[muglo] Penalty Of Leadership

  • From: Earl B Long <earlblong@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Muglo <muglo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:36:56 -0400

Think of Apple and Steve Jobs when you read the following:

In 1915,Cadillac,which had previously marketed its high quality as an 
automobile manufacturer,suffered quality problems on its 1915 V8 Touring model.
Rival Packard was quick to jump on this and began attacking Cadillac for its 
problems. Cadillac marketing man Theodore MacManus responded with a
simple print ad called "The Penalty Of Leadership".This legendary piece,which 
never mentions Cadillac by name,was a huge success.Even 30 years later
in 1945 it was voted the best ad of all time by the industry.I suspect it will 
be a good many years before GM (aka Government Motors) will run this ad again.
But, then again with people to-day having such short memories, this ad could 
surface in a GM ad soon. 



> From: Earl Long <earlblong@xxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> 
> Here it is for those who may not have seen it.  I imagine you could print it 
> out and take it to a print shop and have it done up on fancy paper suitable 
> for framing.
> 
> The Penalty of Leadership
> 
> In every field of human endeavor, he that is first must perpetually live in 
> the white light of publicity. Whether the leadership be vested in a man or in 
> a manufactured product, emulation and envy are ever at work. In art, in 
> literature, in music, in industry, the reward and the punishment are always 
> the same. The reward is widespread recognition; the punishment, fierce denial 
> and detraction. When a man’s work becomes a standard for the whole world, it 
> also becomes a target for the shafts of the envious few. If his work be 
> merely mediocre, he will be left severely alone - if he achieve a 
> masterpiece, it will set a million tongues a-wagging. Jealousy does not 
> protrude its forked tongue at the artist who produces a commonplace painting. 
> Whatsoever you write, or paint, or play, or sing, or build, no one will 
> strive to surpass or to slander you, unless your work be stamped with the 
> seal of genius. Long, long after a great work or a good work has been done, 
> those who are disappointed or envious continue to cry out that it cannot be 
> done. Spiteful little voices in the domain of art were raised against our own 
> Whistler as a mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him its 
> greatest genius. Multitudes flocked to worship at the shrine of Wagner, while 
> the little group of those whom he had dethroned and displaced argued angrily 
> that he was no musician at all. The little world continued to protest that 
> Fulton could not build a steamboat, while the big world flocked to the river 
> to see his boat steam by. The leader is assailed because he is the leader, 
> and the effort to equal him is merely added proof of that leadership. Failing 
> to equal or to excel, the follower seeks to depreciate and to destroy - but 
> only confirms once more the superiority of that which he strives to supplant. 
> There is nothing new in this. It is as old as the world and as old as the 
> human passions - envy, fear, greed, ambition, and the desire to surpass. And 
> it all avails nothing. If the leader truly leads, he remains - the leader. 
> Master-poet, master-painter, master-workman, each in his turn is assailed, 
> and each holds his laurels through the ages. That which is good or great 
> makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial. That which 
> deserves to live - lives.
> 
> By Theodore F. MacManus 

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