The Statesman as CEO

In a recent interview, Helmut Schmidt, former chancellor of Germany, discussed his ideas on leadership. Schmidt is critical of the international leadership in the capitals of the Western world, particularly the US. While he mentions Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Nixon as a few of the great international leaders of the US, he claims the US has been lacking in this area since then. He adds that Carter and Reagan were unprepared for their international role. A leader needs dependability as a human being -- a leader must be calculable. A leader also needs judgment, an ability to determine what things are important. In order to turn a possibility into a reality, a leader must be able to identify goals and convince those whose approval is necessary. Political leaders need different qualities than corporate leaders because business leaders do not have to perform on stage. Because of television, the successful political leader must be an actor.