"I Gotta Tell You": Speeches of Lee Iacocca

"Communication has been my most valuable management tool. / realized early that / was pretty good at using the spoken word to move an organization in the direction / wanted, and / used that tool every day. / realized that if people understood what you want them to do, and it makes sense, they'll do it. "

-Lee Iacocca, from the Foreword

Lee Iacocca's impact on the Chrysler Corporation and on the entire domestic auto industry is unprecedented for a modern corporate leader. He is best known for steering Chrysler away from its brush with bankruptcy in 1979-80. No other example of a major corporate resurrection has been so widely followed as the Chrysler comeback, and it is quite possible that no other corporate leader has been as widely credited with business success as Lee Iacocca. His tenure at Chrysler transformed him into a national, even an international figure, one who has been referred to as a modern folk hero and touted as a potential presidential candidate.

While many attributes set him apart from his peers, it is his skill as a communicator that truly distinguishes him. "I Gotta Tell You" is about Iacocca the communicator. The book features twenty-five of his most influential and memorable speeches, with commentaries by communication scholars and a foreword by Iacocca.

To capture the diversity of his public addresses, the speeches are organized by audience and theme. The first section includes typical business speeches, delivered

with the unique Iacocca flair, to shareholders and Chrysler employees and dealers. The second section, which demonstrates Iacocca's particular skills in dealing with crises, arguing for changes, and being a corporate advocate, includes speeches to American audiences about general business

concerns and speeches before international

audiences. The book concludes with speeches delivered on special occasions,such as commencements and the celebration of the Statue of Liberty, when Iacocca donned the role of celebrity and statesman.

The commentaries preceding each chapter illustrate how Iacocca used his extraordinary skills as an orator to motivate workers, market products, respond to criticism, and promote important economic, social, and political issues. The analyses spotlight the unique and powerful image Iacocca created as he oversaw the most dramatic corporate turnaround in American history.