Too Cute to Fail

Over the years I've read studies that report on income disparities between the comely and the homely and between the tall and the short. Being neither particularly tall nor attractive, I read this news with some interest -- sometimes wishing for different genetic fortune -- but nevertheless hoping to prepare myself to be the exception that balanced out the statistics.

Of course, being tall doesn't make one clever. Nor does being attractive. It appears that something else is at work to account for the statistic. Perhaps there is a glass ceiling, but before you can break through it, you first must be tall enough to reach it.

When automakers tell Congress that they are "too big to be allowed to fail," I can't help but picture the worker I envisioned in the above statistic, who regardless of his business acumen (or lack thereof), might complain that he is "too good-looking to fail," or "too tall to fail."

Yet when they do, they don't come to testify before Congress asking for the taxpayers to bail them out.

It's absurd.

Unlike the genetics that determine our heights and looks, the automakers had a choice in how large they became.

They grew that large this because they hoped to earn their fortunes in this way. Through much thinking, strategic planning, and good old-fashioned hard work, they were successful. They weren't promised this success when they began, but they began anyway because -- increasingly burdensome regulations notwithstanding -- they knew they had freedom to succeed.

But also to fail.

In fact, that is the genius of allowing such freedom to succeed and to fail. No business is too big to be allowed to fail. But nor is any business to small to be allowed to prosper.

Everybody has to start somewhere. If that means we have to start small again, we can take comfort in knowing that they'll never be able to use the annoying fallacy again, that they're "too big to be allowed to fail." - Cam Beck

Comments

[Lewis Green]

American automakers have been too resistant to change not to fail.

[Gannon Beck]

Too big to fail, but too stupid to succeed. Where does that leave the auto industry?

[Polar Bear]

I agree with the title in relation to the first photo.
Love,
Pappy

[Polar Bear]

I agree with the title in relation to the first photo.
Love,
Pappy

[Polar Bear]

I agree with the title in relation to the first photo.
Love,
Pappy

[Drew]

Good golly Cam....she just keeps getting cuter and cuter!

Drew

[Cam Beck]

@Lewis - I haven't quite put my finger on the root cause of all of their problems, but I'm not sure resistance to change is it.

I'm sure there are pockets of resistance that, like in all organizations, pose serious problems to their continued development. But there has been a lot of change. Has it been fast enough, though? Thorough enough? Certainly it warrants further study.

@Gannon - In Congress, apparently.

@Polar Bear - You can say that again!

@Drew - Thank you! I'm always looking for an excuse to put in a picture... :)