People Don’t Fail, Leaders Do

People Don’t Fail, Leaders Do by Jimmie Santee

Originally published in the Jul/Aug 2014 PS Magazine

People don’t fail, leaders do… I’m not sure where I first learned that, but I believe it to be true. In fact, I was reading an article by Dan Schawbel on the website The Fast Track called “Top Ten Reasons Why Leaders Fail.” Following is Schawbel’s list of reasons:

1. Leaders become selfish

2. They stop navigating the team

3. Leaders become greedy

4. They get arrogant

5. They focus too much on politics

6. They don’t give enough criticism

7. Leaders refuse to adapt

8. They don’t understand self-leadership

9. They are too reactive

10. Leaders don’t communicate well

So let’s play a game of word association…read each reason and write down the first person that comes to mind. Personally, when I did this experiment, I wrote down only one name – Octavio Cinquanta. As I read this article, I couldn’t get Octavio out of my mind…he is unbelievably selfish, arrogant, political, and refuses to adapt. Personally, I think he would say he does adapt, but I would counter that he is too reactive. He has made poor decision after poor decision.

Let’s add up the score card. Under his leadership, ISU removed figures, compulsory dances, and the 6.0 system from competition. He created anonymous judging, and erased the line between amateur and professional (as long as the ISU was the one paying). The sport for all intent and purposes disappeared from broadcast television, and we saw empty seats at almost all ISU events with the exception of Japan and Korea. He consistently makes decisions that have unintended consequences- decisions that someone who truly understands the sport would not make.

One of the first decisions he made after becoming President in 1996 was to not allow Kurt Browning to skate in the opening ceremonies at the World Championships in Edmonton, Kurt’s hometown. Kurt was considered “ineligible.” More likely, it was meant to publically embarrass David Dore who was not yet the ISU Vice President for Figure Skating.

Back in 2002, Cinquanta declared the new IJS would revolutionize the sport. Phil Hersch reported that judging issues were normally considered by only the figure skating delegates. To get IJS passed through the ISU congress, Cinquanta argued that since a majority of the ISU's revenue comes from figure skating, the entire organization should have a say in a reform.  He was also quoted as saying, “I promise you this new, simple system would minimize the possibility of bloc judging and voting in future." To be fair, he did say “minimize” not eliminate. We all know how that worked out.

To continue, in 2003, there were signs that skating’s popularity was waning. TV revenue was projected to drop by as much as 75%. Quoted in a USA Today article, Cinquanta said, "Of course I'm concerned, but I perceive that the American mentality is very much linked to the market. The market is up and down. This is not a moment of up, it is a moment of down." Probably an understatement at best, as the down turn lasted at least 10 years. By his own admission, Cinquanta was quoted in 2002 as saying, "I don't know figure skating so well." …really?

His current plan for the sport is to eliminate the short program. I am predicting that by 2016 when his term ends, that the short program will be replaced by a mass-start choreographed 500 meter race set to music, while the speed skaters will be forced to race in theatrical costumes and perform 7 required elements. Newly elected U.S. Figure Skating President Sam Auxier said at Governing Council that his mission was to make sure Cinquanta became a lame duck…can we afford even that?