Leadership Lessons from Fidel Castro

From FEE.org commentary by Robert Maranto (Dec. 13, 2016):

I propose a new book honoring a revered, recently deceased leader, an obscure country lawyer who through hard work and calculation took over and ran a huge privately held firm for a half-century. Here are the key points from Lider Maximo (“Supreme Leader”): Nine Leadership Lessons from Fidel Castro.

Lesson 1: Know oneself. From an early age, Fidel knew the rules didn’t apply to him. That gave him the inner strength to break promises time and time again. For example, while seeking power he promised elections, but on taking power declared “elections, what for?”

Lesson 2:  Learn from others’ mistakes. While the Batista government gave the rebel Castro amnesty after just two years in jail, Castro never made the mistake of mercy. He executed 600 opponents in the months after taking power with 15-17,000 more in the decades after, according to The Black Book of Communism. Still more perished in prison, civil unrest, or seeking alternative employment as boat people, which suggests a third lesson.

Lesson 3: Terminate opponents. You need kill only a few before the supply runs dry.

Lesson 4: Terminate supporters, especially those with talent. Castro sent Che Guevara overseas to fight, where he conveniently died. After wars abroad alienated popular General Arnaldo Ochoa, Castro had him arrested and killed on trumped up charges. Terminating talent keeps them from challenging you, and messages that capable people are safe only if they leave Cuba. 

Lesson 5: Control the means of production. Lider Maximo owned the economy, so only his supporters ate well and got good medical care. Similarly, managed media offered no opposition.  [read more]

Just think the Left thinks this thug is cool. These are some of the leadership lessons of a dictator. There are four more lessons. Granted not all the lessons are bad. The first two are good lessons for any leader.

Lessons 3 and 4 Hitler followed. After gaining absolute power from the German parliament back then, Hitler then proceeded to have his opponents murdered. Like what did the parliament think he would do? They just gave the psycho absolute power. Sometimes politicians can be so stupid. I think they thought they could control Hitler, but you can’t control someone you just gave absolute power too.

As for Lesson 4, Hitler had a follower killed because he became more popular than Hitler even though the victim was a total believer, supporter and a fan of Hitler. Also, King David of the Bible had his brother sent of to war so he could marry his sister-in-law. Absolute power corrupts.