Ego and Metrics Gone Awry  July 7, 2009  It's not good karma to
take pot shots at someone after they pass away, but I started
this blog several months ago and never finished it, so I find at
least some relief in that. The core message in this post: Beware
the leader too comfortable in the role, too adept at eluding the
grasp of humility.  Robert McNamara died last Monday. For those
interested in studying and learning about leadership and
management, independent of industry or purpose, he's a character
worth knowing. My father, brother, uncle, and cousin all served
in the McNamara War; my father at the most senior levels of the
Air Force. And, of course, in my own Air Force professional
education, we studied his style, strategies, and outcomes in-
depth. Bless him and the hearts of his left behind family, his
life offers poignant and painful lessons in leadership that we
should all note.  He had all the right academic credentials,
corporate pedigree... and haircut. He was a data wonk before it
was fashionable.