About leadership

(photo from flickr)

‘Leadership is not magnetic personality- that can just as well be a glib tongue.
It is not ‘making friends and influencing people’- that is flattery.
Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher things, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.’
Peter F. Druker, author and management theorist.

‘We all work together as a team. And that means you do everything I say.’
Michael Caine, British film actor (in the film The Italian job).

‘How shall I talk of the sea to a frog,
If it has never left his pond?
How shall I talk of the frost to the bird of the summerland,
If it has never left the land of his birth?
How shall I talk of life with the sage,
If he is prisoner of his doctrine?’
Chung Tsu, 4th Century B.C.

Is politics seducing the masses?

(photo from bamboccioni alla riscossa)

As Sarah wisely reported, the two major parties of the Italian politics are producing tons of advertisement and now even two videos. In order to gain a competitive advantage over rivals, politicians and their supporters are creating songs, films and magazines to depict the wonderful destiny they foresee for Italy.

This propaganda represents aspirations and a desirable image of life that the electors would like to identify with. However, people seem quite disillusioned with the nowadays reality and are not likely to appreciate the empty promises of the politicians- not matter what candidate proposes them.

It seems like politics has become a sort of marketing due to the fact that politicians are ever busier in promoting their perfect and marvellous programs. I feel like we are all a little bit poorer, a little bit angrier and a little bit disillusioned; however the electoral period it’s a time where we can all be positive and plan for a great new government.

The most important thing I wish Italians would never forget is that nice songs, enticing videos, charming smiles would never pay the taxes for us.