Leadership: William E. Kennard

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is pulled and tugged by many forces. But the holder of that job is an enormously powerful person these days, in a world where telecommunications is becoming the epicenter of so much of what we do.

In the third installment of my series, “Exploring Leadership,” Kennard talks about his way of doing things.


Microsoft Honchos: Screw You, Judge Jackson

Washington Post: On Home Turf, Microsoft Is Viewed as a Victim.

The antitrust proceedings were “a public show trial in the true sense of the word,” says Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft’s chief technology officer. “It was about innuendo, character assassination, completely unsupported claims.”

This quote reminds me of the story about the philandering husband whose wife comes home to find him in bed with another woman. He says, “Who are you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?”

The Microsoft trial was about facts. It revealed character. And the government claims were supported not just by the testimony from government witnesses, but by the voluminous written record from inside Microsoft itself — an avalanche of emails and other documents that demonstrated a pattern of lawbreaking.

I never fail to be amazed by this continuing level of arrogance at Microsoft, especially from a senior manager (albeit semi-retired, in Myhrvold’s case). It’s plainly counterproductive, because it’ll energize the Justice Department and state attorneys general to push for the harshest kind of sanctions. But the Microsoft kool-aid seems to breed hubris.

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