Robin Sieger Blog

When the BBC’s national news programme features the heads of the three major US Motor companies going cap in hand to the government for a financial rescue package, you know things are serious.  There was a surreal moment when Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) said. "I'm going to ask the three executives here to raise their hand if they flew here commercial," he said. All still at the witness table. "Second," he continued, "I'm going ask you to raise your hand if you're planning to sell your jet . . . and fly back commercial." More stillness. "Let the record show no hands went up,"

It was wonderful to watch these giant of industry, being asked to sacrifice the definitive corporate perk, for the potential rescue of their businesses. It was as the record shows a price too high to pay. As a cost of the total money being sought ($25 billion) , I imagine the corporate jets are very small change indeed. But, if one of the executives had parked their self interest and  Fortune100 corporate egos , to one side for just one minute, and thought to themselves, “if that is what it is going to take to get this funding and keep out business alive”, and then thought of the message they would be sending out to colleagues from the shop floor to the executive dining rooms at their respective their HQ, and in that moment recognize what lies at the heart of true leadership.  The willingness to lead by example, to inspire confidence in others by your resolute determination to succeed whatever the odds, and do what it takes. I think they would have risked dislocating their shoulders due to the speed at which they would have raised their arms.

Leadership is never really tested in the boom times of an ever growing economy or in times of peace, rather it is when the chips are down, and the battle rages as the fog of war descends, that leaders emerge and show their character.

The victories we battle for, are the ones which we most savour, those gifted to us by default never taste so sweet. Don’t get me wrong I’ll take it any way it comes, it is just that right now, there are no gifted victories.

So in that moment when asked if they would give up their corporate jet, it represented a part of the battle that lies ahead, and if that battle to save jobs, whole industry sectors, communities, or just one persons dignity required that a leader did the right thing, and stand up and be counted with their troops, the opportunity came, and went, and another piece of automotive manufacturing folklore was written.

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