Lee Iacocca is the book’s primary example of a leader of an unsustained comparison company who, notably, did not show traits of a Level 5 Leader. Iacocca led Chrysler through a period of remarkable growth and was widely admired for his charisma and vision, but Collins notes that he seemed to put his own ego above the company’s success and eventually became distracted by other, more glamorous ventures. Iacocca did not effectively prepare a successor and, after his departure as CEO, Chrysler failed to sustain the gains it had enjoyed under his leadership.
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Lee Iacocca Character Timeline in Good to Great
The timeline below shows where the character Lee Iacocca appears in Good to Great. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6
...avoiding tyranny is the third crucial component of a true culture of discipline. Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca is a particularly striking example of a disciplinarian whose company declined after he became distracted...
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