The downfall of Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn resembles a Kabuki play, with the Japanese powers-that-be asserting themselves in the end. But Ghosn’s story is more like a classic Greek tragedy, with contemporary German elements, because the best parallel to Ghosn is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
DUBLIN – The spectacular rise and fall of Carlos Ghosn, “Le Cost Killer” who saved Nissan after 1999 and built a powerful partnership of the Japanese carmaker, its big French shareholder, Renault, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, resembles a Kabuki play, with the Japanese powers-that-be asserting themselves in the end. But Ghosn’s downfall is really more like a classic Greek tragedy, with contemporary German elements. This is a story of Hubris meeting Nemesis. And the best parallel to Ghosn is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Even superstar managers or political leaders risk disaster if they overestimate their power and outstay their welcome. That is what Merkel has done by remaining in office for 13 years, making her the longest-serving chancellor since Helmut Kohl held the post, from 1982 to 1998.
Within recent memory, Merkel was seen, rightly or wrongly, in heroic terms for her role in stabilizing the euro single currency. But when she leaves office, probably in the next few months, she will cut a much-diminished, perhaps even humiliated figure.
DUBLIN – The spectacular rise and fall of Carlos Ghosn, “Le Cost Killer” who saved Nissan after 1999 and built a powerful partnership of the Japanese carmaker, its big French shareholder, Renault, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, resembles a Kabuki play, with the Japanese powers-that-be asserting themselves in the end. But Ghosn’s downfall is really more like a classic Greek tragedy, with contemporary German elements. This is a story of Hubris meeting Nemesis. And the best parallel to Ghosn is German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Even superstar managers or political leaders risk disaster if they overestimate their power and outstay their welcome. That is what Merkel has done by remaining in office for 13 years, making her the longest-serving chancellor since Helmut Kohl held the post, from 1982 to 1998.
Within recent memory, Merkel was seen, rightly or wrongly, in heroic terms for her role in stabilizing the euro single currency. But when she leaves office, probably in the next few months, she will cut a much-diminished, perhaps even humiliated figure.