Mr. Obama would like us to think that Honest Abe is making a comeback in 2008. Now, I like Obama and might even vote for him despite his obvious lack of political experience but he is no Abe Lincoln. Then again, nobody is like Abe Lincoln...a man who rose out of nothing, overcame insurmountable odds, had nothing really going for him and yet was somehow able to strike a balance between the eradication of evil and preservation of a Union...the exactly right person for that moment when our country teetered on the edge of collapse. To measure yourself against Abe Lincoln even by geographical association is by default falling short of his greatness because history seems to indicate that Lincoln did not spend lots of time measuring himself against anyone, he marched to his own beat.
Yesterday some of us were discussing the new book "Team of Rivals" and the conversation came around to whether or not Abe would have been elected if he ran today. The obvious conclusion around the table was that he wouldn´t have a shot in hell. He did not posses the looks, charisma, political connections, star power, etc. that a modern day presidential candidate needs to make a legitimate run for the presidency.
Obviously, it´s silly to lament the fact that Abe would not be elected in today´s political environment since there is no way to gauge whether he would actually be the right guy for the problems that our nation is facing today but it does leave me also wondering if "the right guy" would be elected in today´s world. What mean by "the right guy" is the person who is the most qualified to lead America through the unique set of challenges and opportunities that it´s facing today. Here are my thoughts on some of those challenges.
1. Terror
I remember as a child in Colombia hearing every day about some new bomb or kidnapping or atrocity. It was not foreign for us to hear about the babies being killed and filled with cocaine in order to smuggle cocaine into the US or the local policeman having his daughter kidnapped only to find her in an alley a few weeks later missing her eyes or to have the bulk of the Chief Justices gunned down. When my family moved back to the US, I was amazed and in awe that we could walk through K-Mart with no fear of a bomb or through the Mall with no fear of being kidnapped.
The sad fact is that the world that I found in 1983 does not really exist anymore. I guess it´s inevitable that in the next decade, some crazed extremist will detonate something in a public place, the question is where and when. The problem is that our tactics for fighting terror are as outdated as the American Indian´s tactics for fighting for their land using bows and arrows. Our next president needs to worry more about learning how to fight terror at its roots of poverty and ignorance and being a symbol of courage during those times when an extremist attacks one of our malls rather than whether he/she pisses off the right or left wing.
2. Global Perception
I love the US. I love it´s history, I love it´s freedom. I love what the US has done for the rest of the world in the short time that it´s existed. In summary, I am a huge fan.
Unfortunately, as I travel around the world, the glimpses of America that I see is not the America I love. The fat, obnoxious, loud, ignorant man/woman in the sweat pants with a fanny pack around his/her fat waist is so common that it´s become a cliche. I cringe when I enter a US international airport and the line separates into citizens vs. non-citizens because what is left in the "citizens" line is not something I am proud of joining. Why do I bring this up? Well, when you couple that with the view that the mainstream media is portraying of the US, it becomes food for the hateful and ignorant.
The US is in a desperate need of a PR job and not just so we can feel better about people loving us. Hell, who cares if people like us or not! What is important is that we need to stop feeding the hatred. We in the US have really no idea how easy it is for people who dislike the US, have a limited education, are poor and hungry and have no reason for living to have the dislike turn into gut wrenching hatred. And you know what? We are so angry at Mr. Bush for ruining our image abroad that we attack him with hatred and that in turn validates the hatred that people feel towards our country.
We have such a HUGE opportunity to make a major, major difference in the lives of people all over the world with our resources. Our next president needs to help divert the focus of our beloved country from escalating greed to contagious compassion. He/she needs to galvanize this nation around helping the unfortunate, not spend his/her time wining and dining the lobbyist.
3. Political Divide
Simply put, we need a president who has the courage to do what is right for our country, not what is right for the Republican or Democratic party. I think the country (I know I am) is so sick of the bickering, hatred, tearing apart that exists in Washington and wants someone to focus on moving our country forward regardless of political affiliation.
4. Our Poor
You don´t have to go to Sudan or Darfur to find poverty, just drive over to the "wrong side of the tracks" once in a while. I know our country was founded on the philosophy that anyone can succeed with enough blood, sweat and tears. Hell, I´ve never taken a handout from the government, had nothing as a kid and yet somehow find myself better off than 75% of the rest of America. But, this is no excuse for ignoring those who don´t have the will to bleed, sweat and cry. Oh, I hate giving up hard earned money to help out those "lazy bastards" who refuse to hold down a job but honestly, I don´t feel any better hearing the kaching! of the cash register at Best Buy as I purchase yet another electronic that I will use maybe 2 times this year. From that perspective, is money used to help out those who can´t help themselves less honorably spent that money spent feeding the Greed Machine in the US?
We need a president who genuinely cares about our poor and our underprivileged. Let me ask, with the amount of wealth that we have in the US, is there any reason why any child should ever starve? that any person should be refused treatment at a hospital? I think not.
5. Environment and Natural Resources
I left this topic until last because it´s such a hot topic in the Media today. It´s "sexy" to be environmentally friendly. However, the truth is that America is recklessly consuming what little resources we have. We can turn a judgemental eye at the Chinese and Indians (from India) because of their population and lack of conservation but we will never be able to stand in judgement while still consuming more resources than those two countries combined. The sad fact is that we have the brains, innovation, technology and money to radically make a difference on this front if we can just get a president who will lead in this area and not worry about those fat, arrogant, despicable kings of the oil industry! This will take, perhaps, the greatest courage of all.
We need another Abe...not Abe the man, but Abe the perfect leader for a crucial time in our country. Unfortunately, I don´t know if the political machine will allow him/her to be elected.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ted Haggard, etc.
Yesterday I was reading an article that trumpeted that Ted Haggard was 100% Heterosexual. Are you kidding me? Is that what matters here, whether Ted Haggard is fully hetero or still partially homosexual? Here are my views on this whole "scandal."
First of all, I am sorry for his wife and kids. I came from a religious background where preachers were worshipped and put on a pedestal almost on equal level with God. I can´t imagine being his kids and now having to question everything that has been told to them from the beginning. When I walked away from that religious group, I had to question every element of my beliefs because every fact, opinion, prejudice, interpretation of the Bible, etc had been sold to me as "word of God." When I discovered that wearing shorts was not a sin, then I was left to wonder "what else is not a sin?" Now, I imagine his children will have to deal with the ridicule and shame as well as the wondering.
Secondly, where I think Pastor Ted and all other pastors like him went wrong was not in having sex with a male prostitute. Yes, that is wrong but that is also human nature. People make mistakes...little mistakes, big mistakes, non-hetero mistakes, etc. I think that where he went wrong was in someone believing that he was something more than just a messenger boy. What I mean is that preachers, pastors, evangelists, etc. are all supposed to "deliver the word of God." They are not god, they are not The Word of God, they are the ones one who deliver The Word.
Imagine with me 500 years ago during the Middle Ages. A king sends out a messenger throughout the land to tell everyone that the king is creating a new holiday. Well, that messenger is pretty smart and says to himself "you know, everywhere I go, people listen to what say." "People pay so much attention to me that it´s almost like I am the king." The messenger then proceeds to ride into the next town pretending to be the king and by doing so gets worshipped, gifts, women, wine, etc. What would happen when the king hears that the lowly messenger forgot his role? I suspect a quick hanging. Well, the point of my little fake story is to illustrate that this is where these messengers of God go wrong. They start believing that they are more than just a messengers just because people listen to them, respect them, come to church and give gifts . They are not The Message nor are they the ones that author The Message, they are just the messengers.
If I was a pastor, the first thing I would tell the congregation was that they should expect mistakes from me, sometimes big, sometimes small (but not non-hetero). I would further remind them that they were not there because of me but because they were there to get a "message from the king."
Pastors are no more inhuman than the humans they talk to. As a matter of fact (having known so many pastors), pastors are probably more prone to err because they are expected to be above-human 100% of the day. You and I can go to work and then come home and leave work behind. Pastors are pastors all the time for as long as they are pastors. In many ways, they are the toilets that flush out all the shit out of the congregations so it should not be a surprise when the toilet get stained a bit.
Jimmy Swaggart, James Baker, Ted Haggart...the list goes on. As long as these guys continue buying into the myth that they are more than a lowly messenger boys, they will fall. Watch out Benny Hinn.
First of all, I am sorry for his wife and kids. I came from a religious background where preachers were worshipped and put on a pedestal almost on equal level with God. I can´t imagine being his kids and now having to question everything that has been told to them from the beginning. When I walked away from that religious group, I had to question every element of my beliefs because every fact, opinion, prejudice, interpretation of the Bible, etc had been sold to me as "word of God." When I discovered that wearing shorts was not a sin, then I was left to wonder "what else is not a sin?" Now, I imagine his children will have to deal with the ridicule and shame as well as the wondering.
Secondly, where I think Pastor Ted and all other pastors like him went wrong was not in having sex with a male prostitute. Yes, that is wrong but that is also human nature. People make mistakes...little mistakes, big mistakes, non-hetero mistakes, etc. I think that where he went wrong was in someone believing that he was something more than just a messenger boy. What I mean is that preachers, pastors, evangelists, etc. are all supposed to "deliver the word of God." They are not god, they are not The Word of God, they are the ones one who deliver The Word.
Imagine with me 500 years ago during the Middle Ages. A king sends out a messenger throughout the land to tell everyone that the king is creating a new holiday. Well, that messenger is pretty smart and says to himself "you know, everywhere I go, people listen to what say." "People pay so much attention to me that it´s almost like I am the king." The messenger then proceeds to ride into the next town pretending to be the king and by doing so gets worshipped, gifts, women, wine, etc. What would happen when the king hears that the lowly messenger forgot his role? I suspect a quick hanging. Well, the point of my little fake story is to illustrate that this is where these messengers of God go wrong. They start believing that they are more than just a messengers just because people listen to them, respect them, come to church and give gifts . They are not The Message nor are they the ones that author The Message, they are just the messengers.
If I was a pastor, the first thing I would tell the congregation was that they should expect mistakes from me, sometimes big, sometimes small (but not non-hetero). I would further remind them that they were not there because of me but because they were there to get a "message from the king."
Pastors are no more inhuman than the humans they talk to. As a matter of fact (having known so many pastors), pastors are probably more prone to err because they are expected to be above-human 100% of the day. You and I can go to work and then come home and leave work behind. Pastors are pastors all the time for as long as they are pastors. In many ways, they are the toilets that flush out all the shit out of the congregations so it should not be a surprise when the toilet get stained a bit.
Jimmy Swaggart, James Baker, Ted Haggart...the list goes on. As long as these guys continue buying into the myth that they are more than a lowly messenger boys, they will fall. Watch out Benny Hinn.
Parenting--How Scary
See that cute little cow? She is our pride and joy. She is also the reason I spend hours at night freaking out. I know that all parents worry about their children and my mom had 8 kids, five of them in the jungle and we are all OK (knock on wood) but it seems like every day when I open CNN or other news websites there is yet another story of someone bringing harm to another child. Maybe it´s the fact that news is so pervasive, so ubiquitous that we hear about things happening in obscure parts of the world more often than our parents and their parents before them. But, it´s not just obscure parts of the world. How about right in the US or in Europe...places that claim to be civilized. There are numerous stories of people leaving their kids in garbage cans or fathers murdering their whole families or kids in Florida getting abducted and killed. Has it always been this way? I cannot bring myself to raise a finger against my daughter no matter how tired or frustrated I am yet there are people out there bringing harm to helpless children every day. Anyone who raises a hand against a helpless, defenseless child is absolutely cowardly, weak, heartless and despicable in my eyes. Just this morning I was holding Siena in my arms and marvelling at how defenseless she is and how much she trusts 100% that her mom and dad will protect her from harm. Every time she stubs her toe or pinches her fingers in the drawers she runs to her mom for comfort. I cannot imagine how a parent can go from a defender of a child to someone who brings violence against children.
Let me tell you a story that has burned in my mind for years. I was at Wal-Mart and there was this family in front of me. This little girl, about 3 or 4 years old, was chatting away to her mom and dad like little kids tend to do. The dad told her to be quiet. She kept chatting away. So, he drew back and backhanded the little girl across her face. (I am shaking in rage just remembering the incident) . Now, I don´t mean a little slap but a full roundhouse backhand which snapped the little girl´s face around. The mom did nothing because it was a family of ethnic origin where the father was considered to be The Authority. I was SO ANGRY! Everything in me wanted to jump that miserable asshole and beat him to a pulp. However, I didn´t. To this day I wish I had done something but I just feel that violence (even if in defense of a child) only breeds more violence.
I implore all the adults out there to stop violence against children. If you must, beat up another adult...someone your own size but there is absolutely no excuse for harming a child. To the Christians who have read in the Bible so many times "spare the rod and spoil the child" I believe that when you raise a hand against a child in anger, you are no more excused than a stranger who walks up to your child and beats them up because they are angry at the world.
These are the thoughts that keep me up at night...
Monday, February 5, 2007
Who we benchmark...
Innovative Ideas
Recently a friend of mine from my former place of employment, SonyEricsson, received a President´s Award for an idea that ended up contributing $Millions of Revenue (and profit) to the company due to it´s ability to prepare the supply chain for unforecasted increases in demand. Now, I was in my friend´s office when he started thinking about this idea and we bounced back and forth how it could be put to practice. My first reaction was to insist that he needed much more "science" behind his idea but in the end he implemented it in a very basic, simple way and booyah! the results were overwhelming. This got me thinking...I have all these amazing (or so I think) ideas running around in my head all the time! These ideas are all over the place from ways to reduce water in the bathroom (I happen to believe that water will be more of a problem some day than oil) to how Dell can fight back against HP! However, what is very discouraging sometimes is that I see time and time again that for whatever reason (I think mainly due to the "quarter mentality" that seems to permeate corporations today) what companies are looking for are ideas that are quick, simple, easily executed and provide immediate results. Corporations don´t really want innovative ideas that truly "fix" problems in the company if those ideas don´t show immediate returns. The truth is that my friend´s idea would have been an unmitigated disaster in a different situation where the market was requiring less products than they were planning.
Benchmarking
Think just a few years ago. What are some of the companies that were prime candidates for benchmarking? Meaning, which companies were companies that everybody wanted to benchmark? Here are a few. Dell, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Lucent. See a trend? All of these companies are right now experiencing some kind major slump, or are coming under lots of criticism or in some cases are companies in crisis. I find amazing that when a company comes out with great results people are so ready to follow anything that they do. Ever read about how some of the creative hunters used to hunt for buffalo? They would scare the hell out of a herd of buffalo and get them to stampede right off the end of a cliff! Well, our corporations today have the same tendency.
A year ago, Motorola could do absolutely no wrong. They had the slimmest phone on the market which was flying off the shelves. Everybody wanted a RAZR! The margins were incredible, sales were high and many articles came out lauding Motorola´s creativity for allowing this skunk project to become a viable product. My first thought was..."wow, it´s too bad that it was a skunk project". Why? Am I against skunk projects? No, but the truth is that companies that are successful for a long period of time don´t stumble on success but rather find a way to ingrain it in their culture. When you stripped away the gloss, the praise, the adulation, it was clear that Moto had stumbled on two wow products in 20 years...the StarTAC and the skinny StarTAC (RAZR). Now, a year later, everybody is slamming Moto for not having a creative portfolio. How things change in just a year.
How about Dell. I have seen their operations and I can tell you there is nothing out there like it. They are the Devin Hester of supply chain (fast, agile, freaks of nature). However, why is everyone slamming Dell? They missed on their results a few times and have lost market share to HP. Look at the Dell vs. HP stock. How in the world did HP re-invent themselves as a sexy stock to own? How did they convince the world that they were cool and Dell were boring? Well, look at the Dell product lineup. BORING! I think Dell fell so in love with their supply chain genius, their absolute operational leadership that they forgot that humans are very tactile and visual and nobody can visualize a cool supply chain but they can look at the dell lineup online and yawn. The truth is that HPs computers are not any cooler looking but hey, you can physically see them at Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. If you have two really, really boring products then the one that is only visible on the web will lose out to the ones that people are physically touching and seeing. What is the answer for Dell? Stop looking into the water at your supply chain reflection and look around once again to your customers.
On to Sony. Wow, what a mess. I can´t say anymore because if I do, I might get in trouble with some of my old colleagues.
Leaders and Followers
There is a dangerous trend to copy verbatim the blueprint of companies who deliver great financial results. I am appalled at the seeming lack of original thinking in companies. Why does beating the forecasts of analysts around the world suddenly become the measure of a company´s character, genius and leadership? I read some of the in-depth analysis from some of the most credible analyst in Wall Street today about companies that I personally know well and they are no more credible than me sitting here and writing an article about the inner workings of Tony Dungy´s genius mind. I see the results of Tony Dungy´s genius (I fully credit the Bucs championship to Tony also) and it´s very obvious that he is a master at what he does but there is no way I could sit here and write a 10 Step Program for creating a Tony Dungy team. Ever think that it might be possible that an analyst wakes up from his 3 hour power sleep and groggily, in a bad mood realizes that Ericsson just missed their profit results by a few $Million and that is going to cost his company $Millions in "value" on the stock and so he goes into the office and gives a resounding "sell" which drives the company´s stock down which results in his company cashing in on all the margin calls and short positions out there? What happened to the stone-cold, hard facts that Ericsson´s two main competitors, Nokia/Siemens and Alcatel/Lucent are mired in messy joint ventures and will remain that way for the next year or so which will most likely mean that Ericsson stands to derive lots of benefit from those messy situations? I am not pushing Ericsson stock here but just trying to point out that our stock markets have made us all fickle followers of undeserved leaders.
I challenge anyone to find anything about the success of Apple, SonyEricsson, Nokia, Dell, HP, etc. that could not be replicated with some hard work, dedication, open-minded creativity, passion and avoidance of the seven deadly sins through these simple life lessons that I propose:
1. Lust--don´t lust after your competitors. Respect them, emulate their strengths but when you lust after them you will just buy anything they do and thus the stampede...
2. Gluttony--it´s hard to be successful when your executives are so focused on their next Bentley that they forget about the next innovation.
3. Greed--don´t let the piles of money today guide your decision making for tomorrow. Don´t aim for just financial gain but keep true to what defines the character of your company.
4. Laziness--it´s so much easier to eschew the long-term strategy for the quick fix especially when the quick fix will make you a temporary hero and thus set the stage for your promotion.
5. Anger--anger has no place in the workplace. Many leaders mistaken strength of character for anger. Just because you are yelling at your employees out of anger does not mean they respect you.
6. Envy--being jealous of another company only makes you blind to the gold that exists within your own company. I don´t know if it´s an urban legend but I heard a story about one of the De Beers brothers who sold his portion of the farm in order to go prospecting for gold in California. He died broke and he left behind, well, De Beers diamond mines!
7. Pride--the deadliest of these because once pride has permeated any level of an organization, especially at the top, it spreads like a cancer and makes people blind to changing trends, new ideas, each other, the competitors, etc. I am so impressed when I hear Micheal Clarke Duncan speak because he has the physical attributes of a Titan but the humility (or so it seems) of Moses.
Oh, one last little rule to live by...pretty things sell.
That´s it for now. I doubt anyone is reading this but I enjoyed talking to myself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)