Rainmakers Don’t Fly Private Jets
Without getting into the merits of the potential bailout of the not-so-Big Three automakers, from a pure rainmaking, marketing, and rational-thinking perspective, it is truly mind-boggling that all three of the supplicant CEOs flew to Washington today in private jets. This on the exact same day that GM ran a full-page ad highlighting its enterprise-wide commitment to reduce expenses and work smarter. The irony of this was not lost on the Congressional committee members, and it points out the major flaw with corporate America. Most high-level executives have lost all touch with reality. They believe they’re worth multi-million dollar salaries and even bigger bonuses — and don’t seem to care if the company under their stewardship succeeds or fails. Their paychecks are almost always guaranteed via employment contracts and golden parachutes.
The sad thing is that many CEOs were rainmakers in their younger days. They understood that perception was reality, and they cared about perception. They focused on the needs, concerns, and ideals of their clients and customers. They would not be satisfied unless their customers were satisfied. And they would never allow their own arrogance to take precedence over common sense.
While private jets can arguably serve a role for certain corporations in certain circumstances, using them for a hat-in-hand visit to our nation’s capitol is egregious.
