems to have been bled out of a group more drawn to updating their various social networking sites with 160-character bit "genius" and other nonsense that amounts to nothing other that mediocrity in life.

Given that from the top down, political leadership isn't doing its job of providing concrete solutions nor the venom to spur industry and the public into action, new leaders are needed. Oddly those "new leaders" are already here, seasoned warriors who know what it was like to build powerful economies and simply do not have it in their claret to quit.

One man who wears the badge of leadership is Lee Iacocca. The former Chrysler CEO, who recently penned the must-have book "Where Have All the Leaders Gone," spoke to Associated Press recently and urged Chrysler to pay back their government loans as soon as possible. Citing the bureaucracy problems of dealing with government forces looking over your shoulder, he equally noted how under his leadership Chrysler paid back its ten-year loans within only three years.

The solution is, as you may have guessed, is "simple" as to overcome the adversity of today and build a gleaming future you have to pick yourself up, dust off the problems and drive forward relentlessly.