What first struck me about the auto bailout was the silly grins on the faces of everyone as the photographer snapped the pictures of Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, leaders of the big three and the UAW.  I realize that a picture can be snapped at anytime, but in this case the picture captured strange juxtaposition of the whole situation - the private jets, the unwillingness to accept a salary reduction in exchange for a massive bailout, the horrible presentation before Congress, the potential implications and the grins.

I have the pleasure of working with many business leaders in the community and in my work.  The vast majority of them are incredibly smart, hard working individuals.  They know their business very well and they know what they want to do to grow it.  There are some with whom I never end a meeting without having learned something about business, leadership, ethics or finances.  So it also has bothered me that business is be painted with a brush crafted froms the likes of these guys.

Then I read Dan McCarthy's post on the situation and I remembered that the lesson here is what not to do:

"The Big 3 guys were all about doom and gloom, and probably ticked-off Washington and the public more than ever with their performance. A quick scan of the media reaction this morning verifies that – there’s little media, political, and public support.

Leadership is also about accountability, being able to recognize problems before they become big problems, admitting that you have a problem, and taking responsibility to fix it. Great leaders can admit their mistakes, learn from them, and move on with an uncanny sense of confidence.

I saw very little demonstration of accountability on cspan yesterday. Not much candor, and a lot of finger-pointing.