The "liberal" virtues of Sergio Marchionne

This is one of those positive signs that come from time to time in our country the general esteem that we remember in these hours of life as a manager at Fiat (we always want to believe that this life is over) by Sergio Marchionne. This is a good sign not only because he has been a true excellence in his work, but because he symbolically represents poorly recognized or even despised values ​​in Italy. A contempt that for us is a cultural ballast that often prevents us from competing with other nations.

The values ​​to which I refer are those of the production of value or wealth, without which nothing can be realized even ground of the so-called "change", or rather the transformation for the better of our state and Of our society. In the production of wealth, everyone should embrace and strive for its role in the economic process.

Now, the end of a business leader is to develop and implement these industrial practices to create profits. for the owners and shareholders for whom he works. In truth, for Marchionne, when he took control of the command at Lingotto, the task entrusted to him was even wider, in fact we say that it was almost an "impossible mission": first save a technically bankrupt enterprise and with it, the workplace of the many workers who were still gravitating directly or indirectly into its orbit.

The mission was even more prohibitive if we consider the fact that FIAT could no longer benefit from state aid they had been strengthened in the golden years of "miracle" Italian ": a tacit agreement between Rome and Turin which, in exchange for the occupation of large mbades of workers also and especially of the South, is in exchange nothing other than social cohesion and Italy territorial, guarantee of the protection of the company and privileges of all kinds

Realizes this historic task, but the historian can today judge it, return of the bad managerial choices which had place or lose as many trains as the competitor had quickly caught, with an internal union that hindered any attempt at modernization and with the other industrialists who were still in the titles of a past time, the Lingotto was [19659003Marchionnerealizedthattheonlychancethoughthebiletowinthechallengewastoattemptthe"horsekick"toplayInessenceitwasnecessarytolookbeyondandinadifferentwaythrowingthetableofoldideasandhabitsAdesperatebutnecessarymovementinasituationwheretherewasnothinglefttolose

This is what is called "vision", the ability to think big and to watch where others do not look, to see the troubles as a hidden opportunity. And it is also the courage to move without hesitation on the path undertaken, in the hope that even the "luck" (which Machiavellically rules the world and with "virtue") can help.

We must not forget that Marchionne almost a free hand to carry out his projects, which is undoubtedly a point of honor for the property, in an Italy where the power is always mediatised and "concerted ", And therefore never responsible, and even the ends of excellence before or afterwards" swallow "; Let's not forget that the leaders of our businesses are still dependent on "family" or property crises, and this is another indisputable weakness of our system.

In Marchionne, however, Italy was tight, and it immediately looked out, and acquired on the world markets (political and not only financial) the strength that in Italy did not. could never have had more. I am not wrong. And he managed, another exceptional event, to be in the graces of Obama and Trump, although in fact he served substantial politicians for his purpose, which was then only, indeed, to create wealth and save jobs.

This is his managerial history, which we all know. What has been pointed out here, is the fact that he imagined the liberal virtues of risk, initiative, counter-intuitive or lateral thinking, courage and determination in l & # 39; action. Virtues that have had and have little practice in Italy and are also invisible from the dominant cultural power. That they are recognized a little by everyone during these hours, even if unconsciously, gives a small glimmer of hope for our future.